Upstream refers to points in production that occur early in the processes.
Also referred to as exploration and production (E&P), exploration and production are the furthest away from the end user in the oil and gas supply chain.
Exploration and production activities include exploration, drilling and production.
The upstream is followed by the midstream (transportation of crude oil) and the downstream (refining and distribution).
Today, many large oil companies are integrated in the sense that they contain upstream, downstream, and downstream units.
The Keystone pipeline was proposed by TC Energy (formerly TransCanadian Corp.) in 2005 to transport new hard-to-recover heavy oil deposits from the oil sands in Canada to US refineries.
The Upstream Capital Cost Index (UCCI) tracks the total capital cost of materials, facilities, equipment and personnel for oil and natural gas projects.
Preliminary drilling is a form of exploratory drilling in the oil and gas exploration and production process, the purpose of which is to develop unproven or high-risk areas.