1.
n. [Drilling]
A wellbore that has not encountered hydrocarbons in economically producible quantities. Most wells contain
salt water in some zones. In addition, the wellbore usually encounters small amounts of crude oil and natural gas. Whether the well is a "duster" depends on many factors of the economic equation, including proximity to transport and
processing infrastructures, local market conditions, expected
completion costs, tax and investment
recovery conditions of the jurisdiction and projected oil and gas prices during the productive
life of the well.