Artificial lift in detail
Artificial lift is a process used on oil wells to increase pressure within the reservoir and encourage oil to the surface. When the natural drive energy of the reservoir is not strong enough to push the oil to the surface, artificial lift is employed to recover more production.
While some wells contain enough pressure for oil to rise to the surface without stimulation, most don't, requiring an artificial lift. In fact, 96% of the oil wells in the US require an artificial lift from the very beginning.