Original question: http://answers.google.com/answers/main?cmd=threadview&id=175608

I've tried researching this further based on the starting points you
have given me, but some of the articles were extremely technical and
others did not provide me with the specific information I was looking
for, which is:

1) Can the fossil-fuel oil wells on this theoretical volcanic island
be rich enough to merit a huge oil boom on this island?

IF NOT:

1) Can there be an oil boom on this island any other way, i.e., via
directional drilling? IF SO, how old is this technology? Was it around
by the early 1900s? Could it have been, theoretically? Why?/Why not?

---------

2) Could you draw a scientifically-founded vertical cross-section of
this theoretical volcanic island, either with the local oil wells (if
they can be sufficiently prosperous to merit an oil boom) or with the
directional drills tapping one or several prosperous sources of oil
elsewhere (provided this could theoretically have been done over 100
years ago)?

IF LOCAL OIL WELLS cannot theoretically be extremely prosperous, AND
if directional drilling could not have theoretically existed 100 years
ago,

1) could you try to find a different, believable solution for
accounting for an oil boom on this theoretic volcanic island, and

2) draw the appropriate cross-section as mentioned above?