1) During drilling, gas “kick” happens when the well bore encounters unexpected gas on the way to the target formation (the rock layer from which the natural gas will be extracted). This causes an abrupt spike in pressure in the well, hence, “kick.” The gas can mix with the drilling muds (see below) and must be separated and vented. If a gas kick is too large or cannot
be controlled, it can escalate into a blowout, which would also lead to venting, though this would not be intentional.