This is purely about extracting money or technology, or both.

FORBES: Nokia Vs. Apple in the Rocket Docket

He tried to make a go of it by extracting fat patent licensing fees from technology companies, some of which paid up, but it seems licensing was not a sufficient strategy for Intellectual Ventures.

FORBES: Even Nathan Myhrvold Needs To Realize A Return

Cloud seeding is a technology that facilitates rainfall by extracting the maximum amount of moisture from the atmosphere, condensing it around chemical pellets.

FORBES: Venezuela: Recent Rain And Claims of Cloud Seeding

So long as the price justifies it, and as technology finds new ways of extracting more from reservoirs, old platforms are having their lives extended far beyond their expected spans.

BBC: Statoil platforms

It's a guess based on how much is known, and likely new finds, and how much technology might improve over the next few decades at extracting oil from those hard-to-reach rock formations.

BBC: Fact check: The boys from the black stuff

Applications for the technology extend beyond just injection, including the possibility of extracting tissue samples from a patient.

ENGADGET: Robotically Steerable Probe aims at minimally invasive surgery, moves through gelatin like a champ

So, what we're trying to do is come up with new technology that will allow us to extract more oil from the same area that we're extracting it now.

CNN: Stripper wells try to get more oil from ground