Directional drilling

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Directional drilling is used to access oil, natural gas, or coalbed methane reserves that are not located directly underneath a well (also known as a wellbore) and cannot be accessed through vertical drilling. Directional drilling can also be used to gather information about geological formations, construct relief wells, and install natural gas and electric utility lines.^[1][2][3][4]

Overview

Directional drilling encompasses horizontal drilling and other drilling actions that radiate outward from a vertical well. An example of these deviations can be seen in the image below. Drill operators use directional drilling to create multiple wells from a vertical wellbore. One method of directional drilling involves pointing the drill in the direction chosen by the drill operator. Additionally, directional drilling can be combined with hydraulic fracturing (also known as fracking) to drill into rock formations that were previously inaccessible by vertical drilling. Horizontal directional drilling is also used to install conduits and pipelines. For example, operators may use directional drilling under rivers, hills, or roadways in order to install utility lines or natural gas pipelines connecting one area to another.^[5][6]

Development

Directional drilling was first developed and used by the oil and natural gas industry in the United States in the 1920s. New technologies were developed over time to improve the use of directional drilling and increase the driller's control over a well. For example, drill sensors and global positioning systems are used to map wells and direct the drill in real time. In addition, 3D measuring tools and specialized drill bits and motors are used to drill into multiple wells at different angles.^[6][7]

Fracking background

Hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, is a method of oil and natural gas extraction. The process involves injecting fluid into subterranean rock formations at high pressure. The high-pressure fluid produces a fracture network that allows crude oil and natural gas inside dense rocks to flow into a wellbore and be extracted at the surface. The fluid (known as frac fluid) contains between 98 percent and 99.5 percent water and sand; between 0.5 percent and 2 percent of the fluid is composed of chemical additives, which are used to stop the growth of microorganisms, prevent well casing corrosion, increase the rate at which the fluid is injected, and reduce pressure, among other things.^[8]

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), there were approximately 23,000 hydraulically fractured wells in the United States in 2000. In 2015, the United States contained approximately 300,000 hydraulically fractured wells, accounting for 67 percent of U.S. natural gas production and 51 percent of U.S. crude oil production.^[9][10][11]

See also

Footnotes

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