Wellbore

on Energy

Fiscal policy Budgets Budget and finances by state Tax policy by state State Budget Terms State government tax collections by source Total state expenditures State spending by function as a percent of total expenditures State debt Finance Financial regulation in the United States Dodd-Frank Act Federal Reserve Pensions Pension policy by state Public pension health by state Pension reform in San Jose and San Diego Pension Terms and Definitions Public pensions Civil liberties Affirmative action Campaign finance Nonprofit regulation Education Public education by state School choice by state Charter schools by state Higher education by state Education policy in the United States Public education in the United States Education statistics Education statistics in the United States Education spending per pupil Number of schools by school type in the U.S. Demographic information for all students in the United States Public school system expenditures in the United States Public school system revenues in the United States Public school teacher salaries in the United States Graduation rates by groups in state Public high school dropout rates by state ACT and SAT scores in the United States NAEP scores by state Major terms Blended learning Charter schools Common Core Dropout rate Progressive education Regulatory Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate School vouchers Teacher merit pay United States education agencies Elections Voting policy Voter identification laws by state Online voter registration Early voting Ballot access Ballot access for presidential candidates Ballot access for major and minor party candidates List of political parties in the United States Political party designation Redistricting State-by-state redistricting procedures Majority-minority districts Energy and Environment Energy Policy by state Fracking Portal Fracking information by state Fracking Fracking in the United States Energy policy in the United States Energy use in the United States Oil and gas on federal lands by state Energy terms and definitions Agencies and legislation Environmental Policy by state Endangered Species Policy Endangered species policy by state Environmental policy in the United States Environmental statistics Endangered species statistics Glossary of environmental terms Glossary of endangered species terms Healthcare Healthcare policy by state Medicaid spending by state Effect of the Affordable Care Act by state Healthcare policy in the United States Affordable Care Act Immigration Immigration in the United States Immigration by state

Fracking in the U.S.
Energy policy in the U.S.
State fracking policy
State energy policy
Glossary of energy terms

A wellbore is a drilled hole used to enhance the extraction of oil, natural gas, or water. The wellbore, which is the hole that forms what will become a well, is used to provide greater access to natural resources.^[1]

Overview

Drill pipes attached to a drill bit are used to drill a wellbore. Operators use drilling mud to cool the drill bit and transport the cut rock back to the surface. Wellbores may be encased or open. For encased wellbores, outer tubes line a wellbore to protect soil and groundwater from any potential contamination from drilling mud or frac fluids. Casing, which can be made of cement, is also used to stabilize the wellbore. Tubes are then set inside the wellbore to extract oil or gas underground and deliver it to the surface. Pumps are generally used to force the oil and gas to surface. After oil and gas is extracted, the drill string is removed and casing is inserted and cemented into the wellbore.^[2][3]

The two main types of wellbore are vertical and horizontal wellbores:^[4][5]

• A vertical wellbore is a hole drilled straight below the surface.
• A horizontal wellbore begins as a vertical wellbore. After a vertical well is drilled, operators study where to begin drilling horizontally. The spot that is determined at a particular depth for drillers to begin horizontal drilling is known as a kickoff point. Drillers then create a horizontally curved hole to access oil or natural gas within the rock formation.

See also

Footnotes

v • e Energy Policy
Background	Energy policy in the United States • Fracking in the United States • Energy use in the United States • Electricity prices in the United States • Historic state electricity prices • Historic state natural gas prices • State energy production rankings • Environmental Policy • State environmental policy pages • Environmental policy in the United States • Energy and Environmental News
Terms	Abandoned mine drainage • Biofuels • Biomass • BTEX • Clean Air Act • Clean Water Act • Coal • Coalbed methane • Compressed natural gas • Crude oil • Directional drilling • Directional well • Electrical grid • Energy siting • Ethanol • Flare • Flowback • Frac sand • Frack fluid • Fracking • Geosteering • Geothermal energy • Horizontal drilling • Hydrocarbons • Hydroelectric energy • Liquid Petroleum Gases • Megawatt • Megawatt hour • Methane • Mineral rights • Natural gas • Natural gas liquids • Natural gas storage • Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials • Nuclear power • Oil shale • Petrochemicals • Petroleum • Petroleum systems • Produced water • Proppants • Public Trust Doctrine • Renewable energy resources • Renewable Portfolio Standards • Seismicity • Shale gas • Shale play • Slick water frac • Slurry • Solar energy • Traditional energy resources • Vertical drilling • Volatile organic compounds • Wellbore • Wind energy
State energy information	Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming
State fracking policy	Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • Wyoming