Sunday 8 May 2016

The Applications Of Horizonal Drilling

By Amy Brown


Many methods of drilling exist today for different applications. Horizonal drilling is one of the technological marvels in this industry. This method is classified under directional drilling methods and is used in a number of applications where other methods cannot produce the desired results. In this process, the well is horizontally turned to move horizontally at some depth into the ground.

The well is turned horizontally to allow for the extraction of energy sources that are extending horizontally themselves. One common application of this technique is in the extraction of gas in Marcellus Shale Formation. The well has to be drilled vertically up to some point into the ground before it can be turned horizontally. The result of this kind of drilling is a well that is shaped like an exaggerated letter J.

An examination of horizontal and vertical wells reveals that the former method is capable of reaching a wider area of rock and the natural gas trapped there within. Thus, companies that employ this method are capable of gaining access to more energy resources using a smaller number of horizontal wells as opposed to if vertical wells are used. This makes this method very suitable in a number of situations.

There are many reasons why companies decide to make use of horizontal wells as opposed to other drilling processes. First, this technique is used when there is need to increase the section length through the reservoir. Thus, the well is drilled at an angle to the reservoir. Secondly, this process is preferred in areas where vertical drilling is not possible. An example of such a scenario is when the oilfield is located below a town.

Accessing oilfields beneath a town requires wells to be drilled at some point far from the town where drilling is feasible. The well starts to be drilled horizontally before it begins to go horizontally toward the oil reservoir. This process is also of great importance where land disturbance has to be minimal and the costs of excavation kept low. Therefore, a single spot is chosen where all wells are drilled and then fanned out in order to access the oilfields located in various places.

The need to employ equipment at multiple points is eliminated by the existence of a central location. Equipment sharing is made possible. Transport costs are lowered while the manpower needed is kept to the minimum. There is also the restriction of environmental disturbance to a single location. This industry aims to minimize environmental pollution and disturbance and this process goes a long way in achieving that goal.

This method has a few shortcomings of its own. First, initially, the process of drilling horizontal wells was very slow compared to that of drilling vertical wells. The process was made slower because regular stops had to be made in order to make some lengthy surveys. The rate of penetration was also considerably very low. However, with the invention of better tools and modern downhole motors, the process has improved significantly.

Cost is another shortcoming in this process. It is comparatively more expensive to drill horizontal wells than vertical ones. The process is quite challenging when the well has to be drilled at an angle. Finally, before better equipment and planning existed, sand influx was a major problem.




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