What Are The Advantages of Directional Drilling?
Posted on: 19 January 2021
Although it has only become popular in recent years, directional drilling has been around for over a century. This type of drilling is typically used for drilling oil and gas reservoirs located several feet below the ground. Unlike traditionally drilled wells, which are drilled at a vertical angle, directional drilling is when wells are drilled at non-vertical angles. This drilling technique offers many important benefits to contractors and their clients.
Before you hire a drilling contractor for your job, here are some of the top advantages of directional drilling that you should know about.
Directional drilling makes mining efforts much more efficient.
As the demand for oil and gas increases, there is a need for the oil and gas extraction sector to increase the efficiency of their mining operations. That means they have to find ways of increasing productivity in oil and gas production. As such, with traditional drilling, it is only possible to extract from reservoirs located directly below the wellhead. However, with directional drilling, operators can use the same main vertical wellbore to extract from multiple angular wells called 'branches.' This makes it possible to contact mineral-rich reservoirs that may not be reached due to the geological obstacles encountered when drilling straight wells.
What's more, wells created by drilling horizontally across the target reservoirs tend to produce more oil and gas. This is because oil and gas reservoirs form horizontally and not vertically.
Directional drilling minimises the environmental impact of mining operations.
One of the major disadvantages of traditionally drilled wells is that they can cause a lot of disruption to land and the activities carried out on land. Any major excavation work carried out around the reservoir site can destroy natural habitats and make existing neighbourhoods unsafe for human occupation.
Fortunately, directional drilling helps to minimise disruption around the worksite. The drills can be guided to go under streets, buildings and other obstacles, reducing the impact on human activities and the environment. This enhances workplace safety, promotes the livability of existing neighbourhoods and results in less expensive site restoration and remediation.
Many drilling contractors look for more efficient and environmentally friendlier ways of tapping fuel resources located below the Earth's surface. As such, if you want to learn more about this type of drilling or other drilling techniques, talk to a drilling contractor near you today. They can provide you with further information regarding the directional drilling process.
Share