The History of Directional Drilling

Directional drilling might be seen as one of the recent emerging techniques, and many don’t understand the history of directional drilling. Here are the necessary details about this drilling technology.

What Is Directional Drilling?

Directional drilling is the technology used to drill non-vertical wells. It is defined as the practice of controlling the direction and deviation of a wellbore to reach a pre-determined underground target location. Directional drilling allows hydrocarbons to be extracted from areas that would otherwise be inaccessible.

Most people in the drilling industry use this technology to reach oil and gas reservoirs deep in the earth. Directional drilling can target these reservoirs without having to drill a vertical well. Directional drilling is not a new technology. It has been used for more than a century.

When Was Directional Drilling Invented?

The first directional drilling was completed in 1909. At that time, people were trying to find a way to drill for oil in the Los Angeles City oil field. Their main problem was that houses and other buildings covered the area they wanted to drill in.

As a result, they couldn’t drill a vertical well without causing damage to these structures. So, they came up with the idea of drilling a wellbore that would curve around these buildings and reach the oil field. This was the first time that directional drilling was used.

How Directional Drilling Works

Directional drilling is achieved by placing surface and downhole tools in the wellbore. These tools include a drill bit, a reamer, a motor, and a logging-while-drilling (LWD) tool. The drill bit is used to drill the wellbore. The reamer is used to enlarge the wellbore. The motor is used to rotate the drill bit and reamer. The LWD tool is used to measure the inclination and azimuth of the wellbore.

How Has Directional Drilling Developed?

Directional drilling has come a long way since 1909. In the early days of directional drilling, the only way to change the direction of a wellbore was to use explosives, which was a hazardous and inefficient method. In the 1950s, companies began using rotary drilling rigs to drill directional wells. This made directional drilling much safer and more efficient.

In the 1970s, companies began using Measurement While Drilling (MWD) tools to drill directional wells. MWD tools are used to measure the inclination and azimuth of a wellbore while drilling. This information is used to adjust the direction of the wellbore. As a result, directional wells can be drilled more accurately.

Conclusion

As you’ve learned, directional drilling is not a new technology. It has been used for more than a century. Directional drilling is a safe and efficient way to drill for oil and gas in areas that would otherwise be inaccessible. Thanks to technological advances, directional drilling has become even more accurate and efficient. Contact Es7 Comm-2 U, Inc. today to learn more about directional drilling.

Categorised in: Directional Drilling

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