Drilling in the Oil Field: Why Do We Need Directional Drilling? (Essay Sample)

Drilling in the oil field
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Institution
Drilling in the oil field
Why do we need directional drilling?
Directional drilling refers to a trenchless method of installation of an underground pipe in a shallow arc through the use of a surface-launched drilling rig with the aim of reducing the impact on the particular area. The use of directional drilling aims at reaching the targets beneath the adjacent lands and reduction of the footprint gas field (Allouche, Ariaratnam & Lueke, 2000).
The first reason for the use of directional drilling is to ensure that targets which may not be reached by vertical drilling are accessed. There are instances where a reservoir is located under a park making drilling impossible. The use of horizontal drilling makes it possible to carry out the procedure at a different angle that does intersect the reservoir(Allouche, Ariaratnam & Lueke, 2000).
Directional drilling makes it possible to drain a broad area. The same can be accomplished from a single drilling pad where the aim is to reduce the surface footprint of the drilling operation. The method is effective as it helps minimise the footprint of the development of natural gas.
Also, directional drilling makes it possible to increase the length of a particular pay zone in the target rock unit. For example, in cases where the rock unit is approximately fifty feet thick, the vertical well that is drilled may have a pay zone with the same length. However, when employing directional drilling and the rock unit drilled for about five thousand feet, the single well could have pay zone that is approximately the same length (Allouche, Ariaratnam & Lueke, 2000). Such has a ...