Relieve pressure: Directional drilling can help relieve the pressure from out of control wells.Increased reservoir production: Directional or horizontal drilling can expose the well to the maximum amount of the reservoir or allow the well to cross the largest number of fractures to increase production.Grouped wellheads also allow for fewer rig moves, which in turn saves more time and money. This decreases surface disturbances and also saves money and time with the reduction of well pad setups. Increased operational efficiency: Having the ability to access and drain larger parts of the reservoir from a single pad is a huge advantage of directional drilling.This allows oil companies to drill away from these obstacles or hazards to make it a more sensible, practical, or environmentally friendly option. There could be a variety of barriers that prevent access, such as difficult rock formations, utility lines under the surface, residential areas, or sensitive ecosystems. Unreachable deposits: it may be sometimes deemed obligatory to go around obstacles by using directional or horizontal drilling.It is important to discuss why directional or horizontal drilling can be not only beneficial but necessary, reasons include: Geological steering involves orienting the wellbore based on the properties of the lithology being drilled into to “find” the right reservoir rock.

Geometric steering involves adjusting the position of the wellbore based on a pre-arranged plan and then using complex measurements and surveys to stay on that plan. The well can be either geometrically or geologically steered. In the current day, drilling a hole in the ground can consist of complex geometry including builds, turns, and tangents to construct a well. However, this traditional method of drilling has been largely replaced. Without trenches to dig or material to put back, the completion time on projects using drilling is significantly less than with conventional methods.Most people would assume that when drilling for water, oil, natural gas, or other subsurface objects that they are targeted vertically - drilled straight down into the earth. With directional boring you can get the advantages of trenchless methods where a preexisting line is either unavailable or needs to be relocated.Ī significant portion of the cost of a new line goes into digging for a new line and putting back excavated material.Tap into significant cost savings and skip the damage that comes with traditional methods used to establish new lines.ĭrilling not only saves money, but it also creates a significant time savings. In the past, the only way to establish a new line was through expensive and damaging trenchwork. Trenchless Method For Establishing New Lines.Once successfully in place the ends of the line are connected and the project is complete. Once the hole has been prepared, a new line is pulled through the opening created. Once attached, the reamer is pulled back through the line clearing soil and even rocks to expand the hole to a size that is 25% larger than the pipe that is to be inserted. As the bore head drills a pilot hole, additional pipe sections are added until the pilot hole is complete.Īfter the boring head exists at a predetermined location at the other side of the run, a reamer is attached. Shorter completion times & safer for the environmentĪfter the site has been prepped, a horizontal boring machine (about the size of a golf cart) is moved into place and a bore head is connected to hollow pipe which enters the ground at an angle.Significant cost savings compared to conventional line installation methods.Trenchless option for establishing a new line.Avoid damage to your building, landscaping and hardscaping.From this pilot hole, a new sewer, water line, or conduit line can be established without a preexisting line – allowing for completely underground installation without the mess or expense of trenching! Benefits of Directional Drilling Horizontal boring machines drill a pilot hole which is able to enter and exit at predetermined locations and even change direction to avoid underground obstructions and preexisting lines. Directional drilling is a trenchless method of underground pipe installation.

Horizontal directional drilling video