Drilling Technology
Virtually all oil and gas wells today are drilled using the rotary method, in
which rock is broken into small particles or cuttings under the weight
applied to a rotating drill bit (Figure 5).
Although rotary drilling techniques came into their own over a hundred years ago, the technologies used
to apply them have evolved dramatically within the past decade. Formations that a few years ago would
have been unreachable are now targeted almost routinely, and wells that once would have taken months
to drill are completed in a matter of weeks at a fraction of the cost. We will identify some of these
technologies as we proceed through this module
The bit is made up on (i.e., screwed into) the end of a drill string, which
consists of individual lengths or joints of hollow steel pipe about 30 feet
long (Figure 5). The drilling rig, acting as a type of hoist, lowers the pipe
into the well. Each time the bit drills the equivalent of one pipe length,
drilling is stopped while another joint of pipe is added to the stringa
procedure is known as making a connection. In this way, the well is
eventually drilled to TD.
As the bit drills ahead, a specially formulated drilling fluid or mud is
continually pumped or circulated from the surface, to the bottom of the
well, and then back to surface to cool the bit and remove the cuttings
(Figure 6).
The bit is made up on (i.e., screwed into) the end of a drill string, which
consists of individual lengths or joints of hollow steel pipe about 30 feet
long (Figure 5). The drilling rig, acting as a type of hoist, lowers the pipe
into the well. Each time the bit drills the equivalent of one pipe length,
drilling is stopped while another joint of pipe is added to the stringa
procedure is known as making a connection. In this way, the well is
eventually drilled to TD.
As the bit drills ahead, a specially formulated drilling fluid or mud is
continually pumped or circulated from the surface, to the bottom of the
well, and then back to surface to cool the bit and remove the cuttings
(Figure 6).
Figure 6:
Circulation of the drilling fluid from the mud pit to the mud pump, through the rotary hose, down the drill
string, and up the annular space to the surface, where the cuttings are removed and the mud is treated
and returned to the mud pit
Figure 5: Rotary Drill Bits:
These and many other bit types are each designed for certain kinds of rock formations, and each has its
ideal area of application.
Most drilling rigs operate 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Rig crews
work 8 or 12-hour shifts or tours (pronounced towers), in rotations that
last anywhere from one to four weeks or more, depending on the location.
The subsurface conditions that drilling crews encounter are as varied as
their hours and work locations. The total depth (TD) of a well may be
anywhere from a few hundred to more than 20,000 feet. It may be
possible to reach TD by drilling straight down, or it may be necessary--and
sometimes beneficialto drill part of the well at an angle or even
horizontally. Along the way, there might be any number of rock types,
including loose gravel, soft, sticky clay or shale, abrasive sandstone, hard
carbonates and even salt. Each rock type presents its own set of
challenges. Subsurface pressures may range from a few hundred at the
surface to 5000, 10,000 or even 20,000 pounds per square inch ("psi") at
deeper depths. In some wells it is not always easy to predict the expected
pressure level. Temperatures may likewise range from near-surface
conditions to 400 F [200 C] or more. And there is often a good chance
of encountering toxic or corrosive gases.
Before drilling even begins, a project team has to plan what will happen
after TD is reached whether it will be completed as a producing well or
abandoned and how the well will fit into overall reservoir management
objectives. These and other considerations will affect project planning,
well design and drilling operations.
Phases of Well Construction
Well drilling and completion involves a number of distinct project functions.
Companies may differ as to who is primarily responsible for each function,
and where one function ends and another begins, but one good
breakdown would be as follows:
Well Planning
Well Design
Drilling Operations
Formation Evaluation and Testing
Well Completion
Geological studies and seismic surveys can point the way to a
hydrocarbon prospect. But there is only one way to know if that prospect
contains oil or gas, and that is to drill a well.
Drilling projects are team undertakings. They encompass a wide range of
disciplines and job functions, from geology, geophysics and engineering to
operations, support and logistics, safety and regulatory compliance,
management and administration. Project teams are often part of alliances
that include:
The oil or gas company (also known as the operating
company or operator), along with any joint venture partners
having an interest in the well;
An outside drilling contractor who provides the drilling rig
and the personnel to run it; and
One or more service companies that provide specialized
equipment and expertise at various stages of the project.
The largest of these service companies may offer integrated
project management services that include contract drilling.
The working relationships that characterize a drilling project depend on
the well's location, the arrangements between the companies involved in
the project and the number of personnel involved. A small onshore rig
may be crewed by no more than five contractor employees and managed
by just one or two contractor and operator representatives, while some
large offshore drilling operations may have several rig crews and groups
of specialists totaling 50 or more persons, along with dozens of landbased technical and support personnel.
Drilling Objectives
However they might differ in other respects, all drilling operations have
three basic objectives:
1. Drill safely. Health, safety and environmental (HSE)
considerations supersede all other goals, even if they
require changing plans, delaying operations or incurring
extra costs.
2. Provide a fit-for-use well. Whether it is drilled for
exploration, prospect appraisal or field development, a well
must meet the needs that led to it being proposed in the first
place. As a minimum standard, it should be drilled without
damaging the borehole or any potential producing
formations, and it should satisfy the design requirements for
formation testing, data gathering, oil and gas production or
other post-drilling activities.
3. Minimize overall well cost. It is therefore in everyone's
interest to control well costs. In this context, it is important to
consider the total cost over the life of the well, and to
balance this cost against the first two objectives of safety
and well usability. An offshore well in West Coast of Africa
may cost up to 30 times higher than an average onshore
well in the US. Since drilling is the most expensive
component of the entire exploration and field development
process, the oil&gas industry pays a lot of attention to
improve drilling efficiency and cut drilling time in order to
control well costs.
Surface and Subsurface Environments
Any area that produces oil or gasor has the potential for doing so in the
futureis a likely location for a drilling rig. Rigs come in a variety of
configurations and designs for surface environments that range from
Arctic to desert, ocean to mid-continent and just about everything in
between (Figure 1).
