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Horizontal drilling is a technique used in oil and gas extraction that involves drilling a well parallel to the ground, allowing access to otherwise inaccessible deposits. It is more expensive but yields higher results and can be used for relief wells to prevent blowouts.
Horizontal drilling is a technique for oil and natural gas extraction that involves a well being dug parallel to the well, with the aid of flexible piping, which allows people to go sideways as well as down. This technique is an example of directional drilling, a practice developed by the oil and gas industry to increase yields, efficiency and safety. There are a variety of situations where this type of well can be beneficial, ranging from shallow deposits not accessible with a vertical well to vent wells, where the pressure on one well needs to be relieved by the use of a second well to avoid a turn off.
In horizontal drilling, workers begin by entering the earth at a low angle, gradually increasing the angle to hit the target. They use hose lines with a mud power pack. Instead of rotating the entire length of the pipe to rotate a drill bit, drilling mud is driven through the pipe to rotate a free-spinning head mounted at the end. This tip works through the substrate, pulling the tubing with it.
For some natural resource deposits, traditional vertical wells are impractical. When deposits are shallow, it can take a long time for oil deposits to move towards the well. By going horizontally, people can drill through the deposit and collect oil; this technique has a similar effect to vacuuming under a table or other confined space with an angled hose attachment that fits underneath. This eliminates the need to sink multiple shafts to fully access a shallow deposit, and also increases the efficiency of resource extraction.
Horizontal drilling is more expensive, but it pays for itself. The higher yield of individual wells compensates for the additional cost of sinking in the first place. The technique also allows people to reach otherwise inaccessible deposits, such as oil located under roads or sensitive geological features. Using surveying techniques, people can pinpoint the location of the deposit and dig a horizontal well to reach it without needing to drill directly. In fact, some oil producing nations have accused their neighbors of using horizontal drilling to reach their fields!
In the case of a relief well, horizontal drilling creates a method of accessing the area without disturbing the original well and risking a blowout while drilling. Once the well is established, it can be used to pump fluids designed to stop flow in the unstable well. Ideally this is done before a blowout occurs. If a well experiences a blowout, sinking relief wells will be part of the “killing” effort to stop the uncontrolled flow of oil and gas from the damaged well.
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