Excavating and Trenching Services
Open Trench Excavations
Directional Drilling Services
Directional boring uses a surface drilling machine to dig an underground path. The borehole is drilled following a specific bore path, resulting in a minimal disturbance on the ground. There are many advantages to directional drilling including the following:
The service includes the bore, installation of conduit, and a pull string if needed.
Directional drilling refers to the process of controlling the direction and deviation of a borehole to reach a specific underground target. Unlike traditional vertical drilling, which drills straight down, directional drilling allows for angled paths, horizontal approaches, or even multiple branches from a single well. This technology is particularly useful for accessing hard-to-reach resources, reducing surface disruption, and optimizing resource extraction.
Directional drilling has its roots in the oil and gas industry, but its versatility has seen it expand into many sectors, making it a crucial part of modern infrastructure.
Directional drilling begins with careful planning and design. Engineers assess the site, determine the desired path, and select the appropriate drilling method. The process involves drilling a pilot hole, using specialized tools to guide the drill bit along the predetermined path. Sensors in the equipment provide real-time feedback to ensure accuracy, and adjustments are made as needed.
Directional drilling involves several precise steps:
This entire process is monitored closely to ensure precision, especially when drilling near sensitive areas like underground utilities or protected ecosystems.
Directional drilling requires specialized equipment to ensure accuracy and efficiency. The most common tools include:
The cost of directional drilling depends on how much you need done. The more drilling you need, the cheaper each foot will be.
Horizontal directional drilling is one of the most common forms used today. It allows for the installation of underground pipelines, conduits, or cables with minimal surface disruption. This method is particularly effective for crossing under rivers, roads, or existing infrastructure. HDD is widely used in the telecommunications, oil, and gas sectors due to its flexibility and precision.
Vertical directional drilling is mainly employed in oil and gas exploration, where reaching deep underground reservoirs is essential. The ability to steer the drill at different angles allows for better access to these resources and enhances production efficiency.
Multilateral drilling is a specialized technique used in the oil and gas industry, allowing companies to access multiple wells from a single borehole. This improves resource extraction efficiency and reduces the environmental impact by limiting the number of surface disruptions.
Directional drilling, a technique that allows drillers to steer a wellbore along a specific path, was pioneered by several inventors and companies over time. The initial concept of deviating a well from a vertical path was developed in the early 20th century to solve various drilling challenges.
The first significant advancements in directional drilling are often credited to the American inventor H. John Eastman and Romanowski brothers, who in the 1920s developed a tool called the “whipstock.” The whipstock was a wedge-like device placed at the bottom of the wellbore to guide the drill bit in a non-vertical direction.
In the 1930s and 1940s, further improvements were made, particularly by Claude Brown and Texaco Oil Company, which refined techniques to drill controlled deviated wells.
The technology advanced significantly in the 1970s with the invention of Measurement While Drilling (MWD) tools, allowing for real-time monitoring of the drill bit’s position. This enabled more precise control over well direction. Over time, innovations in rotary steerable systems (RSS) and MWD technologies have further revolutionized directional drilling, making it a core technique in the oil and gas industry for reaching previously inaccessible reservoirs and for complex well paths, including horizontal drilling.
Today, Schlumberger, Halliburton, and Baker Hughes are among the major companies in directional drilling, continuing to improve tools and methods used in modern drilling operations.
Directional drilling can extend remarkably far horizontally, depending on the geological conditions, drilling equipment, and techniques used. In ideal conditions, directional drilling can reach several miles away from the vertical drilling site.
Current record-breaking wells have reached horizontal distances of over 40,000 feet (about 7.5 miles) from the vertical starting point. For example, one of the longest directional wells drilled was completed by Rosneft and ExxonMobil in the Sakhalin-1 project in Russia, extending over 49,000 feet (15 kilometers) in length.
In typical applications, such as for oil and gas extraction, wells are often drilled horizontally for distances of 10,000 to 20,000 feet (around 2-4 miles). However, the achievable distance depends on factors like the strength and flexibility of the drill string, the friction encountered along the wellbore, the rock formations, and the accuracy required.
In horizontal drilling for shale oil or gas, longer lateral wells (around 1-2 miles) are preferred to increase contact with the target formation, maximizing resource extraction.