Drilling how does it work

Mobile Newsletter chat dots. Mobile Newsletter chat avatar. Mobile Newsletter chat subscribe. Environmental Science. Energy Production. The Oil Drilling Process Explained. Completing the Well Once the hole has been drilled, it must be "completed" or prepared for extraction.

All Important Production Phase The most important phase of drilling "at least from the prospective of the drillers" is the production phase. Abandonment A well does not die, but rather reaches its "economic limit," the point at which the oil or gas coming out of it no longer covers the costs associated with operation.

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Science Green Science What would happen to the environment if U. Science Energy Production How was oil trapped beneath the Earth's surface? One type of directional drilling, horizontal drilling, is used to drastically increase production. Here, a horizontal well is drilled across an oil and gas formation, increasing production by as much as 20 times more than that of its vertical counterpart.

Horizontal drilling is any wellbore that exceeds 80 degrees, and it can even include more than a degree angle drilling upward. Directional Drilling Source: Amerex Co. How Does Underbalanced Drilling Work? How Does Blowout Control Work? How Does Well Logging Work? How do Mooring Systems Work? The "tool" is whatever the driller is putting down into the well.

This is usually the drill bit and associated hardware, but there are also specialty tools that are used from time to time. The rig supervisor, also known as the "toolpusher," oversees tool assembly alongside the driller. Once the tool is in place, drilling can commence. As the drill bit is pushed into the well, drilling fluid or "mud" is pumped through the drill pipe and into the well. The drilling fluid lubricates the drill bit and brings the clippings from the bit back to the surface.

The density and chemical composition of the drilling fluid must be altered to fit the well conditions. Otherwise, the well could collapse or otherwise destroy itself. The rig supervisor and the mud engineer work together to make sure the drilling fluid is properly formulated. The driller operates the drill. He determines the pressure and rotation speed on the drill bit necessary to reach his depth goals. When he reaches the end of the pipe section currently attached to the drill motor, another section must be added to continue drilling.

The pipe in the well is disconnected from the drill motor.