Posted on: 07. 31. 19
Horizontal directional drilling may seem like a strange move for oil and gas extraction. Since the beginning of our industry, vertical wells have been the standard, so it’s no surprise that some experts are skeptics of the method.
Even though HDD brings a literal new direction to our industry, many facility operators and drill site managers are starting to see the advantages of using this process to farm oil!.
What is Horizontal Directional Drilling
While you may just be hearing about HDD, the practice has been around in several industries for 26 years. Horizontal directional drilling is a controversial form of drilling for oil that involves installing pipes and other drilling essentials via a trenchless method. Also known as directional boring, it’s a revolutionary method for drill sites to obtain oil with less effort and energy than other directional drilling efforts.
When drilling companies opt to use horizontal drilling in their projects, a directional drilling machine is used to drill through a select path. This practice offers several benefits to both the drill site, as well as the owners of the land where the drilling takes place.
HDD Benefits
Aside from a quicker drilling project, horizontal directional drilling provides several other benefits that make the oil farming process a smoother experience.
Continued Land Use
Onshore drilling is a controversial subject for landowners giving up their property for drilling. In most cases, this means giving up the right to use their land and roads around the drill site. However, with horizontal drilling, there is a pre-set path developed during the planning period of the project.
This path underneath the used land allows for the continuation of normal property use, as well as ensuring the buildings and roadways surrounding the project maintain their integrity as drilling takes place.
Increased Reserve Recovery
Another huge advantage of HDD is that it offers more effective drainage of the target reservoir. With vertical drilling, there is only so much oil that a site can pull before it has to dig again. HDD presents increased exposure to the reservoir and allows for more production with less land interference; which brings us to our final benefit.
Less Damage to the Natural Environment
Environmental conservation has been one of our industry’s main efforts in 2019. So it only makes sense that we should be pushing for more horizontal directional drilling as a sustainable industry effort. With horizontal paths far below the surface of a piece of land, there is little to no disturbance within the natural environment aside from the actual drilling site.
Get Industry Updates and Reliable Facility Equipment From Pro-Gas, LLC
Horizontal directional drilling is just one of the many ways that the oil and gas industry is making changes for the future. Get the information you need about our industry straight from the source.
At Pro-Gas, LLC, we are providers of high-quality equipment to production facilities and drill sites. From fuel genies to storage options, we have the solutions to your facility’s production needs. Get in touch with us today to learn more about our product lines.
