What Is a Horizontal Well?
Let me explain to you what a horizontal well is—it's a directional drilling technique where we dig an oil or gas well at an angle of at least eighty degrees from a vertical wellbore. This method has grown more common and productive lately, and operators like us use it to pull out oil and natural gas from reservoirs with odd shapes or tough access points.
Key Takeaways
- A horizontal well is a type of directional drilling technique.
- Operators use it to retrieve oil and natural gas in situations in which the shape of the reservoir is abnormal or difficult to access.
- It permits access to subsurface reservoirs that may not be accessible from directly above.
How a Horizontal Well Works
Horizontal wells really stepped up in fossil fuel extraction during the 2010s. As technology advanced, this drilling method cut costs and boosted efficiency in pulling out oil and natural gas, particularly here in the U.S.
Two key parts of the drilling setup make horizontal wells possible: the mud motor, which is a pump that bores into the earth using drilling fluid called mud, and you can adjust it to steer the bit in non-vertical directions. Then there's the measurement while drilling device (MWD), which gives real-time data on subsurface conditions and helps target the drilling accurately.
Modern techniques also let us use bendable drill bits, controlled by hydraulic jets, so engineers can tweak the drilling direction as needed.
Horizontal drilling gained popularity with more computer-aided tech. You can adjust the drill bit's angle using a computer that relies on GPS signals to locate the bit relative to the oil or gas field.
Horizontal Drilling vs. Vertical Drilling
Horizontal drilling has proven valuable lately because it offers clear advantages over traditional vertical drilling. It lets you reach subsurface reservoirs that aren't accessible straight from above, and from one drilling pad or kickoff point, you can explore a much broader underground area.
You can also use horizontal drilling to seal off or relieve pressure on an out-of-control well by drilling a relief well nearby. Beyond oil extraction, it's handy for building underground pipelines or utility lines that need to go under rivers or existing structures.
Horizontal Drilling vs. Hydraulic Fracturing
Horizontal wells are especially useful in the hydraulic fracturing process. Fracking extracts natural gas and oil from massive shale reservoirs in the U.S., which are often too impermeable for vertical drilling to handle.
Instead, companies drill horizontally into the shale and pump in a mix of water, chemicals, and guar gum—known as mud. The pressure from these injections cracks the rock, creating paths for petroleum and natural gas to flow out.
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