Introduction to Directional and Horizontal Drilling

Vertical drilling is fundamental to the oil and gas industry  Directional drilling developed from a need to vary direction from vertical drilling and has been facilitated by advances in technology. It is a commonly used, well-established, and proven technique. Horizontal drilling developed for similar reasons. It is widely used and is gaining acceptance in the industry. Through continued use and technological advances, additional applications of these two innovative drilling methods will develop, further increasing their importance. Both are used worldwide to prevent waste by developing and producing oil and gas not recoverable by other methods and by reducing costs. This book is an introductory text on directional and horizontal drilling and related activities. The material is presented in nontechnical language with explanations ofcommon terminology. The text followsthe natural sequence ofevents; new subjects build upon prior material in a building-block fashion. This serves a dual purpose. Those less-experienced can start at the beginning, laying a foundation and building upon it. More advanced readers may go directly to subjects ofinterest. Each chapter starts with a summary for a quick review and ends with a comprehensive list of references as sources of additional information. Specific topics can be found easily from the Table of Contents or in the expanded Index. This book is for anyone interested in directional and horizontal drilling. It should be very helpful to beginning employees as well as to personnel in other sectors of the oil and gas industry, including those in related fields such as service and supply companies. Read the book to learn general information about directional and horizontal drilling, scan it for special subjects, or use it as a reference or textbook.