Man has been creating wells for thousands of years: the first wells were constructed more than 8,000 years ago. Today, two of the most common types of wells are water wells and oil wells, the latter of which can be grouped onto something known as an oil platform. More than 40 wells, in fact, can be grouped together on an oil platform. Well drilling today is largely grouped into two types: vertical drilling and horizontal directional drilling, the latter of which uses HDD bits, and mud motor drilling to complete the process. If you’ve never looked at horizontal directional drilling or HDD bits before, this article will be briefly looking at several things you should know about the process.
- Horizontal Drilling Can Create Larger Wells: One thing to know about horizontal directional drilling is that it can create larger wells than other drilling methods. In point of fact, horizontal drilling can result in a well that’s three to five times larger than a vertically drilled hole. If you’re looking to create as large a well as possible, than this is the drilling process to use.
- There are Several Types of HDD Bits: Another thing to know about horizontal directional drilling is that there are several types of HDD bits used in the drilling process. There are, for example, steering bits and paddle bits, the latter also being known as spade bits. Each bit serves a specific function as the well is drilled. For instance, steering bits, as their name implies, work with steering the direction of the well as it is slowly shifted in a horizontal direction.
- Horizontal Directional Drilling Uses Mud Motors: And finally, a third thing to know about horizontal directional drilling is that it uses mud motors to get the job done. Mud motors sound strange, but they’re actually a very useful tool. These motors use the mud that is generated during the drilling process to keep the process going. This is in contrast to other drilling processes that eject the mud instead of putting it to good use.
In conclusion, there are several things that you should know about horizontal directional drilling. These things to know include knowing that this process creates larger wells, they use several types of HDD bits, and they employ mud motors during the process.