What is the difference between horizontal and vertical drilling?
Like the name, horizontal wells are drilled from the side. Vertical wells drill downward, but horizontal well is drilled off of a vertical borehole. Specifically, a well is horizontal if it’s dug at an angle of at least eighty degrees to a vertical wellbore.
What is horizontal drilling?
Horizontal drilling is the process of drilling a well from the surface to a subsurface location just above the target oil or gas reservoir called the “kickoff point”, then deviating the well bore from the vertical plane around a curve to intersect the reservoir at the “entry point” with a near-horizontal inclination.
Why is horizontal drilling better than vertical?
Drilling horizontally, parallel to the geologic layers in tight formations, allows producers to access more of the oil- and natural gas-bearing rock than drilling vertically. The lateral length of horizontal wells has also increased, allowing for more exposure to oil- and natural gas-producing rock from a single well.
What is the purpose of horizontal drilling?
Horizontal drilling is a commonly used technology because drilling at an angle other than vertically can stimulate reservoirs and obtain information that cannot be done by drilling vertically. Horizontal drilling can increase the contact between the reservoir and the wellbore.
What is vertical drilling?
Vertical drilling is used by operators to access oil and natural gas reserves directly below a drilling site. Vertical drilling is performed before horizontal drilling occurs so that rock formations at different levels can be examined for potential oil or gas reserves.
How is a horizontal well drilled?
Most horizontal wells are started by drilling a vertical well. After drilling down to the target rock, the pipe is pulled out of the well and a motor is attached to the drill bit. In a horizontal well, the bit and pipe are lowered down into the well and the bit drills a path that curves from vertical to horizontal.
What is the difference between horizontal and vertical resistance?
Genetic resistance that is effective at preventing successful attack only by certain races of a pathogen is called specific (or vertical) resistance, whereas resistance that is effective at preventing successful attack by all races of a pathogen is called general (or horizontal) resistance.
Is horizontal drilling and fracking the same thing?
Horizontal drilling allows more of the wellbore to remain in contact with the producing formation, increasing the amount of oil or natural gas that can be recovered. Hydraulic fracturing is a completion technique, meaning it is performed after the oil or natural gas well has been drilled.