Horizontal Drilling – Everything you need to know

Benefits of Horizontal Drilling
Almost all the companies are using trenchless technology while drilling as it provides several benefits. Moreover, it fits just right with all types of utility for a channel for both gas and liquid. Here mentioned below are the benefits that you can get from Horizontal drilling :

1) Easy to Install
The whole system is so easy to install and one can start working much quicker as compared to other techniques. It takes time while trenching the surface but once it is done, you can start with the piping process. It uses a unique type of rig named surface-launched drilling rig which reduces the amount of excavation.

2) Longer Life
Horizontal drilling is considered the best because there are too few chances of damage. This is because the installation is done underground and at a much faraway space from construction or the worksite. It automatically decreases the amount of wear and tear. Thus, it offers a longer life to the whole system.

3) Flexibility
People had to invest a lot of money in projects where drilling was needed under soft soil or a river. Horizontal drilling allows you to work around difficult areas where it seems virtually impossible. There are various rigs available for different soil types and they can help you to make a channel around water bodies easily. 

4) A Safer Option  
Several accidents happen at the construction sites and it is heartbreaking. When it comes to horizontal drilling, there is less surface area required on the top bed which prevents falling into the bore. However, the holes are needed on both ends of the pipe used and they are much smaller in size. This makes it safer for people working at construction sites. 

Application of Directional Drilling
There are lots of applications of directional drilling and here are some of them explained below –

1) Sidetrack Well
This is used when there is an obstacle such as a fish or a cement plug that comes in the way of the bore. The sidetrack process helps by bypassing the obstacle by using the same bore and by changing the direction around the obstacle. This is beneficial when working near a river bed as there are more chances of getting a fish stuck into the bore.

2) Straight hole Drilling
This method is used when you need a special case of directional drilling. It is used to attempt to keep the hole straight in line which takes less time and hence reduces the distance. 

3) Inaccessible Locations
There could be many projects where you might find an oil deposit underneath a town or city. In such a case, this method is used to access inaccessible locations. The bore is installed in the direction horizontally and then is moved towards the site. Directional drilling helps a lot in these cases where you can access such locations from a faraway distance.

4) Relief Wells      
This is used as one of the highly specialized applications of directional drilling. Relief wells are needed when the original or the first bore gets out of control. There can be a leak or there can be any mishap on the site. 

To overcome such a situation, there is a relief well method where horizontal directional drilling is done using a rig to reach the source. It needs precise data and advanced tools for this and it ends up saving a lot of money and time.

Why You Should Consider Horizontal Drilling For Your Project?

Horizontal drilling fits in almost all kinds of projects. Various applications can be used for a project from this method. Moreover, it is much less expensive and time-saving as compared to other high-end drilling methods. When it comes to safety, there isn’t a more effective and safer method than horizontal drilling.