Drilling engineering
Encyclopedia
Drilling engineering is a subset of petroleum engineering
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Drilling engineers design and implement procedures to drill wells as safely and economically as possible. They work closely with the drilling contractor, service contractors, and compliance personnel, as well as with geologists and other technical specialists. The drilling engineer has the responsibility for ensuring that costs are minimized while getting information to evaluate the formations penetrated, protecting the health and safety of workers and other personnel, and protecting the environment.
typically involve estimating the value of sought reserves, estimating the costs to access reserves, acquiring property by a mineral lease, a geological survey
, a well bore plan, and a layout of the type of equipment required to reach the depth of the well. Drilling engineers are in charge of the process of planning and drilling the wells. Their responsibilities include:
Drilling engineers are often degreed as petroleum engineers, although they may come from other technical disciplines (e.g., mechanical engineering or geology
) and subsequently be trained by an oil and gas company. They also may have practical experience as a rig hand or mudlogger or mud engineer
.
Petroleum engineering
Petroleum engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the activities related to the production of hydrocarbons, which can be either crude oil or natural gas. Subsurface activities are deemed to fall within the upstream sector of the oil and gas industry, which are the activities of...
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Drilling engineers design and implement procedures to drill wells as safely and economically as possible. They work closely with the drilling contractor, service contractors, and compliance personnel, as well as with geologists and other technical specialists. The drilling engineer has the responsibility for ensuring that costs are minimized while getting information to evaluate the formations penetrated, protecting the health and safety of workers and other personnel, and protecting the environment.
Overview
The planning phases involved in drilling an oil or gas wellOil well
An oil well is a general term for any boring through the earth's surface that is designed to find and acquire petroleum oil hydrocarbons. Usually some natural gas is produced along with the oil. A well that is designed to produce mainly or only gas may be termed a gas well.-History:The earliest...
typically involve estimating the value of sought reserves, estimating the costs to access reserves, acquiring property by a mineral lease, a geological survey
Geological survey
The term geological survey can be used to describe both the conduct of a survey for geological purposes and an institution holding geological information....
, a well bore plan, and a layout of the type of equipment required to reach the depth of the well. Drilling engineers are in charge of the process of planning and drilling the wells. Their responsibilities include:
- Designing well programs (e.g., casing sizes and setting depths) to prevent blowouts (uncontrolled well-fluid release) while allowing adequate formation evaluationFormation evaluationIn petroleum exploration and development, formation evaluation is used to determine the ability of a borehole to produce petroleum. Essentially, it is the process of "recognizing a commercial well when you drill one"....
. - Designing or contributing to the design of casing stringCasing stringCasing string is a long section of connected oilfield pipe that is lowered into a wellbore and cemented. The pipe segments are typically about in length, male threaded on each end and connected with short lengths of double-female threaded pipe called couplings...
s and cementingCementing equipmentCementing Equipment includes various items used while drilling oil/gas/water wells.Casing will be installed at various depths while drilling. It is held in place by cement, which also provides zone isolation. Down-hole equipment such as Centralizers and Turbolizers is used to ensure obtaining...
plans, directional drillingDirectional drillingDirectional drilling is the practice of drilling non-vertical wells. It can be broken down into three main groups: Oilfield Directional Drilling, Utility Installation Directional Drilling Directional drilling (or slant drilling) is the practice of drilling non-vertical wells. It can be broken down...
plans, drilling fluids programs, and drill stringDrill stringA drill string on a drilling rig is a column, or string, of drill pipe that transmits drilling fluid and torque to the drill bit. The term is loosely applied as the assembled collection of the drill pipe, drill collars, tools and drill bit...
and drill bitDrill bitDrill bits are cutting tools used to create cylindrical holes. Bits are held in a tool called a drill, which rotates them and provides torque and axial force to create the hole. Specialized bits are also available for non-cylindrical-shaped holes....
programs. - Specifying equipment, material and ratings and grades to be used in the drilling process.
- Providing technical support and audit during the drilling process.
- Performing cost estimates and analysis.
- Developing contracts with vendors.
Drilling engineers are often degreed as petroleum engineers, although they may come from other technical disciplines (e.g., mechanical engineering or geology
Petroleum geologist
A petroleum geologist is an occupation that involves all aspects of oil discovery and production in the field of petroleum geology. Petroleum geologists are usually linked to the actual discovery of oil and the identification of possible oil deposits or leads. It can be a very labor intensive task...
) and subsequently be trained by an oil and gas company. They also may have practical experience as a rig hand or mudlogger or mud engineer
Mud engineer
A mud engineer works on an oil well or gas well drilling rig, and is responsible ensuring the properties of the drilling fluid, also known as drilling mud, are within designed specifications.-Use of mud:Mud is a vital part of drilling operations...
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See also
- Well loggingWell loggingWell logging, also known as borehole logging is the practice of making a detailed record of the geologic formations penetrated by a borehole. The log may be based either on visual inspection of samples brought to the surface or on physical measurements made by instruments lowered into the hole...
- Mud loggingMud loggingMud logging, also known as hydrocarbon well logging, is the creation of a detailed record of a borehole by examining the bits of rock or sediment brought to the surface by the circulating drilling medium . Mud logging is usually performed by a third-party mud logging company...
- MWD (Measurement While Drilling)
- LWD (Logging While Drilling)
- GeosteeringGeosteeringIn the process of drilling a borehole, geosteering is the act of adjusting the borehole position on the fly to reach one or more geological targets...
- Expandable Tubular TechnologyExpandable Tubular TechnologyExpandable tubular technology is a system for increasing the diameter of the casing or liner of an oil well by up to 30% after it has been run down-hole.-Challenges:...
Suggested Reading
- Hyne, N.J. (2000), Nontechnical Guide to Petroleum Geology, Exploration, Drilling and Production
- Journal of Petroleum Technology, Society of Petroleum EngineersSociety of Petroleum EngineersThe Society of Petroleum Engineers is a not-for-profit professional organization whose mission is to collect, disseminate, and exchange technical knowledge concerning the exploration, development and production of oil and gas resources and related technologies for the public benefit and to provide...