How can you drill in shale or tight gas reservoirs?

1 Horizontal drilling

Horizontal drilling is a technique that involves drilling a well vertically until it reaches the target formation, then gradually turning the drill bit to create a horizontal or near-horizontal section within the reservoir. This allows you to access more of the reservoir area and expose more of the rock surface to the wellbore. Horizontal drilling can increase the gas recovery rate and reduce the environmental impact of drilling multiple vertical wells.

2 Hydraulic fracturing

Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a technique that involves pumping a mixture of water, sand, and chemicals at high pressure into the wellbore, creating cracks or fractures in the rock. The sand or other proppants hold the fractures open, allowing the gas to flow into the wellbore. Hydraulic fracturing can enhance the gas production from shale and tight gas reservoirs by creating more pathways for the gas to escape the rock.

3 Drilling challenges

Drilling in shale or tight gas reservoirs poses several challenges that require careful planning and execution, such as choosing the optimal well location, orientation, and trajectory to maximize gas recovery and minimize costs and risks. It is also important to select the appropriate drilling fluids, drill bits, and casing materials to cope with the high pressures, temperatures, and abrasiveness of the reservoir rocks. Furthermore, monitoring and controlling the well pressure, flow rate, and integrity is essential to prevent blowouts, leaks, or damage to the wellbore or the formation. Lastly, managing the environmental and social impacts of drilling such as water consumption, wastewater disposal, air emissions, noise, and land use is a must.

4 Drilling benefits

Despite the challenges, drilling in shale or tight gas reservoirs offers several attractive benefits to the petroleum industry and the energy market. These include expanding the natural gas supply and reducing dependence on conventional sources or imports, providing a cleaner and cheaper alternative to coal or oil for power generation, heating, and transportation, stimulating economic growth and job creation in regions where drilling occurs, and advancing technological innovation and research in the field of drilling engineering.

5 Drilling best practices

To ensure the success and sustainability of drilling in shale or tight gas reservoirs, you need to adhere to certain best practices that can increase the efficiency and safety of your operations. This includes conducting a thorough geological and geophysical analysis of the reservoir characteristics and potential prior to drilling, as well as using advanced logging, testing, and imaging tools to evaluate the well performance and reservoir quality during and after drilling. Additionally, multidisciplinary optimization techniques should be used to design and execute the drilling and fracturing plans. Furthermore, strict environmental and health standards must be implemented to protect the water, air, land, and communities affected by drilling. Finally, it is essential to engage with stakeholders and the public to communicate the benefits and risks of drilling, as well as address their concerns and expectations.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?