Finally!
Today all the drill stem was out of the well and standing on the platform. I will assume that this means they were able to finally free the stuck drilling tools and pull them to the surface. As I watched today they were putting the drill stem back into the hole after disconnecting each joint and reapplying fresh joint compound. I suppose they have a fresh bit and drilling tools that they are lowering into the horizontal leg of the well to continue that portion of the well.
Here is one of the directional tools (painted blue).
Can you tell that the pipe is not straight but has a slight bend near the dark blue band of paint. This is the angle that allows the drill to form the curved portion of the well. Inside this pipe is the mud motor driven by the flow of drilling mud in the pipe. The mud motor turns a drilling bit attached to the lower end of this directional tool. The dark blue part at the left end of the unit is where the drill bit will be attached. This end part is turned by the mud motor.
posted by Barnett Shale Owner @ 8:56 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
That's not much of a bend. How does that allow them to drill horizontal?
That's only a little bend but if you turn your steering wheel only a little and drive long enough you will make a complete turn! It takes about a thousand feet to make the change from vertical to horizontal.
that looks like a drill bit at the bottom of the picture (about 4 o'clock position)
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