Frequently Asked Questions

In the oil and gas industry, directional drilling is the process of drilling in a non-vertical direction to access an underground reserve. In many cases, directional drilling is a more efficient way of extracting oil and gas compared to drilling vertically. ProDirectional is an industry leader in directional drilling technology that is highly engineered for reliability and performance.

In vertical drilling, operators drill directly down from the surface, to the oil and gas reservoir below it. With directional drilling, the drilling takes place in a non-vertical direction, allowing the wellbore to access a wider underground area.

A mud motor is a drilling component that is used in directional drilling and vertical drilling, and is also often referred to as a downole motor, steerable motor, bent motor assembly, directional motor, and drilling motor. It consists of a power section, transmission, and lower end, usually directly behind the drill bit in the drilling string. The mud motor generates torque using pressurized fluid and utilizes this energy to penetrate the rock with the drill bit. ProDirectional is a leader in highly engineered mud motor technology.

There are many reasons operators choose directional drilling. Directional drilling is an efficient way to extract oil and gas while minimizing the environmental impact and reducing well costs. It reduces surface location disturbance and also minimizes environmental impact from drilling rig moves. Directional drilling offers these advantages while optimizing production by maximizing the wellbore exposure to the producing formation.

In order to control the direction of directional drilling, service providers use a bent-housing steerable mud motor combined with downhole measurement while drilling (MWD) equipment. When the drill pipe is rotated, the wellbore is generally drilled in a straight line in a specific direction. To drill in a specific direction, the downhole motor is oriented in the desired direction and slide drilling operations are performed. ProDirectional is the leading industry expert in directional drilling services.

The key directional drilling tools that are required are a drill bit, a steerable motor, and MWD equipment. These technologies are utilized to cut the rock, steer the wellbore in the appropriate direction, and measure the downhole trajectory.

Directional drilling is a type of non-vertical drilling used in the oil and gas industry to extract oil and gas from the earth. It requires specialized equipment, along with specialized expertise, that is different from vertical drilling. Most drilling applications today utilize directional drilling capabilities because it is more efficient, helps to lower overall costs, and limits environmental impact.

There are many applications for directional drilling, such as side tracking, straight hole drilling, controlled directional drilling, inaccessible locations drilling, and fault drilling. It is also used in relief well drilling, horizontal well drilling, and multilateral well drilling.

Directional drilling service providers need to know how to navigate many challenges, such as varying lithological conditions, maintaining borehole stability, minimizing vibrations, and more. In some cases, they have to navigate around existing wellbores that have been previously drilled.

The trajectory of a directional well is influenced by a number of factors, including geology and drilling technology. Typically, the bottom hole assembly (BHA) orientation, bit RPM, and the weight on the bit determine whether an operator can effectively drill in the direction they choose. ProDirectional is a leader in directional drilling technology, and offers a number of proprietary MWD tools and directional drilling motors for vertical and horizontal drilling.

Operators must use measurement while drilling (MWD) systems to collect, monitor, and analyze the data during directional drilling operations. This data is critical to operations and provides visibility into the performance. MWD tools need to be highly reliable under extreme conditions in order to quickly and accurately transmit data to the surface. ProDirectional offers a range of MWD technologies for different directional drilling conditions as well as different downhole information needs.

Measurement while drilling (MWD equipment) enables operators to take measurements and evaluate the data while the well is being drilled. Using this information, operators can place their wellbore geometry according to plan and geosteer based on the formation properties, more effectively reaching TD.

In order to position the wellbore in directional drilling, operators use a number of different techniques and tools, including MWD equipment, mud motors, specialized drill bits, rotary steerable systems (RSS), custom bottom hole assemblies, and more.

Well planners build a robust blueprint of the well and surrounding geography using industry-specific software. At ProDirectional, we complete a detailed well plan for every project to ensure successful performance. After the job is complete, we look at KPIs to ensure we met all the targets and review any improvements we can make on future wells.

The directional drilling industry moves quickly as new technology and techniques come to market. For example, there are currently material advancements being made with titanium and the durability and reliability it offers under extreme conditions. In addition, leading service providers are exploring U-turn wells for optimal performance. The team at ProDirectional stays up to date with industry trends and continuously evaluates them to determine how they can be used to support our clients.

A downhole drilling motor consists of a power section, transmission, and lower end, and is usually directly behind the drill bit in the drilling string used in vertical and directional drilling. A downhole drilling motor is also often referred to as a mud motor, steerable motor, bent motor assembly, directional motor, and drilling motor.

A drilling mud motor diagram typically includes the power section, transmission, lower end, and sometimes, drill bit. It is used by application engineers and drilling engineers when designing assemblies for vertical and directional drilling. Here is an example of a drilling mud motor diagram:

Measurement while drilling (MWD) tools take directional surveys in real time while downhole during directional drilling operations. They enable operators and service providers to measure temperature, inclination, azimuth, vibration, formation properties, and more. ProDirectional offers a range of highly engineered MWD tools that offer unprecedented reliability and accuracy in harsh environments.

There are four main sections of a downhole mud motor:  the lower-end bearing pack, the drilling motor transmission, the bent housing, and the power section. ProDirectional offers exceptionally reliable mud motor technology for any drilling application. 

The lower end bearing pack in a directional drilling motor transfers the torque and RPM that is generated by the power section to the drill bit. It includes the flow diverter, upper radial bearing, axial bearings, lower radial bearing, near-bit removable or fixed stabilizer, mandrel, and bit box.

The mud motor transmission connects the rotor to the lower end bearing pack in a directional drilling motor. It converts the eccentric motion from the rotor into concentric motion for the bearing mandrel, carrying the torque and rotary motion to the lower end. Learn more about our ProFlex Mud Motor Transmissions.

The bent housing is a premium-grade steel section that has a slight angle of up to 3 degrees. It is designed to enable directional drilling and orient the motor to drill in a specific direction. Operators must use MWD equipment to determine the right well geometry.

The power section of a mud motor in directional drilling converts the hydraulic energy of the drilling fluid into rotational horsepower. This section contains the top sub, rotor catch, stator, and rotor. The rotor and stator harness the pressure and flow of the hydraulic fluid to create torque and RPM, spinning the drill bit.

Extreme temperatures can decrease the strength and increase the swelling of mud motor power section elastomers, resulting in mechanical failures. To avoid non-productive time as a result of mechanical issues, it’s imperative to work with a service provider that is experienced in extreme-temperature drilling — like ProDirectional.

An application engineer’s job in oil and gas is to optimize drilling performance. They review the specific application and geographical requirements and recommend MWD tools and drilling motors, as well as operating parameters, that will enhance performance while mitigating risk. ProDirectional has a full team of application engineers in house.

The role of mechanical engineers in the oil and gas industry involves developing effective equipment for drilling. They look at common issues in the field, conduct root cause analyses for failure, and design equipment that addresses the common problems. Mechanical engineers work in tandem with electrical engineers.

Electrical engineers work with mechanical engineers in the oil and gas industry to develop new equipment for measurement while drilling (MWD), directional drilling, and downhole drilling. ProDirectional has a robust engineering department that includes electrical engineers, among mechanical, application, and software engineers.

Not many oil and gas service providers have software engineers on staff. However, ProDirectional has software engineers who work in-house to develop proprietary systems to collect various types of data, such as for MWD, drilling, and quality control and repair purposes.

Application engineers, mechanical engineers, electrical engineers, and software engineers work at ProDirectional. We are one of the few oil and gas service providers that have a robust in-house engineering department.

Engineers can have many different jobs in the oil field, from developing and designing drilling equipment to customizing MWD tools for specific drilling applications. Some service providers also hire software engineers to develop proprietary data-collection tools.

Application engineers are experts in finding solutions to engineering and drilling challenges by customizing and selecting equipment for the specific task at hand. At ProDirectional, our application engineering team meets with the client to understand the specifics of their well or pad and designs drilling solutions that will help the clients reach their performance goals. 

Proper motor configuration is essential to reaching performance goals in downhole environments. Operators need to use measurement while drilling (MWD) tools to ensure their equipment is positioned correctly in order to reach TD.

A remote operations center provides field crew with a wealth of knowledge and expertise at their fingertips, which is essential in troubleshooting and resolving issues quickly. ProDirectional has a Remote Operations Center that is available 24/7/365, providing immediate access to our coordinators, technical services personnel, and our full engineering staff.

A rotary steering system (RSS) is a type of downhole and horizontal drilling technology used in North America, the Middle East, South America, and other parts of the world. The drill string can rotate continuously, eliminating the need for slide drilling, which increases the rate of penetration as compared to a steerable motor or mud motor.

Rotary steerable systems are more efficient than mud motors or conventional downhole motors in certain applications because they eliminate the need for slide drilling. In a rotary steerable system, the drill string can rotate continuously. 

Both mud motors and rotary steerable systems are used in directional and downhole drilling. However, mud motors typically require slide drilling to achieve directional trajectories while rotary steerable systems do not. Both types of systems need to be run with measurement while drilling (MWD) tools.

Each type of rotary steerable system requires a proprietary connection to an MWD tool. Orbit and NeoSteer use BabelFish to enable connectivity between it and a ProDirectional MWD tool.  D-Tech requires a hard-link between it and a ProDirectional MWD tool, which offers better reliability.

A short hop signal is somewhat like wireless internet technology. It is a signal that is sent wirelessly from the rotary steerable system to the MWD tool, which is roughly 10 to 15 feet above the RSS. It is not always a reliable form of connectivity depending on the formation it is used in.

The short hop receiver translates system status, downlink confirmations, steering information, RSS survey information, and other types of data during downhole and directional drilling. ProDirectional offers multiple connectivity options between its MWD tools and leading RSS technologies on the market.

A hard mount or direct connection offers higher reliability, which leads to increased performance, reduced non-productive time, on-time drilling, and minimized risk. ProDirectional offers both hard link and short hop connectivity solutions.

Orbit and NeoSteer are two of the leading rotary steerable systems on the market, and D-Tech is the leading independent RSS technology. ProDirectional offers integrated connectivity between all three RSS and our MWD tools, benefiting operators with enhanced performance and minimized non-productive time. 

Rotary steerable systems are used in North America, especially in the Permian Basin, the Northeast, and the Rockies. They are also used in the Middle East and South America, as well as some off-shore drilling locations. ProDirectional works with operators across North America who require RSS technology.