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.