Beating the AFE Every Time: What 3.56 Days of Drilling Efficiency Actually Means

The numbers tell a compelling story, but they don’t capture the 2 AM phone calls that didn’t happen. They don’t show the stress that wasn’t there when your completion crew showed up on schedule. They don’t quantify the confidence you felt when presenting your drilling performance to management.

Over five years of Permian drilling data, one program consistently evolved from 12.97 days average in 2021 to 9.41 days in 2025—while drilling 500+ feet longer laterals. That’s 3.56 days saved per well, representing $142,400 in cost avoidance at current rig rates. For a 60-well annual program, that translates to $8.5 million in savings.

But here’s what those numbers really represent: the difference between managing drilling operations and worrying about them.

The Reality of Drilling Engineering Accountability

Every drilling engineer knows the feeling. You’ve submitted your AFE, justified every line item, and now you’re watching the clock and the cost tracker. Your reputation isn’t just tied to hitting geological targets, it’s tied to delivering wells on time, on budget, and on specification. The completion crews are scheduled, management expects results, and there’s virtually no room for error.

At ProDirectional, we understand that your AFE performance directly impacts your professional success. When drilling programs consistently deliver results, everyone benefits.

Beyond the Technology: Partnership in Performance

Advanced MWD systems and rotary steerable technology are table stakes in today’s drilling environment. What separates consistent performance from intermittent success is the operational framework that surrounds the technology. Our remote operations center doesn’t just monitor drilling parameters, it connects field teams with real-time engineering expertise to prevent problems before they become non-productive time.

When our tools come back from the field, our engineers inspect every component, analyze wear patterns, and use that data to continuously improve equipment reliability. This isn’t theoretical engineering, it’s practical problem-solving based on actual field conditions and performance requirements.

But technology and engineering capability only matter if they translate to predictable results for drilling programs.

What Client Success Actually Looks Like

Client success for us means one thing: we don’t want you to have to worry about your well. When you contract ProDirectional for directional drilling services, our objective is straightforward—show up on location, place that well exactly where it needs to be, and deliver the kind of reliable performance that lets you focus on optimizing your drilling program rather than managing drilling problems.

The 3.56 days of time savings in that Permian data set represents more than cost avoidance. It represents schedule predictability that allows completion operations to run efficiently. It represents the confidence that comes from consistent performance across multiple wells and multiple years.

Most importantly, it represents the peace of mind that comes from working with a directional drilling provider who understands that your AFE performance directly impacts your professional success.

The Partnership You Need

Drilling is a 24/7, 365-day business, and the pressure on drilling engineers and managers is constant. Equipment failures, geological surprises, and operational challenges don’t respect normal business hours. The last thing you need is uncertainty about whether your directional drilling provider is going to deliver.

Everything we do, from in-house technology development to our approach to field operations, is focused on eliminating non-productive time and delivering reliable, repeatable performance. Our remote operations center provides real-time support that connects field expertise with engineering resources, ensuring that problems get solved quickly and efficiently.

Client success is our first cultural value because it’s the foundation of sustainable business relationships. When drilling engineers and managers build track records of consistent AFE performance, they drill more wells. When they drill more wells, we all succeed.

It’s Us vs. Your AFE

That five-year performance evolution in the Permian didn’t happen by accident. It’s the result of continuous focus on the metrics that matter most to drilling operations: time, cost, and reliability. Every decision we make is evaluated against one question: does this help our clients beat their AFE?

The data shows what’s possible when directional drilling becomes a strategic advantage rather than just a service requirement. But the real measure of success isn’t in the spreadsheets—it’s in the confidence drilling engineers have when they present their drilling programs to management, knowing they’ve partnered with a provider who shares their accountability for results.

Ready to build this kind of track record for your drilling program? Let’s discuss how ProDirectional can help you turn drilling efficiency from a goal into a competitive advantage.

Ready to build this kind of track record for your drilling program? Let’s discuss how ProDirectional can help you turn drilling efficiency from a goal into a competitive advantage.