Oil Drilling Process

Fossil fuels are a necessity of the world and oil is a fossil fuel which is widely found in various countries. Oil is formed under the earth due to the buried remains of dead animals and plants, millions of years ago. These plants and animals decay over years and form fossil fuels in the sedimentary layers. The micro-organisms in the earth break down the decayed plants and animals to form compounds that are rich in carbon. This forms fine granular source rock and this source rock is then covered with a layer of new sedimentary rock. The new sedimentary rocks pressurize the source rock and due to the intense heat and pressure, the organic material is converted into crude oil and natural gas. Let us discuss in detail, crude oil drilling process.

How Oil Drilling Works

Step 1
The foremost thing in the oil drilling process is to select the site which contains crude oil. This is done by the geologists with the help of gravity meters, magnetometers, GPS tracking devices and satellite images. Also, there are electronic noses called sniffers to detect the smell of the crude oil.

Step 2
The next step is to prepare the land for drilling process. Initially, the company completes all the formalities regarding the lease agreements. After all the legal formalities are done, the land is leveled evenly and the other main requirement that is to be thought of is water. Oil drilling process requires water, so make sure that you have a water body nearby. There are two types of oil drilling processes viz., offshore oil drilling process and onshore oil drilling process. We will discuss the onshore or land oil drilling process in this article.

Step 3
After the land preparation, the rig must be placed on the site, for which holes are dug. A big drilling hole is dug and around this hole several other holes are dug. Cellar is a rectangular hole that is dug near the actual drilling hole. Drilling accessories and the workers require the cellar. Later, the oil rig is set-up in the holes and the drilling process is started.

Step 4
The next step of the oil drilling process is to place the drill bit and the drill collar in the main drilling hole. Then the kelly and turntable are attached after which the drilling process can begin. Kelly is 4-6 sided pipe used to transfer the rotary motion to the turntable and drilling string attached to the collar and casing. Turntable is used to give the rotary motion to the kelly with the help of electric motors.

Step 5
As drilling progresses, new joints to the drilling pipe are attached. Once the pre set depth of the drilling process is reached, the drilling bit and the drilling pipe are removed from the drilling hole. After this, the casing pipe sections are placed in the main drilling hole. The casing pipe is cemented to prevent the break down of the pipe sections. The cement is allowed to harden and the alignment of the casing pipe is checked after this.

Step 6
The process of drilling is continued and the casing pipe is placed in the hole, until the oil is not found. Once the oil is found, the drilling apparatus are removed from the hole.

Step 7
The next step is the testing step, which involves various tests to measure the pressure, noting the rock formations and checking the characteristics of the reservoir rock. The perforating gun is then lowered into the well. Packer is a device that runs down outside the casing of the tube. A multi-valved structure is placed on the tubing with the help of casing. This Christmas tree shaped structure functions to control the flow of oil from the rig. There is a pump system that is used to pump the crude oil out of the reservoir. This answers your question of how oil drilling works. Read more on pros and cons of oil drilling.

This was all about oil drilling process. There are new technologies emerging every day due to the advancing times. However, the fossil fuels are limited on this earth and must be used with due respect and care.