Sunday, January 26, 2014
By using the earth’s magnetic field, combined with new innovative technology, oil and gas drilling companies are increasing oilfield productivity while reducing development costs and environmental impacts, reports the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), a partner in implementing the technology.
USGS comments that multiple reservoirs of oil and gas can be now be accessed from a single platform by drilling vertically and then horizontally, but drill operators need to know which way their drill bits are going to maximize production and avoid collisions with other wells. One way to accomplish this important task is to install a magnetometer—a sort of modern-day compass—in a drill-string instrument package that follows the drill bit.
USGS contributes by monitoring the geomagnetic field every single second at magnetic observatories throughout the country. Through a process called geomagnetic referencing, simultaneous measurements of the magnetic field in the drill hole are combined with those from magnetic observatories at the earth’s surface to produce a highly accurate estimate of the drill bit position and direction. Monitoring is critical because the earth’s magnetic field changes constantly across the world as a result of factors like periodic daily tides or rapid magnetic storms that are related to the 11-year sunspot solar cycle.
“Drill-bit positioning requires directional accuracy of a fraction of a degree, and this can be accomplished with advanced technology and expert understanding of the earth’s magnetic field,” said Carol A. Finn, leader of the USGS Geomagnetism Group. “USGS operational systems measure the magnetic field on a continuous basis. These data are provided as a service to research scientists, civilian and defense government agencies, and to customers in the private sector, including the oil and gas drilling industry.”
USGS comments that multiple reservoirs of oil and gas can be now be accessed from a single platform by drilling vertically and then horizontally, but drill operators need to know which way their drill bits are going to maximize production and avoid collisions with other wells. One way to accomplish this important task is to install a magnetometer—a sort of modern-day compass—in a drill-string instrument package that follows the drill bit.
USGS contributes by monitoring the geomagnetic field every single second at magnetic observatories throughout the country. Through a process called geomagnetic referencing, simultaneous measurements of the magnetic field in the drill hole are combined with those from magnetic observatories at the earth’s surface to produce a highly accurate estimate of the drill bit position and direction. Monitoring is critical because the earth’s magnetic field changes constantly across the world as a result of factors like periodic daily tides or rapid magnetic storms that are related to the 11-year sunspot solar cycle.
“Drill-bit positioning requires directional accuracy of a fraction of a degree, and this can be accomplished with advanced technology and expert understanding of the earth’s magnetic field,” said Carol A. Finn, leader of the USGS Geomagnetism Group. “USGS operational systems measure the magnetic field on a continuous basis. These data are provided as a service to research scientists, civilian and defense government agencies, and to customers in the private sector, including the oil and gas drilling industry.”
