Oil and Gas at Your Door? (2005 Edition) - Earthworks

Oil and Gas Development and Impacts
Studies also show that directional drilling has been successful in a variety of geological
formations (e.g., shallow reservoirs, deep reservoirs, tight sands, coal beds, tar sands).
Furthermore, if horizontal drilling is used in coal beds, there may be no need to hydraulically
fracture the beds, resulting in a decreased potential for groundwater pollution.
Perhaps the greatest benefit to the surface owner is the ability to locate well sites away
from residences or other areas that surface owners do not want to be disturbed. It is now
possible for companies to access oil or gas from beneath a landowner's property by drilling
a well that is miles away from that property. 338
A major benefit to the companies and mineral owners receiving royalties is increased oil
and gas production. Oil- and gas-bearing formations tend to be more wide than they are
deep, consequently, wells
that intersect a producing formation
at an angle or horizontally
often can drain more of
the oil and gas than purely
vertical wells. There are
numerous studies showing
that directionally drilled wells
have been able to extract 2-
25 times more oil or gas than
vertical wells drilled in the
same oil or gas field. 339
FIGURE I-37. A VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL WELL DRILLED ON
ONE PAD. Photo printed with permission of Vermejo Park Ranch.
FIGURE I-38. DIRECTIONALLY DRILLED WELLS
Source: Drilling Smarter: Using Directional Drilling to Reduce Oil and Gas Impacts in the Intermountain West. 340
I-66