Directional drilling is the practice of drilling non-vertical wellbores to access reserves that cannot be reached with vertical wells or to drill multiple wells from a single surface location. This technique enables operators to reach targets beneath obstacles, maximize reservoir contact, and significantly reduce environmental footprint and drilling costs.
Steering Technologies
Two primary technologies enable directional control:
- Mud motors with bent housings: Bend angles of 1.83° to 2.12° achieve build rates of 15-20°/100ft. Motors require sliding (non-rotating) mode for trajectory changes.
- Rotary steerable systems (RSS): Enable continuous rotation while steering, with industry estimates suggesting RSS reduces drilling time by 50% versus motors and overall well time by 25% (Spears & Associates)
Autonomous Performance Gains
Recent SPE/IADC research documents substantial improvements from autonomous directional drilling:
- SLB AI-driven systems (SPE/IADC 223649, 2024): 25% ROP improvement in advisory mode; 48% improvement versus manual operations with 85% autonomy
- Autonomous systems maintain consistent drilling parameters that would be difficult for human operators to sustain over extended periods
Applications
Directional drilling enables: pad drilling reducing surface footprint, reaching offshore targets from onshore locations, avoiding geological hazards, and maximizing reservoir contact through horizontal sections. NexTitan provides autonomous control that maintains optimal parameters throughout directional operations.