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DEFINITION
Drilling is a process whereby a hole is bored using a drill bit to create a well for oil and natural gas production.
Boring
A drill bit and pipe are used to create a hole vertically into the ground.
​Circulation
Drilling mud is circulated into the hole and back to the surface.
Casing
Once the hole is at the desired depth, the well requires a cement casing to prevent collapse.
Completion
Small holes called perforations
are made in the portion of the casing which passed through the production zone.
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​Abandonment
How Oil Drilling Works:
Oil Drilling Animation:
Helpful Videos
Types of Oil Wells
Exploration Wells
Exploration wells are drilled for exploration purposes in new areas and these areas are chosen by geologists
Appraisal Wells
​Appraisal wells are those drilled to assess the characteristics of a proven petroleum reserve such as flow rate.
Development Wells
Development wells are drilled for the production of oil or gas in fields of proven economic and recoverable oil or gas
reserves.
Relief
Wells
Relief wells are drilled to stop the flow from a reservoir when a production well has experienced a blowout.
Injection Wells
An injection well is drilled to enable petroleum engineers to inject steam, carbon dioxide and other substances into an oil producing unit.