Oilfield drilling brings immense amounts of revenue to the country, and that’s why choosing the right oilfield instrumentation for any job is a million-dollar question.
Why Is Oilfield Instrumentation Important?
The oil and natural gas industry in Canada is the fifth-largest in the world. With industry leaders such as Enbridge, Inc., TC Energy Corporation, and Suncor Energy, Inc. leading the race, the oil and gas industry contributes a sizeable portion of annual revenue.
Apart from contributing 10 percent of the aggregate share in the country’s Gross Domestic Product, the industry provided employment opportunities to 62,042 citizens in 2018.
Extracting energy reserves is a profitable venture worldwide, and the international market for oil and gas is accelerating at a similar pace. The US market generated revenues totaling 181 billion dollars in 2018. As oil demand is expected to increase by an average 1.4 percent per annum, it’s expected to contribute 36.5 percent of the world’s energy reserves by 2030.
This is why oilfield drilling companies continuously need to innovate and invest in drilling methods and tools to meet these targets. Having said that, choosing between cable tool and rotary drilling requires knowledge of the landscape and pros and cons of machinery—while serving a crucial role in helping the O&G industry cope with rising demand.
Why Use Cable Tool Drilling
This is the oldest drilling instrumentation known to oil companies. The method involves suspending an impact tool into the well with a steel cable and dropping it repeatedly to hit the ground at the bottom.
Cable tool drilling equipment requires time to retrieve and deploy, which is why this drilling technique is limited to dig shallow depths. It can bore a hole that reaches 1,200 feet deep into the earth on level ground. This machinery is best suited for lowlands, such as the gas and oil wells in the Appalachian Basin.
If you’re planning to set up your drilling equipment without funding the venture generously, cable tool drilling is the best choice. This tool requires less than 10 gallons of diesel to fuel the machine on an average day.
The depth of drilling required and the type of drilling machinery used can determine how long a project will be. You can advance from breaking ground to the start of extraction within one to three months. The steps preceding production involve significant capital investment and consume more hours on the drilling site.
Why Use Rotary Drilling
The rapid rotation of a drill, mounted at the edge of a drill pipe, advances through the borehole. Rotary drilling can cut through the rock formation and is one of the most popular drilling methods used for oil and gas exploitation.
Rotary drilling offers high penetration rates for easier hole collaring and productivity. This eventually brings down the cost of drilling (TCD) without compromising drilling results. If you’re planning to excavate large quarries or open-pit mines for petroleum extraction, rotary drilling is best for the job.
There are two main types of rotary drilling: rotary cutting and rotary crushing. While rotary cutting can achieve small, straight drill holes (about 25mm wide) in soft rock, rotary crushing is fully capable of drilling in medium to hard solid ground.
If you’re looking for sturdy oilfield instrumentation such as custom cables, clipper weight indicators, or mud pressure gauges for oil rigs, you’ve come to the right place.
Contact Instruments is the sole manufacturer of OEM drilling instrumentation in Canada that provides drilling solutions to the global market. They cover all oil and gas extraction needs for drilling companies from replacement parts to an entire instrumentation rig up.
Check out our products or call us at 780-955-8998 for more information.