For most of history, humans have only had the technology to drill straight down. Since the 1920s, however, a variety of new techniques and technologies have allowed us to control well bore trajectory in a process known as directional drilling. Today, companies such as Ironman Directional Drilling provide directional drilling in cities including Vernon and Prince George for a variety of infrastructure and utility installations. Among its numerous benefits, directional drilling greatly minimizes surface disturbance.
The technology which made directional drilling in Vernon and Prince George a possibility didn't begin to emerge until the early 20th century. The earliest pertinent invention to the process came in 1909, in the form of a new and improved drill bit with two rotating cutting wheels. Prior to this, drill bits were slow, cumbersome, and needed the large additional forces in order to work. In order to be economically feasible, the directional drilling process must be fast enough. The current efficiency of directional drilling is only possible thanks to this new drill bit.
The next big development which eventually allowed for directional drilling in cities such as Prince George and Vernon came in 1930, with the discovery of the progressive cavity pump principle. This, in turn, spurned on the creation of downhole positive displacement motors. Positive displacement motors went on to become the most commonly used directional drilling deviation tools. In 1930, they allowed the first two recorded boreholes to be drilled from onshore locations to offshore oil and gas deposits in Huntington Beach, California.
From the 1930s to the 1950s, the main deflection tool used to change the direction of a borehole was a steel whipstock. These early whipstocks would be lowered down into the borehole in the desired direction, and would then be mechanically anchored to the bottom of the wellbore. Further developments in the 1960s introduced what is known as "coiled tubing" to the directional drilling process. Coiled tubing is essentially a drill string, up to 1,500 meters long, which consists of a single coiled tube. Coiled tubing removed the need for a series of connected pipes, as it can be inserted and withdrawn much more quickly and efficiently.
The 1970s saw the development of another key technology for directional drilling in Vernon and Prince George as it is carried out today: the downhill drill motor. This innovation made it possible for the drill head to rotate independently, doing away with the need to rotate the entire drill string. The downhill drill motor system makes use of a special drilling fluid known as drilling mud, which lubricates the drill string and drives the drill head.
Ironman Directional Drilling makes use of all of these technologies and more in order to provide quality directional drilling in cities including Prince George and Vernon. Our cutting-edge, specialized directional drilling equipment can get any job done safely and effectively. We have been offering directional drilling services to industrial, commercial, and residential clients since 1999.
Directional drilling in cities such as Vernon and Prince George is a cost-effective, environmentally conscious, and efficient drilling process with numerous applications. Contact Ironman Directional Drilling for professional directional drilling services today.
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