DRILLING ENGINEERING I

MODULE-1
(INTRODUCTION & SUBSURFACE PARAMETERS)

By
GAURAV HAZARIKA
SPT, PDPU
 EVOLUTION OF DRILLING
• 500 BC: Brine wells were drilled by
cable tool drilling in Chungking,
China
• 1000 AD: Commercially successful
oil production by mining in Japan,
Burma etc.
• 1806, Ruffner Brothers drilled a
brine well using spring pole
method of drilling (58 ft.)
• Percussion method works
efficiently only when the hole is
dry.
 EVOLUTION OF DRILLING
• They encountered water at 20 feet, in order to tackle this problem
they have lowered a wooden pipe with rags at the bottom.
• This was the introduction to casing and cementation.
• The Grenelle well in France was reached by a dry rotary auger
method. It was drilled to 1,771 feet and took eight years (1833-
41).

• This started rotary drilling method.

 EVOLUTION OF DRILLING
• In 1845, The French engineer Pierre-Pascal Fauvelle was the first
to utilize water circulation in drilling. Using the new method, he
drilled 560 feet in 23 days.
• Drake well was drilled in the year 1859.
• Drake experienced water and loose formation, he inserted an
iron pipe and hammered into the formation.
• Production rate was 20 bbls/day.
• This gave rise to the modern oil well drilling industry.
• By 1872, there was a well producing 3000 bbls/day.
• Oil boom has started globally.
 ADDITIONAL IMPORTANT EVENTS

• https://energyhq.com/2017/02/evolution-of-a-drilling-rig/
• https://www.nationaldriller.com/drilling-history
1889: DIGBOI OIL FIELD
1901: DIGBOI REFINERY
 1953: NAHARKATIYA OIL FIELD

• 1st Onshore Oilfield of

Independent India.

• Discovered in 1953
 1958: LUNEJ OIL FIELD

• Lunej #1, the first ONGC well

was spudded on 25th July,
1958.

• 1st Production on 4th

September, 1958
 1965: KOYALI REFINERY
• The refinery was commissioned with Soviet assistance at a
cost of Rs.26 crores began production in October 1965.
• Initial Capacity was 1 MMTPA.
• Current capacity is 13.7 MMTPA but will be soon expanded to
18 MMTPA
1974: MUMBAI HIGH OIL FIELD
1999: JAMNAGAR REFINERY
 SUMMARY
• 1889: 1st onshore oilfield of India was discovered.
• 1901: Digboi Refinery was started, 1st refinery of India
• 1953: Naharkatiya oil field, 1st onshore oilfield of independent
India
• 1958: Discovery of Lunej Oil Field 1st onshore oilfield of Gujarat
• 1965: Koyali Refinery was commissioned, 1st refinery of Gujarat
• 1974: Discovery of Mumbai high field, 1st offshore oilfield of
independent India
• 1999: Jamnagar Refinery was commissioned, largest refinery in
the world.