New technologies in oil extraction: the present and the future

With the depletion of conventional oil fields, the oil industry is constantly looking for new technologies to facilitate the extraction of this key resource. What are the new emerging technologies in oil extraction?

These are some of the new technologies that are rethinking the way we extract and use this valuable resource, setting the tone for the world's energy future.

Horizontal and multilateral drilling

The advent of horizontal drilling has dramatically altered the oil extraction landscape. Unlike traditional vertical wells, horizontal drilling allows a single well to access a much larger area of the oil field. This method significantly increases oil recovery rates and reduces the environmental footprint by limiting the number of drilling sites needed.

Based on this, multilateral drilling goes one step further by branching out from the main well into multiple reservoir areas. This sophisticated technique amplifies the well's contact with hydrocarbon-rich areas and boosts potential performance. As drilling technology continues to mature, these innovative approaches have been critical to efficiently exploiting previously inaccessible or economically unfeasible reserves.

Extended Range Drilling (ERD)

Extended-range drilling (ERD) expands the boundaries of drilling technology to new horizons. It refers to wells that are drilled to horizontal ranges much greater than the depth of the well, allowing companies to reach reservoirs that are far from the drilling rig, even up to several kilometers away. The complexity of ERD requires precise planning and cutting-edge technology to address challenges such as hole stability, torque, and resistance management.

ERD has opened up new possibilities for accessing reserves in environmentally sensitive or physically unreachable areas, such as those found under cities or in deep marine environments. This technology reduces the impact on the soil and the environmental risks associated with oil extraction, making offshore production in difficult environments such as the Arctic more feasible while maintaining optimal safety standards.

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