Drilling engineering is a subset of

petroleum engineering Petroleum engineering is a field of engineering concerned with the activities related to the production of hydrocarbons, which can be either crude oil or natural gas or both. Exploration and production are deemed to fall within the ''upstrea ...

. Drilling engineers design and implement procedures to drill wells as safely and economically as possible. They work closely with the drilling contractor, service contractors, and compliance personnel, as well as with geologists and other technical specialists. The drilling engineer has the responsibility for ensuring that costs are minimized while getting information to evaluate the formations penetrated, protecting the health and safety of workers and other personnel, and protecting the environment.
''

Society of Petroleum Engineers The Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit professional organization. SPE provides a worldwide forum for oil and natural gas exploration and production (E&P) professionals to exchange technical knowledge and best prac ...

''. Retrieved on March 25, 2008.

Overview

The planning phases involved in drilling an oil or gas well typically involve estimating the value of sought reserves, estimating the costs to access reserves, acquiring property by a mineral lease, a geological survey, a well bore plan, and a layout of the type of equipment required to reach the depth of the well. Drilling engineers are in charge of the process of planning and drilling the wells. Their responsibilities include: * Designing well programs (e.g., casing sizes and setting depths) to prevent blowouts (uncontrolled well-fluid release) while allowing adequate

formation evaluation Formation Evaluation in Petroleum Engineering is the process of assessing subsurface rock formations to determine their ability to produce oil and gas. It helps identify hydrocarbon-bearing zones, understand reservoir properties, and make decision ...

* Designing or contributing to the design of

casing string In drilling technology, casing string is a long section of connected oilfield pipes that is lowered into an wellbore and cemented in place. The purpose of the casing pipe is to: * Prevent the borehole from collapsing. * Prevent formation fluids ...

s and cementing plans, directional drilling plans, drilling fluids programs, and

drill string A drill string on a drilling rig is a column, or string, of drill pipe that transmits drilling fluid (via the mud pumps) and torque (via the kelly drive or top drive) to the Well drilling#Drill bits in mechanical drilling, drill bit. The term ...

and

drill bit A drill bit is a cutting tool used in a drill to remove material to create holes, almost always of circular cross-section. Drill bits come in many sizes and shapes and can create different kinds of holes in many different materials. In orde ...

programs * Specifying equipment, material and ratings and grades to be used in the drilling process * Providing technical support and audit during the drilling process * Performing cost estimates and analysis * Developing contracts with vendors Drilling engineers are often degreed as petroleum engineers, although they may come from other technical disciplines (e.g.,

mechanical engineer Mechanical may refer to: Machine * Machine (mechanical), a system of mechanisms that shape the actuator input to achieve a specific application of output forces and movement * Mechanical calculator, a device used to perform the basic operations o ...

ing,

electrical engineer Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems that use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...

ing or

geology Geology (). is a branch of natural science concerned with the Earth and other astronomical objects, the rocks of which they are composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Earth ...

) and subsequently be trained by an oil and gas company. They also may have practical experience as a rig hand or mudlogger or

mud engineer A mud engineer (correctly called a drilling fluids engineer, but most often referred to as the "mud man") works on an oil well or gas well drilling rig, and is responsible for ensuring the properties of the drilling fluid, also known as drilling ...

References

{{Petroleum industry

Overview

See also

Suggested reading

References