Laser Drilling: Extracting Oil and Gas

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Background of Oil and Gas Drilling Methods

The extractors and producers of gas and oil do so by employing various ways. Gas and oil extraction is dependent on issues such as location and geology. The first technique used to tap oil sands was in the mid-20th century. The process employed hot water as a means to separate the bitumen from deposits (Econsult Solutions, 2018). With the continuous development of technology, the process has continuously evolved into sophisticated methods convenient for oil production. The conventional oil production method is still used today, where the oil, by means of traditional pumping and drilling methods, is extracted from the ground to reservoirs. On the other hand, the unconventional method is an innovative oil extraction method used by oil and gas extractors. The approach permits the in situ development and oil sands to be useful for recovering oil that does not flow due to its own heaviness (Taha & Amani, 2019). Thus, both the conventional and unconventional techniques are vital in ensuring oil and gas extraction succeeds in contemporary society.

Conventional Drilling Process

The conventional drilling process is drilling the reservoir and oil to allow pressure to flow out the ground. The well gets older with the passing of years, and when it happens, the drillers or extractors pump a jack in the well to help pump the hoary out of it. The most considerable aspect of the conventional method is that it is cheaper than the unconventional oil drilling contrivances. Initially, the drilling of a well was cable tool based, with other construction tools such as bamboo included in the count. This earlier technique was vital for drilling salt, as one of the five flavors that identified the cosmological Chinese cuisine (Econsult Solutions, 2018). It is from this concept that the aspects of sand oil drilling came to exits. Instead of using bamboo, oil drilling in this period utilized flexible ranches that were mounted on a fulcrum with appropriate drilling cables. The process was very much involving in the early days, before improvising supportive mechanisms to help support the drilling process. In whatever capacity, the conventional drilling process consists of making holes on the ground before the actual oil extraction.

Effect in Economy and the Environment

The most binding effect of conventional drilling is revenue creation. As of 2011 to 2015’s gas and oil production, Pennsylvania’s example reveals it all. Both the gas and oil pricing data were significant in the estimation of the average annual revenues. For instance, the country had the capacity to produce $ 648.4 million and $ 180.6 million for gases and oil, respectively. The example means that convention oil extraction supports a country in the stabilization of its revenue conception ability.

The next effect is assessed through the study of the IMPLAN model. IMPLAN is software useful in evaluating the impact of gas and oil industries in the world (Econsult Solutions, 2018). The software is pertinent in assessing the job and economic creation involving developmental projects, public policy changes, and new business inventions. Some of the direct expenditures are used to purchase services and goods, which again circulates back into the economy for purchase by local vendors. The conventional method has employees receiving monthly salary as labor income. The income circulates back into the economy, considering that the workers will then spend the earnings on various services and goods within the country’s confines. The economic impact of conventional drilling is as structured below, as per the Pennsylvanian case study.

Effect in Economy and the Environment — Fig: 1. (Econsult Solutions, 2018).

Figure 1 shows that the conventional gas and oil operations can generate substantial economic revenue for a country. Such affects the country by utilizing local vendors and inputs that give back to the community in business strategy.

Environmental Impact

Gas and oil drilling is among the activities that have dreadful consequences for communities and wildlife. Drilling happens around the clock, thus disrupting water resources, world life, recreation, and human health (CSA Ocean Sciences Organization, 2016). Wildlife is greatly affected by drilling, causing menaces such as loud noise, vehicle, and human movement, hence disrupting wildlife’s breading, communication, and nesting habits. Other infrastructures such as roads, well pads, fences, and power lines fragment the wild animals’ habitats. Moreover, oil spills when not properly uncontrolled becomes deadly to animals. Oils spillages are poisonous and can easily cause death to world life. The deep-water horizon rig is one of the 2010’s Mexican Gulf menace experience that substantiates how toxic oil spillage to the environment can be (CSA Ocean Sciences Organization, 2016). Small spillage as well, though, does not make headlines, needs proper disposal methods to safeguard the environment. Contextually, conventional drilling causes more harm to the environment than good, insinuating that meaningful ways should be used when executing the conventional drilling.

The Laser Drilling

One of the prime techniques for good drilling is a laser. The method is cost-effective because it involves facilities that operate on beam delivery and motion control systems (Sarfraz et al., 2017). The technique is arguably better compared to other manufacturing techniques. The justification of the technique is due to its aspect of indirectly contacting the material surface and its high precision level. During oil or gas production, the hole’s quality is paramount to oil hunters, and that is exactly what lesser drilling procedure offers.

How Lesser Drilling Work

The priority of using a lesser drilling system is positive due to aspects such as the drilling rate and time increase. A study done by CSA Ocean Sciences Organization (2016) shows that the drilling rate increases to approximately 10 to 100 times when lesser drilling is used. That means, lesser has the potential of performing highly in drilling levels with minimal power. Laser occurs in stages; when contacted with surface stone, the drilling of stone is systematic. In laser, the rate of drilling or penetration is highly regarded because the penetration rate depends on cost. The following equation determines the frequency of laser drilling penetration:ROP= SP/SE= The power per unit area/the energy needed to extract a unit rock

The Effect of Laser on the Environment

During the drilling process, many wastewaters are produced and are then incorrectly introduced into nature’s circle. The amount of waste produced depends on the technological aspects of use. Some drillers incorrectly use old equipment, thus exposing the environment to damages even the more. Boring occurs as an oil-based technique, where the oil spillage to the environment greatly damages the fertility of the land or water. Considering that the drilling process involves the alteration of drilling fluid, the chemicals used in the process dramatically damage the environment. Due to the damage that mud-based drilling can cause, the current technology embraces dust-drilling knowledge, where dust is used for the air-fluid drilling. The dust based expertise supports the use of lighter drilling pipe, the fact that cause decreased pollution of the environment. Noticeably, compared to the conventional drilling processes, laser drilling pollutes the environment lesser.

The Effect of Laser Drilling On the Economy

The following equation shows the cost of foot or laser drilling: Ct= B + Cr + (t + T)F. The formula reveals that the drilling length increases when the laser-drilling system is employed (Taha & Amani, 2019). The moment the length of drilling increases, the cost of drilling decreases. Drilling using laser attracts electric energy, instead of relying on mechanical energy as in the conventional methods. As a result, the laser system ensures the rigging of working days’ duration, resulting in a tripping time, which occurs because of the decrease of the drilling bit (Taha & Amani, 2019). Thus, economically, laser drilling is less expensive than conventional means, so the approach is cost-effective for the drillers. Most of the machinery used during a lesser drilling system intensify productivity. The increased oil and gas manufacturing results in a high-profit percent production; hence, the method brings a higher amount of revenue to the country. Besides, the technology reduces the formation of damage to the environment, thus protecting the amount of waste a drilling company would incur. The process is thus produced, in such a way that it adds revenue to the country; by bringing about higher profits to the company.

Conclusion

Both conventional and laser drilling methods are useful in the production of oil and gas. Fortunately, the methods are essential in ensuring the nation receives its economic aspects or advantage just as required. Besides producing oil and gas as needed, the techniques help stabilize a nation’s economy by creating employment and increasing a governmental revenue production scheme. The methods support the growth of a nation’s economy. Unfortunately, care is required in the manufacturing process, because both the methods can be a menace to the environment by causing pollution. Oil spillage and disruption that occurs through sound production from the machine and other factors disrupt the natural ecosystem, causing environmental instability.

Recommendations

It is agreeable that since the introduction of the rotary drilling methods, the deep petroleum and gas production has changed drastically. There is a need to extract oil and gas from the ground more rapidly, which is both beneficial and disadvantageous. Considering the pollution, which these drilling methods cause to the environment and the effects on the natural ecosystem, it is recommended that proper means of oil extraction be embraced. The drilling process should then adapt the drilling mechanism that adapts to the use of technology that is less destructive to the environment and cost-effective. The aspect lightens the production weight while ensuring the safety of the ground at the same time. Thus, more is still needed to ensure proper mechanisms are put in place to strengthen the oil and gas production industries.

References

CSA Ocean Sciences Organization. (2016). Environmental impact report for production drilling, production tests, and completion. Leviathan Field.

Econsult Solutions. (2018). The local economic impact of the conventional oil and gas industry in Western Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania Printers.

Sarfraz, S., Shehab, E., & Salonitis, K. (2017). A review of technical challenges of laser drilling manufacturing process.Advances in Manufacturing Technology, 6, 51-56. Web.

Singh, B. (2019). Offshore well drilling: A general overview. Marine Insight. Web.

Taha, A., & Amani, M. (2019). Introduction to smart oil and gas wells: Drilling, completion and monitoring solutions.International Journal of Petrochemistry and Research, 3(1), 249-254. Web.

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