Directional Drilling

Quick Guide: What is directional drilling and how to get directional drilling jobs! 

What is Directional Drilling?

Directional drilling or deviation drilling is an oil and gas exploration drilling technique used to change the direction of a well, most often from vertical to horizontal direction.

Horizontal Directional Drilling

Traditionally, petroleum oil and gas wells are drilled vertically, and the technique of rotating drill string has been developed to achieve as straight holes as possible. But in connection with subsea drilling at sea, they want to cover as large an area as possible from a production platform that is fixed to the bottom or from a subsea template in a subsea production system. 

Horizontal directional drilling jobs and salary
Horizontal directional drilling

Subsea Templates and Manifolds

To achieve this, a series of parallel, vertical wells are drilled close together. At a given depth, typically a few hundred meters below the seabed, the wells are then bent out to the side (deviation point), so that they point towards the parts of the reservoir you want to drain. On a subsea template and manifold, there might be up to 8 well slots from where the vertical wells are drilled and by horizontal drilling the subsea infrastructure can reach reservoirs several kilometres away.

Directional Drilling Jobs

Below is a list of available jobs and vacant positions.

  • Directional Driller Jobs in Port Gentil, Gabon
    Monitor and operate directional drilling equipment at the field site. - Provide advice for well planning. - Provide advice for bit selection and BHA composition. - Liaise with customer representative to ensure smooth operation and understanding of requirements. - Pre / Post job briefing and reporting as required. - Monitor effective use of down hole and surface equipment to fully ...
  • Well Placement Specialist Jobs in Sunbury, UK
    Downhole tool technology and associated services - Directional drilling engineering - Strategic definition and implementation - Contract renewal and negotiation - Provides a resource to help continually monitor and guard against contract leakage - Identify and communicate global issues on service quality The individual joins a team of Well Placement Specialists currently accountable for in ...
  • Experienced Directional Driller Jobs in Luanda, Angola
    Manage the running of INTEQ tools and services as assigned • Perform basic maintenance on various types of field equipment and determine the equipment’s current operational status at the well site • Perform all required responsibilities safely and as described in work instructions, job-site analyses and training manuals • Execute other related duties as assigned • Conduct all business activities in accordance to ...
  • Trainee i-DRILL Engineer Jobs in Aberdeen, Scotland
    Key requirements of the role are:- • Organise data supplied by customer, check data quality and determine whether it meets minimum requirements for i-Drill analysis • Analysis and conclusion of simulations output • Presentation of results/recommendations from analyses to internal customers • Perform critical speed analyses, static BHA and directional predictions 3D • Run simulations as per scope of work under ...
  • Drilling Engineer Jobs in Aberdeen, Scotland
    Initially, to provide specialist support and advice to the TEAM and the Client for their upcoming Drilling operations. * To evaluate, prepare and assist the client with the design of each drilling program, whilst coordinating all data and requirements to enable a constant project overview towards meeting client’s objective. * Will be involved for the preparation of ...
  • Directional Driller Jobs in Corpus Christi, USA
    Under broad direction provides direct instruction and supervison tojunior Field Engineers on day-to-day wellsite work and activites.Provides advice and direction to external customer and third-partywellsite colleagues as appropriate. Provides resolution to a diversescope and range of complex problems at the wellsite where analysis ofdata requires having a broad knowledge of the product line’s tool(s)and/or service(s). ...

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What is the Salary and how much can you earn?

The directional drilling jobs salary and how much you will actually earn in an offshore job depends on which drilling school or course you took, the position on the drill floor and which company you are employed in, but a starting salary or pay of $25k – $35k a year, plus supplements, is considered normal.

Drilling Rigs
Oil and Gas Drilling Rigs

How does directional drilling works?

To change the direction of the hole, a drill bit is usually used that is tilted 1-2 degrees in relation to the drill string, which is now held in place. The drill bit is driven by a local bottom hole sludge turbine. The direction of the hole is checked by means of an instrument, the direction log, which is led down into the well through the drill string.

Measure While Drilling Technique

An alternative technique, Measuring While Drilling (MWD), is based on the logging tool being attached to the drill string just above the drill bit and sending up information about the direction of the hole by alternately opening and closing the mud stream that drives the turbine. The pressure pulses are registered on the platform and decoded into a direction signal.

Directional Drilling companies

  • ARGO International
    ARGO International in short: renewal spare parts for the worldwide Industrial, Marine, Metal Mining, Oil Well Drilling, Utility, Refineries and Petroleum industries. Argo International Corporation, established in 1952, is a global ...
  • Petrolia Drilling ASA
    Petrolia Drilling ASA in short: owns and charters drilling vessels for offshore, deepwater oil and gas exploration and development drilling Petrolia Drilling ASA, a Norwegian publicly listed limited company, was established ...
  • DrawWorks, L.P.
    DrawWorks, L.P. in short: manufactures and sells circulating, fill-up and flow-back tools for oilfield tubulars including casing, tubing and drill pipe DrawWorks designs, manufactures and sells circulating, fill-up and flow-back tools ...
  • Applied Electronic Systems Inc.
    Applied Electronic Systems Inc. in short: design and manufacturing of electric wireline tools and electronics designing downhole wireline tools that can handle hostile drilling environments applied electronics, applied electronic systems, downhole ...
  • Jindal Drilling & Industries ltd
    Jindal Drilling & Industries ltd in short: deep ocean well drilling engineering and more The D.P. Jindal Group of Companies is an organization of a highly motivated, disciplined and trained team ...
  • Pride International
    Pride International in short: is one of the world’s largest offshore drilling companies with an increasing focus on deepwater and other high-specification drilling services , drilling, offshore, deepwater, drilling and well ...
  • Ventura Hydraulic & Machine Works, Inc.
    Ventura Hydraulic & Machine Works, Inc. in short: hydraulic cylinders, power units, skidding systems, mooring Manufacturer of hydraulic cylinders, power units, skidding systems, mooring equipment, cable spoolers., Ventura Hydraulic & Machine ...
  • McDermott International
    McDermott International in short: energy services, providing engineering, consultancy and project management McDermott International, Inc. Is a leading energy services company, providing engineering, procurement, and project management for customers involved in ...
  • Optimum Production AS
    Optimum Production AS in short: engineering products and consulting services for oil companies and oil service companies, reservoir engineering, drilling and well technology. The company provides a range of engineering products ...
  • SPN Resources
    SPN Resources in short: acquire, operate and abandon mature properties in the Gulf of Mexico SPN Resources was established to acquire, operate and abandon mature properties in the Gulf of Mexico. ...
  • New Continental Equipment Co., Ltd.
    New Continental Equipment Co., Ltd. in short: drilling rig packages, triplex mud pumps and expendables, traveling equipment, wellhead equipment, handling tools, spare parts, and service. New Continental Equipment Co., Ltd. specializes ...
  • HWC Energy Services
    HWC Energy Services in short: Off-shore drilling products, pipeline, advanced connectors drilling, completions, workovers, and recompletions to plug and abandonment. Visit our web site for vacancies, jobs and HWC Energy Services careers! We ...