What is horizontal drilling?
This modern drilling technique allows producers to turn the drillbit and bore horizontally across the target formation, exposing a larger cross section of the reservoir rock to the wellbore. In the past, it took multiple vertical wells to develop the same area, which can now be accessed with a single horizontal wellbore and multiple horizontal wells can be drilled from a single surface location, further reducing surface impact. Since 2008, the onshore natural gas rig count is down about 50%, while production has increased slightly. Horizontal drilling is allowing producers to run fewer rigs, reduce surface disturbance, decrease truck traffic and dust, while increasing productivity and their rates of return on the capital spent.
