New Oil & Gas Drilling: A Schematic (‘Time for Tiramisu’)

By Jim Scherrer -- September 17, 2019

“Current technology liberates, at best, 5 percent of the available oil in shale so continued technology advances would significantly improve future resource recovery.”

Oil and gas drillers continuously evolve and enhance their drilling techniques. Their more recent revolutionary technique to drill horizontally along the rock formation has come to be known as “unconventional” drilling.

To illustrate, we can compare the confectionery jelly donut to tiramisu, which is a delicious Italian dessert that coincidentally means, “carry me up” or “lift to heaven.”

Versus prior drilling, new generation hydrocarbon production provides an “energy lift” as illustrated below.

Conventional Drilling: Jelly Donut

Basic Vertical Penetration; Limited Formation Contact

Illustration © James Scherrer

New Drilling: Tiramisu

Sophisticated Horizontal Penetration; Extensive Formation Contact

Illustration © James Scherrer 2014

What’s So Unconventional About it?

Oil and gas resources are commonly divided into two distinct types, conventional versus continuous or unconventional.…