The well is created by drilling a hole 5 to 36 inches (127.0 mm to 914.4 mm) diameter into the earth with a drilling rig which rotates a drill string with a bit attached. Casing is placed into the hole after drilling is completed. The casing is steel tubing, slightly smaller than the borehole used for stabilizing the hole. Casing and tubing is used for two main purposes, the first of which is to strengthen the newly drilled well, and secondly, to reduce the potential hazards of high pressure zones below the surface.
With these zones safely isolated and the formation protected by the casing, the well can be drilled deeper (into potentially more-unstable and violent formations) with a smaller bit, and also cased with a smaller size casing. Most wells have 2 to 5 sets of subsequent holes drilled inside itself, each level being strengthened by cemented casing
Drilling steps: The drill bit, aided by the weight of drill string and drill collars above it, breaks up the earth. The drill bit is kept cool, lubricated and kept clean by having a drilling fluid pumped down the drill pipe and exiting at the drill bit. This also aids in the breakup of the rock and keeps pressure on the top of the bit. The generated rock "cuttings" are swept up by the drilling fluid as it circulates back to surface outside the drill pipe. The drilling fluid is filtered through shakers to remove all of the rock fragments before being reused. Watching for abnormalities in the returning cuttings and volume of returning fluid are imperative to catch "kicks" (when the pressure below the bit is more than that above, causing gas and mud to come up uncontrollably) early. The pipe or drill string to which the bit is connected is increasingly lengthened as the well gets deeper by screwing in several 30-foot (10 m) joints of pipe at surface. Usually joints are combined into 3 joints equaling 1 stand. Some smaller rigs only use 2 joints and newer rigs can handle stands of 4 joints.
This process is all facilitated by a drilling rig which contains all necessary equipment to circulate the drilling fluid, hoist and turn the casing and tubing, control downhole pressures, remove cuttings from the drilling fluid, and generate onsite power for these operations.
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