A Brief Look at New Techniques and Technologies for Drilling and Completing in the United States with Suggestions and Recommendations

Technological developments that specifically address automation, compliance with environmental regulations, and hazard avoidance have accelerated more quickly than other drilling and completion technologies in the United States. This brief article provides a review of areas experiencing some of the most dramatic advances, while describing the need and addressing the solutions as they are now, and how they can be developed in the future. One aspect that all the new technologies have in common is an enhanced use of data analytics and in many cases, cloud-based solutions. A challenge that all have is a need to be able to quickly accommodate rapidly evolving requirements for emissions detection, hazard monitoring, and a reduced carbon footprint. Many solutions to the challenges require the ability to repurpose existing databases and use them for new purposes.