Drilling is Established

Contributed by Mark Mau and Henry Edmundson

Are you interested in learning more about drilling rig machine? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!

Drilling is Established

Despite early advancements in both Azerbaijan and the US, drilling struggled with reliability, speed, and the challenges posed by deep sediments, which proved difficult even for seasoned professionals. Specifically, cable-tool drilling was ineffective in the soft formations of the southern US.

Rotary Drilling Takes Over

The innovative approach was introduced by brothers M.C. and C.E. Baker from South Dakota, who faced the task of overcoming these obstacles. They proposed rotating the chisel or tool rather than using it as a percussion instrument. In the early 1880s, the Baker brothers developed the first rotary rig, utilizing it to drill shallow water wells in the unconsolidated formations of the Great Plains. By 1895, they had adapted their rotary method for oilwell drilling in the Corsicana field of Navarro County, Texas. Captain Lucas at Spindletop was an early adopter of this method, opting from the start to use a steam-driven rotary rig and a double-pronged fishtail bit in place of the traditional single-pronged chiseling bit. This combination proved highly effective.

Spindletop considerably enhanced the reputation of rotary drilling. By 1907, Shell started using rotary drilling to a limited extent in Romania, and in the US, it sped up hole-making in the Gulf of Mexico. Standard Oil of California, impressed by the results in Texas and Louisiana, in 1908 hired six drillers from the Gulf Coast and purchased three complete rotary outfits to drill in California's hard formations. Yet, despite these advancements, rotary drilling remained a niche compared to cable-tool drilling. There were both technical and human barriers to overcome. As noted by the Bakersfield Californian on May 13, 1909, “The main difficulty with previous attempts to use rotary drills was with the drillers. There existed a deep-seated animosity between rotary and standard (cable-tool) drillers, and standard operators often neglected their duties on the rotary rigs, while genuine rotary drillers were scarce. However, Standard Oil of California saw potential in rotaries and likely planned to expand their use.”

Another significant leap in rotary drilling technology was the invention of the rotary table and kelly, first used in 1915. The powered turntable in the middle of the drill floor, whose origins trace back to Spindletop, had the primary function of transmitting torque to the drillstring via the kelly—a section of pipe with a square cross-section that fitted through a similar shape on the rotating table.

Initially, rotary tables were chain-driven from a sprocket on the hoist (or drawworks). However, in 1918, Victor York and Walter G. Black of Standard Oil Company of California patented a method to drive the rotary table with a shaft, securing the ongoing success of the rotary drilling method. By 1930, rotary rigs had largely supplanted cable-tool rigs, except for very shallow well drilling.

For more hydraulic drilling equipment information, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.

Drilling Mud Makes its Appearance

Keeping the borehole open was another major challenge encountered at Spindletop. When drilling through the local mix of sand and clay, known as gumbo, the sides of the borehole would collapse repeatedly, filling the well with debris and cuttings. Brothers Curt and Al Hamill, both drillers at Spindletop in 1900, initially tried to remove the gumbo from the hole with fresh water and reinforce the well with wooden casing, but this was insufficient. One day, in Al's absence, Curt Hamill and workman Peck Byrd discovered that the fresh water used for cleaning the hole became muddy while drilling through gumbo, which helped stabilize the formation. They decided to pre-muddy the water before circulating it. Curt enlisted a local farmer, Reverend John C. Chaney, who prepared a thick mud mixture by plowing clay at the bottom of the pit and having his cattle walk back and forth through it. This method not only stabilized the well but provided enough viscosity to circulate the cuttings out, thus pioneering the use of drilling mud.

In Russia, a rotary rig equipped with a drilling mud circulating system drilled its first well near Grozny in Chechnya in 1902. However, political upheavals, including World War I and the revolution, slowed the adoption of rotary drilling in Russia.

Derricks and Drawworks

A major breakthrough that solidified the popularity of rotary drilling was Lee C. Moore's introduction of the standard derrick in 1908. Moore acquired a patent from T.A. Neill, a field superintendent for the South Penn Oil Company, for a method of constructing derricks using joinable steel tubular sections. This innovation replaced the time-consuming practice of building wooden derricks from scratch for each site. Moore's tubular sections were reusable, significantly enhancing efficiency. In 1937, Moore also introduced a jackknife cantilever-type drilling mast that could be deployed as a single piece. However, the Achilles heel of the rotary drilling rigs remained the drawworks, the central winch used to lower and lift the drill string. Over time, the drawworks evolved from single-speed to two-speed and then to four-speed versions. By 1930, drawworks comprised more than 70 distinct parts, requiring careful dismantling and reassembly for each rig move. Hu Harris, head of the drill-tools division at Texas-based Humble Oil and Refining Company, recognized these issues. Harris devised a drawworks with fewer parts by assembling shafts, chains, and guards as a unit, thereby reducing relocation time and the risk of improper assembly or lost parts. His innovation was quickly adopted, and by 1934, unitized drawworks became standard in rig manufacturing.

From Fishtail to Tricone Bits

As rotary drilling gained traction, focus shifted to improving the drill bit. The fishtail bit, used initially by Lucas, proved unreliable for hard formations. The breakthrough came from Howard Hughes Sr., a former lead and zinc mining engineer. In 1907, while visiting a machine shop in Sour Lake, Texas, Hughes observed a grinder with wheels moving in opposite directions. He theorized that a similar motion could be used for drilling and developed a two-cone rock-cutting tool that crushed rather than scraped the formations. Hughes patented his invention and co-founded the Hughes Tool Company in 1909 with his business partner Walter Sharp. As drilling needs grew, Hughes introduced reamers and other innovations to overcome increasing challenges. Even after Hughes' untimely death in 1924, his innovations continued to dominate the market, making his son, Howard Hughes Jr., one of the world's wealthiest individuals. During the 1930s, Hughes Tool Company introduced staggered teeth and cantilevered bearing shafts, culminating in the revolutionary tricone bit in 1932. This innovation addressed the shortcomings of the two-cone model—specifically in handling gumbo or shale. Hughes Tool Company’s tricone bit became the industry standard, driving the development of faster and more efficient drill bits throughout the 1930s and 1940s.

For more information on a new generation pneumatic tophammer drill rig, contact us. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

By now, the oilfield industry had established a forum for exchanging ideas and technical developments. Founded in 1871, the American Institute of Mining Engineers (AIME) included a standing committee on oil and gas by 1913. This evolved into the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) in 1957. The society's membership has since grown from a small group to several thousand members, providing a robust platform for industry professionals to share knowledge and innovations.

This entry is based on "Groundbreakers: The story of oilfield technology and the people who made it happen," by Mark Mau and Henry Edmundson. You can find the book at Groundbreakers / Fast-print.net.

Explore more:
10 Things to Consider When Buying Trailer-mounted drilling rigs