Horizontal drill rig for deep drilling to remote areas and method

Abstract

Abstract A ground storage rack preferably installed in a pit has substantially horizontal pipes each initially containing an elongated drill rod. Sequentially each rod is thrust from its storage pipe horizontally into the ground at one end of the pit and as it proceeds outwardly of the pit its direction is controlled so that it bends downwardly until the drill motor on its outer end is drilling approximately vertically. The rear remote end of each storage pipe is capped so that drilling mud pumped into the pipe from a mud pit travels to the remote end of the pipe, thence into the open end of the drill rod enclosed therein and through the rod (and also preceding rods) to the drill motor and bit. Mud is carried back through the annulus of the drill hole to the mud pit. The rig has particular adaptation to offshore oil drilling since offshore platforms will not be used and the danger of contamination from leakage of oil by the normal surface casing beneath such platforms into the ocean floor is eliminated since the surface casing is now on shore.

Inventors

• 👤 T Williamson
• 👤 K Williamson

Bibliographic Details