After the padsite is constructed, the drilling rig and other necessary equipment are moved onto the location.

Once the drilling rig and other requisite equipment are in place, the drilling process begins. Chesapeake’s deep shale wells range in depth from approximately 7,200 to 11,940 feet below the earth’s surface, while our conventional wells can exceed 20,000 feet in depth. Our target geological formations are almost always at least one to two miles deeper than domestic and public water supply wells, which are typically less than 1,000 feet in depth below land surface.

Many wells begin by drilling a vertical hole, then drilling horizontally into the potential productive zone to recover reserves. This technique requires fewer overall wells to be drilled in comparison to conventional vertical drilling, and in many areas this is the only method that can result in a commercial well.

It also allows us to drill multiple wells from a single location, minimizing the number of wellsites required for development. When utilizing multiwell padsites, once the initial well is completed the rig may walk or slide over to drill another well on the same location, or it may be removed and returned at a later date to drill additional wells.

The drilling process typically lasts three to six weeks per well. During this time, Chesapeake drilling crews work around the clock to maintain the integrity of the wellbore and to reduce the time required on each location. After the drilling process has concluded, the rig is removed and well completion equipment is moved onto the location.

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