13 Feb The 3 Phases of Wellbore: Tubing, Casing, & Drilling

Oil and gas companies create wells to obtain resources in the ground. This is known as wellboring, and the process has specific steps. In fact, tubing, casing, and drilling are the three phases of a wellbore. Read this breakdown of the process to understand their purpose.

What Is a Wellbore?

A wellbore is a hole that oil and gas workers drill to aid in exploring natural resources like oil, gas, and water. The goal of a wellbore is to extract resources over a specific period.

With this initiative, professionals need to extract from the right spots. That’s where the three phases of a wellbore come in. The phases ensure proper placement in the ground to create a well from which companies will obtain resources.

Phase 1: Drilling

The first phase is drilling with drill pipes. These durable steel pipes turn drill bits, allowing them to cut into the rock and reach resource deposits. Phase one is drilling a hole into the ground, pushing dirt and mud out of the way. This allows the casing to enter the ground without disruptions.

Phase 2: Casing

After drilling, it’s time to line the hole with cemented casing. The “outer tubes,” also known as casings, protect the layers of soil from being contaminated by mud or fracking fluids. The casing also stabilizes the wellbore, so the tubes must withstand high loads. In phase two, drilling and casing alternate; drilling stops at certain intervals and workers line the wellbore with casing. The phase stops when workers meet their specific requirements.

Phase 3: Tubing

Phase three involves tubing that transports oil, gas, and water from deep inside the well to the surface. Occasionally, oil and gas rise to the surface on their own, but workers use tubes to pump fluids from the wellbore. The tubing is smaller than the casing, as cemented casings are in the wellbore. Consider tubing as long straws that enter wellbores and help workers suck up natural resources.

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