Rabia H. Oilwell Drilling Engineering: Principles and Practice

Graham & Trotman, 1985. — 302 p. — ISBN: 0-86010-714-0.The publication of any new book on drilling engineering provides a welcome addition to the inventory of available information on the subject. This book contains a presentation of the fundamental principles of drilling engineering. The theory behind the operation of a rig and the design of an oil well is well known to those directly involved but has rarely been recorded so comprehensively. This accumulation of basic information will both guide the training of new engineers and offer help to those working in the field.
The aim of this book is to provide a clear up to date text covering the principles of oil well drilling engineering. It is the author's contention that it is necessary to start from first principles in order to give both student and practising engineer a comprehensive understanding of the subject. Hence, no prior knowledge of any topic is assumed, and all the necessary equations and calculations required in well design are presented. Full derivation of most equations is included, to enable both the engineer and the scientist to appreciate the limitations of the equations, and to allow the researcher to incorporate further refinements.
This book can serve three major functions. It can provide the engineer with the basic knowledge needed to enhance his understanding of field operations so that he can gain the greatest possible advantage from the onsite training he should receive early in his career. Secondly, it can fill in gaps that almost inevitably occur even in the most well planned, practical and theoretical training programmes – the variety of problems and situations are so extensive in the drilling business that the engineer is unlikely to face all of them, even within an entire career. Lastly, the book provides under one cover a range of necessary information previously only available from a number of different sources. This is a book that the rigsite engineer should keep available as a ready reference document whenever the need arises.
This text describes the mechanics of modern drilling techniques, and covers all the well operations which might be expected to occur, and common problems encountered. Theory and practice are fully integrated, and the many worked examples help guide the reader to a thorough understanding of oil-well drilling. Drawn from professional experience, and compiled with the benefit of advice from manufacturers and oil companies.
The book will be of the greatest value to the driller, field engineer, trainee and student of petroleum engineering, as well as being an ideal introduction for geologists and geophysicists with whom they work.
Both imperial and metric units are used throughout, for easy reference, and the text is heavily illustrated.