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Where was the first oil well drilled? General information about drilling oil and gas wells. Well drilling design

The well does not imply the possibility of direct human access inside it.

In the vertical structure of the well, the beginning (mouth), trunk and end (bottom) are distinguished. Wells are constructed by sequential drilling of rocks, removal of drilled material and strengthening of the walls of the well from destruction (if necessary, depends on the nature of the rocks). For drilling, drilling rigs, drill bits and other mechanisms are used.

The extraction of hydrocarbons through an oil well can be carried out by flowing (in the presence of excess pressure in oil reservoirs), using pumps, by artificially creating low pressure in the well, thereby ensuring the flow of oil to the bottomhole.

Story

The world's first drilling of a well for oil production purposes was carried out in 1846 at the suggestion of a member of the Main Directorate of the Transcaucasian Territory Vasily Nikolaevich Semenov (1801-1863) in the village of Bibi-Heybat near Baku, which was then part of the Russian Empire. The depth of the well was 21 m. The work was carried out under the leadership of the director of the Baku oil fields, the Corps of Mining Engineers - Major Alekseev, the well was exploratory. In 1864, the first production well in Russia was drilled in the Kuban, in the village of Kievskoye, in the valley of the Kudako River.

The first American oil from a 15 m deep borehole was obtained by engineer Williams in 1857 at Enniskillen.

However, it is most often believed that the American Edwin Drake received the first oil from an industrial well on August 27, 1859.

The first directional wells had a curvilinear trajectory: from the surface, drilling is carried out first vertically down, and then the angle of inclination is dialed to bring it to a given direction. rectilinear an inclined oil well was first drilled at the Old Fields of Grozneft in 1949 (designed by engineer Buzinov M.M.)

On the basis of inclined drilling, a cluster drilling method was developed, in which a "bush" diverges from one well pad into 10-12 inclined wells, covering a large oil-bearing area. This method allows drilling at greater depths - up to 6000 meters.

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Notes

An excerpt characterizing an oil well

And now, in a short moment, a real Hell unfolded in front of our wide-open eyes with amazement... world... Of course, he was not crazy, but was simply a seer who, for some reason, could see only the lower Astral. But we must give him his due - he portrayed him superbly ... I saw his paintings in a book that was in my dad's library, and I still remembered that terrible feeling that most of his paintings carried ...
- What a horror! .. - whispered the shocked Stella.
One could probably say that we have already seen a lot here, on the “floors” ... But even we were not able to imagine such a thing in our most terrible nightmare! .. Behind the “black rock” something completely opened unthinkable... It looked like a huge, flat "cauldron" carved into the rock, at the bottom of which crimson "lava" was bubbling... Hot air "burst" everywhere with strange flashing reddish bubbles, from which scalding steam escaped and fell in large drops on the ground, or on the people who fell under him at that moment ... Heartbreaking cries were heard, but they immediately fell silent, as the most disgusting creatures sat on the backs of the same people, who, with a contented look, "managed" their victims, not paying the slightest attention on their sufferings... Under the naked feet of people red-hot stones were reddening, the hot crimson earth was bubbling and "melting" ... high, evaporating with a light haze... And in the very middle of the "pit" a bright red, wide fiery river flowed, into which, from time to time, the same disgusting monsters unexpectedly threw one or another tormented entity, which, falling, caused only a short a splash of orange sparks, and then, turning for a moment into a fluffy white cloud, it disappeared ... forever ... It was a real Hell, and Stella and I wanted to “disappear” from there as soon as possible ...
- What are we going to do? .. - Stella whispered in quiet horror. - Do you want to go down there? Is there anything we can do to help them? Look how many there are!..
We stood on a black-brown, heat-dried cliff, watching the “mess” of pain, hopelessness, and violence stretching below, flooded with horror, and we felt so childishly powerless that even my warlike Stella this time categorically folded her tousled “wings ” and was ready at the first call to rush off to her own, so dear and reliable, upper “floor” ...
And then I remembered that Maria seemed to be talking to these people, so cruelly punished by fate (or by themselves) ...
“Tell me, please, how did you get down there?” I asked puzzled.
“Dean carried me,” Maria replied calmly, as a matter of course.
- What is it that these poor fellows have done so terrible that they got into such inferno? I asked.
“I think this is not so much about their misdeeds, but about the fact that they were very strong and had a lot of energy, and this is exactly what these monsters need, since they “feed” on these unfortunate people,” the little girl explained in a very adult way.
- What?! .. - we almost jumped. - It turns out - they just "eat" them?
“Unfortunately, yes... When we went there, I saw... A pure silvery stream flowed out of these poor people and directly filled the monsters sitting on their backs. And they immediately came to life and became very pleased. Some human entities, after that, almost could not walk... It's so scary... And nothing can help... Dean says there are too many of them even for him.
“Yeah… It’s unlikely that we can do something too…” Stella whispered sadly.
It was very hard to just turn around and leave. But we were well aware that at the moment we were completely powerless, but just watching such a terrible “spectacle” did not give anyone the slightest pleasure. Therefore, having once again looked at this terrifying Hell, we unanimously turned in the other direction ... I can’t say that my human pride was not wounded, since I never liked to lose. But I also learned a long time ago to accept reality as it was, and not to complain about my helplessness, if I was not yet able to help in some situation.
“Can I ask you where you girls are going now?” Maria asked sadly.

Drilling is a procedure for breaking rocks with special drilling equipment. Drilling, like many other technologies, has several directions.

The drilling process involves breaking rocks with the help of drilling equipment, resulting in a well.

These directions depend on the position of the rock formation:

vertical;
obliquely directed;
horizontal.

The process of laying a directional cylindrical shaft in the ground is called drilling. Subsequently, this channel is called a well. In diameter, it should be less than the length. The wellhead (beginning) is located on the surface. Bottomhole and wellbore are called the bottom and walls of the well, respectively.

Preparing for the process

When drilling wells first:

The drilling process is impossible without special drilling equipment.

Drilling equipment is brought to the drilling site.
Then the drilling process begins. It consists in deepening the wellbore by flushing it and drilling.
In order to avoid the collapse of the walls of the wells, the separation of the layers is carried out - work to strengthen the layers of the earth. To do this, pipes are lowered into the drilled earth and laid, which are connected into columns. Then the entire space between the pipes and the ground is cemented (plugged).
The last stage of work is called well development. It includes the opening of the last layer, the installation of the bottomhole zone, as well as perforation and outflow stimulation.

In order to start drilling from the beginning, it is necessary to carry out preparatory work.

First, documents are drawn up that allow cutting down and clearing the forest, but for this you need to get the consent of the forestry. When preparing a site for drilling, the following work is carried out:

Before you start drilling wells, you need to clear the area from trees.

division of zones into sections by coordinates;
cutting down trees;
layout;
construction of a workers' camp;
preparation of the basis for drilling;
preparation and marking of the site;
installation of foundations for tanks at the fuel and lubricants warehouse;
storage sheathing, equipment preparation.

The next stage of work is the preparation of rigging equipment. For this:

make installation of equipment;
installation of lines;
installation of substructures, bases and blocks;
installation and lifting of the tower;
commissioning works.

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Preliminary work

After the drilling machine is installed, a special commission arrives to check the equipment, machinery and quality of work.

When the drilling rig is ready, preparations for drilling begin. As soon as the drilling machine is installed and the construction of structures is completed, the drilling machine is checked by a special commission. The foreman of the drilling team, accepting the commission, together with it monitors the quality of work, checks the equipment and the implementation of labor protection.

For example, according to the method of execution, luminaires must be in an explosion-proof casing, emergency lighting for 12 V must be distributed throughout the mine. All comments made by the commission must be taken into account before drilling begins.

Before starting drilling, the equipment is equipped with the appropriate equipment: a square hole, drill pipes, a chisel, small-scale mechanization devices, casing pipes for a conductor, instrumentation, water, etc.

The drilling rig should have houses for housing, a gazebo, a dining room, a bathhouse for drying things, a laboratory for analyzing solutions, equipment for extinguishing fires, auxiliary and working tools, safety posters, first aid kits and medicines, a warehouse for drilling equipment, water.

After the drilling tower has been installed, a series of works on re-equipment of the traveling system begins, during which equipment is installed and small-scale mechanization is tested. Drilling technology begins with the installation of the mast. Its direction must be set exactly in the center of the axis of the tower.

After centering the tower, drilling under the direction is carried out. This is the lowering of the pipe to strengthen the wells and the filling of its upper end, which should coincide in direction with the gutter, cement. After the direction in the process of drilling wells has been established, the alignment between the axes of the rotor and the derrick is checked again.

In the center of the well, drilling is carried out under the hole for the square and in the process they are cased with a pipe. The drilling of the well hole is performed by a turbodrill, which is held by a hemp rope to prevent too fast rotation. At one end it is attached to the leg of the tower, and the other is held in the hands through a block.

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Completion

After preparatory work, 2 days before the launch of the drilling rig, a conference is organized where the entire administration participates ( Chief Engineer, technologist, chief geologist etc.). The conference discusses:

Scheme of the structure of geological rocks at the site of oil discovery: 1 - clay, 2 - water-saturated sandstones, 3 - oil deposit.

well structure;
the structure of the rocks in the place of the geological section;
complications that may arise during the drilling process, etc.;
then consider the normative map;
work on trouble-free and high-speed wiring is discussed.

The drilling process can be started upon execution of the following documents:

geological and technical order;
permission to put the drilling rig into operation;
regulatory map;
shift log;
magazine on drilling fluids;
journal of labor protection;
accounting for diesel engines.

The following types of mechanisms and materials can be used at the drilling rig:

equipment cementing;
posters with inscriptions about safety and labor protection;
logging equipment;
drinking water and technical;
Helipad;
cement mortars and drilling;
chemical reagents;
casing pipes and drilling pipes.

Well drilling is a method of cutting down rock in which a mine is formed. Such mines (wells) are tested for the presence of oil and gas. To do this, the wellbore is perforated to provoke the flow of oil or gas from the productive horizon. Then the drilling equipment and all towers are dismantled. A seal is installed on the well indicating the name and date of drilling. After that, the garbage is destroyed, all barns are buried, and the scrap metal is disposed of.

Usually, at the beginning, the maximum diameter of the wells does not exceed 900 mm. At the end, it rarely reaches 165 mm. The drilling process consists of several processes during which the construction of the wellbore takes place:

the process of deepening the bottom of wells by coloring rocks with a drilling tool;
removal of broken rock from a well shaft;
wellbore fixing;
carrying out geological and geophysical work on the study of the fault rock and the discovery of productive horizons;
descent and cementing depth.

According to the depth of the well, there are the following types:

shallow - 1500 m deep;
medium - up to 4500 m deep;
deep - 6000 m;
ultra-deep - over 6000 m.

The drilling process is the breaking of rocks with drill bits. Broken parts of this rock are cleaned out by a stream of washing (liquid) solution. The depth of wells increases in the process of destruction of the bottomhole over the entire area.

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Arising complications

The collapse of the borehole walls can occur due to the unstable structure of the rock.

During the process of drilling a well, some complications may arise. It can be:

collapses of the mine walls;
absorption of washing liquid;
accidents;
inaccurate borehole drilling, etc.

Falls can occur due to the unstable structure of the rock. They can serve as a sign;

high blood pressure;
too high viscosity of the flushing fluid;
too much a large number of debris during mine washing.

The absorption of the flushing solution occurs due to the fact that the solution, poured into the mine, is completely sucked into the formation. This usually happens when the reservoirs have a porous structure or high permeability.

Drilling is a process in which a rotating projectile is brought to the bottom and then raised again. In this case, the wells are drilled to bedrock, cutting 0.5-1.5 m. After that, a pipe is lowered into the mouth to prevent erosion and to ensure that the flushing fluid, leaving the well, enters the gutter.

The rotational speed of the drill string and spindle depends on physical properties rocks, diameter and type of drill bit. The rotation speed is controlled by the feed regulator, which creates the desired load on the crown. At the same time, it creates a certain pressure on the cutters of the projectile and the walls of the face.

Before you start drilling a well, you need to draw up its design drawing, which indicates:

physical properties of rocks: their hardness, stability and water saturation;
depth and inclination of the well;
the final diameter of the well, which is affected by the hardness of the rocks;
drilling methods.

Drawing up a well project begins with the choice of its depth, diameter at the end of drilling, drilling angles, and structure.

The depth of the mapping wells depends on the geological analysis followed by its mapping.

Vladimir Khomutko

Reading time: 4 minutes

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When was the first oil well found?

Everyone knows that oil is extracted using wells drilled in the ground. And when did the first such well appear and who drilled it? We will consider the answer to this and other interesting questions regarding oil drilling in this article.

It's worth saying. that the first mention of attempts at exploratory drilling (not to be confused with commercial drilling) dates back to the thirties of the nineteenth century. According to the descriptions of an eyewitness of those years that have come down to us, on Taman, before digging oil wells, they previously explored the bowels of the so-called "drill".

In other words, in order to determine the best place to dig a well, from which oil was extracted at that time, the earth was first drilled. So it can be called the first exploratory wells, but they cannot be called commercial. Yes, wells, in fact, they were not.

In December 1844, V.N. Semenov, who was a member of the Council of the Main Directorate of the Transcaucasian Territory, sent a report to the higher authorities, in which he substantiated the need to deepen several existing oil wells by means of a drill, as well as the need to explore new oil-bearing layers by drilling in the area lying between the Baibaytsky, Balakhani and Kabristansky wells . This idea, according to Semenov himself, was told to him by the Russian who managed the Shirvan and Baku industries at that time. mining engineer Voskoboynikov N.I.

Taking into account the report, the Russian Ministry of Finance in 1846 ordered the allocation of the necessary funds for drilling, the results of which in 1848 were reported by the governor of the Caucasus, Count Vorontsova, in his memorandum. The essence of the report boiled down to the fact that a well had been drilled on Bibi-Heybat, from which they began to receive oil. This was the very first industrial oil well! The Bibi-Heybat field is located near the city of Baku in Azerbaijan. It is geographically located on the Absheron Peninsula.

The depth of the first exploratory well, which was drilled a year earlier (in 1847), was 21 meters. The first oil was obtained by impact, using wooden rods, and it was on July 14, 1848. 1847 is considered the year of discovery of the Bibi-Heybat deposit.

Shortly before this moment, in 1846, the French engineer Fauvel proposed a method that allows you to continuously clean the well with flushing. The essence of the proposed technique was to pump water from the earth's surface into a well through hollow pipes, which brought pieces of rocks to the surface. This outstanding invention quickly gained wide recognition, since it did not require the drilling itself to be stopped.

First oil wells drilled in other countries

In the United States of America, the first oil well was drilled in 1859 near the city of Titesville, Pennsylvania. This was done by E. Drake on the instructions of the Seneca Oil company.

For two months of continuous work, the workers under his leadership managed to drill a well, the depth of which was 22 meters, and it began to produce oil. Until recently, it was believed that it was Drake's well that was the first in the world, but the historical documents found, which we spoke about above, made it possible to restore historical justice.

Your date of birth oil industry in many countries of the world it is considered the drilling of the first industrial production well. For example, in Romania this event took place in 1857, in Canada - in 1858, and in Venezuela - in 1863.
On the territory of our country, the first successful oil drilling carried out by workers, under the leadership of Colonel Novosiltsev A.N. It happened in 1864 on the banks of the Kudako River (Kuban Territory).

It is from 1964 that the Russian oil industry has been counting.

Over time, the number of oil-producing workings in the fields began to grow rapidly. At the end of the nineteenth century, a huge number of new workings began to be drilled.

For example, in Baku this growth went like this:

1873 - 17 pieces;
1885 - already 165;
1890 - 356;
1895th - 604;
1901 - 1740!

At the same time, the depth of drilling also increased. If in 1872 the maximum drilling was carried out to a depth of 55 - 65 meters, then in 1883 this figure reached 105 - 125 meters, and at the end of the nineteenth century, the maximum depths already reached 425 - 530 - ty m.

At the end of the eighties of the nineteenth century, in the vicinity of New Orleans (an American city located in the state of Louisiana), rotary drilling was first used with simultaneous flushing of the trunk with a clay solution.

In our country, such drilling was first used in 1902 near the city of Grozny. Oil was found at a depth of 345 meters.

Initially, rotary drilling was performed by rotating the bit from the surface along with the entire drill string. However, the deeper the workings became, the heavier such a column became, and it was impossible to rotate it.

In this regard, already at the end of the nineteenth century, the first proposals began to appear regarding the creation of downhole motors. These motors were supposed to be placed at the bottom of the drill string just above the bit. However, most of these proposals remained on paper.

The world's first turbodrill was invented in 1922 by the Soviet engineer Kapelyushnikov M.A. It was a hydraulic single-stage turbine equipped with a planetary gear. The rotation of the turbine was carried out with the help of a washing liquid. Later, the turbodrill was improved by a group of scientists led by P.P. Shumilov. The turbodrill, which they proposed in 1939, was already a multi-stage turbine without the use of a gearbox.

The first electric drill was patented in Russia in 1899. Its design was an electric motor suspended on a rope, which was connected to a chisel. A modern electric drill was developed in 1938 by Soviet engineers Ostrovsky A.P. and Alexandrov N.V., and two years later they had already drilled the first well.

However, oil drilling was carried out not only on land, but also under water.

The first offshore oil wells were built by the Baku merchant Kassymbek back in 1803. They were located 18 and 30 meters from the shore near the village of the village of Bibi-Heybat. From the ingress of water, they were protected by log cabins, which were made of boards tightly fitted to each other.

There were many large fields in the Baku region with relatively easy to recover reserves, but the transportation of oil to markets was both difficult and expensive. The Nobel brothers and the Rothschild family played a key role in the development of the oil industry in Baku, which was then part of the Russian Empire. The industry developed rapidly, and at the turn of the century, Russia accounted for more than 30% of world oil production. Shell Transport and Trading, which later became part of Royal Dutch/Shell, began its business by transporting oil produced by the Rothschilds to Western Europe. In the second half of the nineteenth century oil fields began to be found in other parts of the country.

In Russia, the first wells were drilled in the Kuban in 1864, and in 1866 one of them produced an oil gusher with a flow rate of more than 190 tons per day. At that time, oil production was carried out mainly by monopolies dependent on foreign capital. At the beginning of the 20th century, Russia ranked first in oil production. AT

1901-1913 the country produced approximately 11 million tons of oil. A strong decline occurred during the Civil War. By 1928, oil production was again brought to 11.6 million tons. In the first years of Soviet power, the main areas of oil production were Baku and the North Caucasus (Grozny, Maikop).

Oil production through wells began to be widely used from the 60s of the 19th century. Initially, along with open fountains and collection of oil in earthen pits dug near wells, oil was also extracted using cylindrical buckets with a valve in the bottom. Of the mechanized methods of operation, for the first time in 1865 in the United States, deep-pumping operation was introduced, which was used in 1874 in the oil fields in Georgia, and in 1876 in Baku.

In 1886 V.G. Shukhov proposed compressor oil production, which was tested in Baku in 1897.

A more advanced way of lifting oil from a well - gas lift - was proposed in 1914 by M.M. Tikhvinsky.

Oil was sought wherever it was once seen: on the Terek River in the North Caucasus, on the Ukhta River in the Pustoozersky district. On the instructions of Peter I, oil exploration was organized in the north - in the basin of the Pechora and Ukhta rivers. Most of all, oil sources stretched on Baku land. By 1730, oil fields had already been built in Baku, which at that time produced a lot of oil. Artillery Major I. Gerber, who served in the Caucasus, described the Baku oil fields and spoke about the use of the produced oil. “The scooper’s oil is from wells that have a half-day drive from Baki in a rocky place, from which some black wells and some white oil are knocked out: this oil is a carrier in many Persian provinces, where sellers use okoyu instead of candles and oil in lamps ... Near oil wells in Nearby there is a place where the earth burns incessantly ... they burn a lot of lime in this fire. Workers ... in their huts will dig a hole half a foot deep, put a reed in this hole, then keep a lit fire over the upper end of the reed, which is why the oil spirit of the igniter coming from the ground burns like a candle ... and with this they illuminate all their huts.

The precious liquid was the subject of a very lively trade with Persia, and was exported to Western Europe through Russian merchants. Oil was used and how remedy. The first consumers were shepherds. They treated sheep and camels for scabies, lubricating the sore spots with oil collected in places where it naturally comes to the surface of the earth. Also used as a lubricant for rubbing objects.

In 1735, Dr. N. Lerkhe, in his report on a trip to the Absheron Peninsula, writes: “... in Balakhani there were 52 oil wells 20 fathoms deep, some of which hit hard and annually deliver 500 batmans of oil ...” (1 batman 8.5 kg).

Academician S.G. Gmelin studied methods of building oil wells in Baku, and for the first time expressed the idea of the possibility of drilling for gas and using it as fuel. Describing the wells, he notes that the depth of oil wells in Balakhany at that time reached 40-50 m, and the diameter or side of the square of the well section was 0.7-1.0 m.

In 1803, the Baku merchant Kasymbek built two oil wells in the sea at a distance of 18 and 30 m from the shore of Bibi-Heybat. The wells were protected from water by a frame made of tightly knocked together boards. Oil has been extracted from them for many years. In 1825, during a storm, the wells were broken and flooded.

By the time the Baku Khanate was annexed to Russia in 1806, there were about 120 wells in the Baku region, from which about 200,000 poods of oil were extracted annually.

In 1871, drilling of a well began in the Baku region. In Balakhany, on the site of A. Mirzoev, drilling of a well was completed by manual percussion using wooden rods with a depth of 64m. This well was the initial milestone in the development of the oil industry of the Absheron Peninsula.

During the test tartaning there was a release of gas and water. A sudden release of gases, an underground rumble, a column of sand and water that rose above the well were attributed to the action of evil spirits. By order of the drilling foreman, the well was quickly filled with stones and sand, and a cross was erected nearby. This year, the first productive oil well with a depth of 45 m begins to operate. Its flow rate was about 2000 pounds per day (wells produced hundreds of times less oil than wells) 1872 was the year of the complete cessation of the construction of oil wells in the Baku region and the transition to drilling oil wells.

Water is the source of life, without which life is unthinkable. Throughout history, people have built settlements near bodies of water and springs. Regardless of the amount of water available in the region where people lived, the springs were deified and often endowed with magical powers. Indeed, underground water or water flowing from a source is more useful, able not only to quench thirst, but also to give energy. Already in our time it has been proven that water can change its energy-informational structure, on which its healing properties will depend. The deeper the water is extracted, the more useful it is. In ancient times, this property was also noticed, so water was delivered to the fields through a special water supply and irrigation system, resulting in large crops.

Well drilling in pre-biblical times and in Egypt

The first mention of aquifers is in the Bible. Exodus 17:1-6 says that during the passage of the people of Israel from Egypt, Moses turned to God to give water to his people in the wilderness. Moses struck the rock with the rod in the place indicated by the Lord, and the source was clogged. In this case, artesian waters were close to the surface.

Wells for water are known in Egypt, according to the artifacts found, it was possible to determine their age - it was at least 5000 years old. Some of the wells even have an inscription with the date of construction. In Egypt, rough stone chisels were used for drilling, which were attached to a wooden pole.

Somewhat later, in ancient Jerusalem, wells became an integral part of urban life. The city had a Gihon spring behind fortified walls. Water was collected in a pool, around which powerful walls also rose. Also in Israel, in the city of David, the Warren Mine became famous, according to some opinions related to the water supply system. Several mines led to Gihon. It is believed that the city existed as early as the 12th century BC, at the same time, work was carried out to drill the source.

Sources of water in the ancient world

AT ancient world also drilled springs. The wells were found in the area of the city of Syracuse, which was located on the territory of Ancient Sicily. Moreover, the sources in Ancient Greece were broken through on the territory of the estates of wealthy citizens. True, these wells were shallow and did not exceed 3 m, that is, with its help, groundwater was raised, and the well was drilled using an auger. The auger is a vertical screw conveyor. Nowadays, it is also used for drilling shallow wells.

Recall that Archimedes once lived in Syracuse, who created a special device for raising sea water to aqueducts, resembling a modern pump in design. But a discovery was made, which allows us to assert that wells were drilled by augers in Greece 100 years before the birth of Archimedes. Thanks to such inventions, water supply and sewerage were made in cities. In Rome, the canal of the Cloaca Maximus, which was built in the 5th century BC, is still in working condition. like a sewer. Today it is used for storm sewers.

Excerpts from the History of Drilling in Ancient China

The greatest perfection was achieved by technology in ancient China. In the 7th century BC, according to Confucius, wells were drilled over 512 m. The drilling technology is fully described in ancient manuscripts. To destroy the rock, chisels made of metal and attached to long bamboo poles were used. The drill was raised to a height with the help of ropes and dropped into the well. The crushed rock was mixed with water and scooped out of the well. This method was invented by the Chinese engineer Li Peng. Nowadays, this method is also used in an improved form and is called the shock-rope method of drilling wells.

First wells in Europe

The first known European well is dated 1125. Its depth was 121 m. It is located in the province of Pas de Cayes (France). In 1818, a special well drilling fund was organized in France due to mass demand. In 1833, the first well was drilled in Paris, in 1839 its depth already reached 493 m, in 1841 - 549 m. At this level near Paris there is an aquifer, and a fountain with a height of 34 m gushed from the well.

First wells in Russia

In Russia, wells were drilled primarily for the extraction of brine. It must be said that water wells were used for their intended purpose for a relatively short time. The drilling method began to be used for mineral exploration.

The first wells for water consumption were drilled in the 15th century in the Kremlin, in 1654 on the territory of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra and in Belozero. Wells for the extraction of salt were especially relevant, such salt pans were mentioned in 1136 in the charter of Prince Svyatoslav.

By the 17th century, Russia even had its own handwritten drilling textbook “Painting on how to start making a new pipe in a new place.” Centuries-old experience of Russian drillers was collected in this set of rules. The collection gave recommendations on sampling soil, brines and ways to eliminate accidents. There is also information about the rules for the manufacture of drills and drilling technology. 128 terms are given, where there is not a single borrowed one. On average, wells of 89 sazhens (about 88 meters) were practiced, which corresponds to a sandy horizon.
The names of legendary Russian drilling engineers such as Kirill Arnold, Veniamin Kayakanogov, Georgy Timofeev can also be noted. Over time, steam engines and engines began to be used for drilling. Already in the 19th century, a large number of wells were drilled in Russia.

Modern well drilling

It can be considered from the beginning of the 19th century that the modern history of drilling water-bearing wells began. Technologies have evolved, the capabilities of drillers have grown significantly, and the cost of drilling has also decreased.
At the beginning of the 20th century, drilling rigs were purely mechanical systems: a column, differential-screw, chain or lever systems for axial force. Over time, the installations were equipped with a hydraulic feed, as well as a system that made it possible to achieve smooth rotation. Drilling rigs were equipped with a diesel-hydroelectric drive, and subsequently with electronic control.

The history of water well drilling is associated with the following inventions:

with the invention of the cone bit in the USA (1909);
with the creation of drill bits with reinforcing incisors (after 1920);
using small diamond crowns and chisels (after 1940);

It must be said that only technologies have been improved, the very principle of drilling has practically not changed since antiquity. In addition, at present, water well drilling has gradually faded into the background, drilling is used for mining, and the average well depth is 2-3 km. In the history of Russia there is a case of ultra-deep drilling, its depth in 1992 was over 12 km.

With the improvement of technology, the nature of well completion also changed. To protect against freezing and destruction by groundwater, the hole is completed with waterproof caissons that form waterproof chambers. Caissons are mainly used for water wells. Dimensions of caissons: diameter - 1 meter, height - 2 meters. In caissons, water well equipment is usually placed if it is necessary to save space in the house.

In the days of Ancient Rome, water flowed through the system by gravity; in the 13th century, such a water supply system appeared in Paris and London. Even in Novgorod, a gravity water pipe made of wood was found. In Georgia, water was supplied through pottery pipes. This aqueduct was built in the 13th century. In 1630, the first well with a water tower on lead pipes was built in the Kremlin - installations that are still in use today.

Now the walls of the well can be fixed with a number of materials available at the time of drilling - cast iron, reinforced concrete, asbestos-cement, reinforced concrete, galvanized pipes. Plastic pipes have been used since the 1930s. Polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride pipes were used. These types of labor tolerate high and low temperatures. Modern pipes combine the properties of polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride. The service life of modern pipes is at least 50 years. These pipes "deliver" water literally in its original state, without changing the chemical composition. An integral part of the well will be a water intake pump. Pumps vary in application, there are more expensive and less expensive versions that will help you "get" in the right budget. In general, a professional company will offer you several options for completing pumps, which will differ in parameters and cost.

Is drilling a well worth it?

Many people wonder if it is worth drilling a well? Definitely worth it. You will provide yourself with incomparably pure water. Wells are divided into several types: wells for raising groundwater, wells for sand horizon, wells for aquifer. The most useful and clean water will be given to you by the latter, but even an average well of 90 m can guarantee you good and fresh water. How is it different from groundwater? Water repeatedly passes through the thickness of the sand and is purified. Even a well guarantees you the pleasure of fresh water, which has more recuperative energy.

The most difficult will be to drill an artesian well. Such water in most cases is not used for domestic needs. Usually water is extracted from such wells for the purpose of its subsequent sale. The well is drilled to limestone rocks, the water from it is a fountain. It is formed because water is under hydraulic pressure in the thickness of limestone. Today, despite the high cost, artesian wells have become the most popular way of autonomous water supply. Groundwater does not require purification and disinfection.

The main advantage of such a well is its incomparably high water yield. On average, a well without repair will serve you for at least 30 years, but this is on condition that it will be drilled by professionals.

Recall that artesian water is available only in artesian basins, the geographical location of which can be clarified at any geodetic bureau. If drilling is necessary, try to choose a company that has a large and its own mobile drilling rigs, then you will be insured against operating troubles.

Whatever the budget for autonomous water supply, be sure to consider different drilling options. With a well, you will always be provided with clean spring water.

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