Extended Reach Drilling (ERD)

Extended Reach Drilling (ERD) is a wellbore trajectory where the horizontal departure significantly exceeds the true vertical depth.  Industry standards classify a well as ERD when the ratio of measured horizontal step-out to true vertical depth reaches or surpasses two to one. Operators execute this technique because it allows access to distant geothermal reservoirs from a centralized surface location; therefore, it drastically minimizes the environmental footprint while consolidating rig equipment.