The book starts with optimum drilling practices, which provide the highest rate of penetration (ROP) at minimum footage cost ($/ft). While these factors are commonly acknowledged in the drilling community, they need to be underscored in any drilling text, especially for those entering the science of drilling and production. These fundamental elements of drilling provide the foundation for more detailed analyses throughout the book. Special features of the book are comprehensive presentation of: 1) Drilling hydraulics, 2) Drillstring mechanics including vibration control, 3) Drilling economics, 4) Maintenance and reliability, and 5) Directional drilling including bit navigation, well path monitoring and directional control. Each of these elements are explained through basic engineering mechanics. Discussions are presented with scientific rigor, but in a form easily understood by undergraduate engineering students. This book is suitable as both a university text and as an industry reference guide.

Field operations of drillstrings and marine risers are complex and require the skill of experts with engineering knowledge and experience. The objective of this book is to provide analytical tools to assist in designing and operating these long tubulars. Closed form solutions are emphasized throughout. This book is intended for early-career and advanced engineers and their managers concerned with offshore drilling and petroleum-extraction operations. It will serve as a reference for the practicing engineer as well as a text for short courses designed for continuing education and professional training.