About Merlin ERD

Merlin ERD Ltd, based in Central Scotland, specialises in all aspects of High Angle, Complex and Extended Reach Drilling Engineering.

As an independent, professional engineering consultancy to the oil and gas industry, we work internationally from the North Sea to West Africa and Australasia.

The aim of ERD are either to reach a larger area from one surface drilling location, or to keep a well for a longer distance in a reservoir in order to maximise its productivity and drainage capability.

The challenges in ERD are in cleaning of the hole and managing of the significant torsion in the drill string as well as any buckling of drill string or casing that is caused by the well geometry and length. It therefore uses special equipment. What exactly determines a well to be "extended reach" various over time and location with the development of technologies and of experiences.

In 1981, a horizontal outstep of 5000 feet from the surface location was considered "extended reach", whilst in recent years over 40,000 feet outstep are achieved.