Ausam Energy Corporation (Ausam Energy) will conduct its drilling using an improved and more enviromentally sound technology known as Underbalanced Drilling.
Underbalanced drilling is a drilling method which reduces the hydrostatic pressure of the drilling fluid column so that the wellbore pressure is less than the pressure of the formation. The use of underbalanced drilling methods is improving production rates and the ultimate recovery of oil and gas reserves in many of the areas where hydrocarbon reservoirs are being found today, including North America, the North Sea, the Middle East, and Indonesia.
The reduced environmental footprint comes from the notion that since conventional drilling fluids are not used, there is a reduced environmental impact and less potentially hazardous drilling fluids for disposal. Closed looped systems produce less wasted drilling fluids. Also, underbalanced drilling can also eliminate extended well cleanups by avoiding production facility upsets caused by drilling fluid production.