Some 35 years ago I was somewhat precariously balanced in a drilling
derrick aligning a whipstock into a directional hole in North Holland by
the Stokenbury method, and no doubt thinking to myself that I was at the
very forefront of technology. During the intervening period it has
become obvious to many of us that some of the most significant technical
advances in the oil business have been made in drilling, and
particularly in the fields of offshore and directional drilling. It has
also become apparent that the quality of the technical literature
describing these advances has not kept pace with that of the advances
themselves in many instances. A particular glaring example of this has
been in the field of directional drilling where a large literature gap
has existed for many years. I am delighted to see this gap now filled
with the present volume by my friend Tom Inglis. Indeed it is only after
reading his comprehensive book that I realise the extent of my own
ignorance of the latest techniques of directional drilling and how
desirable it was to have an authoritative text on the subject. I feel
sure that this volume will be welcomed by the industry and warmly
recommend it to all who are in any way involved and interested in the
fascinating world of drilling.