# Horizontal Drilling

**Source:** Buckhead Energy Oil & Gas Encyclopedia (https://www.buckheadenergy.com/learn) — canonical: https://www.buckheadenergy.com/horizontal-drilling

Horizontal drilling is the technique of drilling a well vertically to a target depth and then steering the wellbore sideways to run a long horizontal section — the lateral — through the producing formation, which exposes far more of the reservoir to a single well, enabled shale development, and is the reason modern drilling units are large and often span many owners' tracts.

## Turning the well sideways
A traditional well goes straight down and produces from wherever it intersects the reservoir. A horizontal well drills down to the target formation and then curves and runs sideways, keeping the wellbore inside the producing rock for thousands of feet — the lateral. Instead of piercing the reservoir at one point, it travels along it, exposing vastly more rock to a single well.
Combined with hydraulic fracturing (stimulating the rock along the lateral), horizontal drilling is what unlocked the shale revolution — making formations that were uneconomic with vertical wells into major producers.

## Why units got big
A long lateral drains a long, wide swath of reservoir, so the acreage assigned to a horizontal well — its drilling and spacing unit — is much larger than a vertical well's. Where a vertical well might have had a 40- or 160-acre unit, a horizontal well often has a 640-acre (one-section) unit or larger, and multiple horizontals are drilled from a single pad.
That is why, in modern plays, your minerals almost always share in a large unit alongside many other owners, and your check reflects your fraction of that whole unit rather than a single nearby well.

## Laterals that cross tracts and leases
Long laterals frequently run across more than one tract or lease. Operators handle this with pooled units and, in some states (notably Texas), allocation and production-sharing wells that assign a lateral's production among the tracts it crosses by a formula, usually based on lateral length under each.
For an owner, this means your share of a horizontal well can depend on how much of the lateral lies under your acreage — a different calculation than a simple spacing unit, and one worth understanding when a long horizontal is drilled through your section.

## What it means for value
Horizontal drilling reshaped mineral value. A single section can now support multiple horizontal wells across stacked or spaced targets, multiplying the production potential of the same acreage — which is a big part of the undeveloped upside a buyer weighs. It also means development comes in large, capital-intensive projects, so timing and operator plans matter.
Buckhead Energy accounts for horizontal development potential — remaining well locations, lateral length, and unit configuration — when valuing minerals in modern plays. This page is educational information, not financial advice.

## Frequently asked questions

**What is horizontal drilling?**
Drilling a well vertically to the target formation and then steering it sideways to run a long horizontal section — the lateral — through the producing rock. It exposes far more reservoir to one well and, with hydraulic fracturing, enabled shale development.

**Why are modern drilling units so large?**
Because a long horizontal lateral drains a long, wide swath of reservoir, so the unit assigned to it is much bigger than a vertical well's — often a 640-acre section or larger. Your minerals share in that whole unit alongside many other owners.

**What happens when a horizontal well crosses my tract and others?**
Operators use pooled units and, in some states like Texas, allocation or production-sharing wells that assign the lateral's production among the tracts it crosses by a formula, usually based on how much lateral length lies under each tract. Your share can depend on that length.

**How does horizontal drilling affect what my minerals are worth?**
It reshaped value — a single section can support multiple horizontal wells across stacked or spaced targets, multiplying the production potential of the same acreage. That undeveloped upside, along with lateral length and unit configuration, is central to a modern valuation.

**Does horizontal drilling change my royalty share?**
It changes how your share is calculated. Instead of one nearby vertical well, you receive your fraction of a large unit, and for laterals crossing multiple tracts, an allocation formula based on lateral length may apply. The royalty rate itself comes from your lease.

## Related terms
- [Drilling and Spacing Units](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/drilling-and-spacing-unit)
- [Allocation & Production-Sharing Wells](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/allocation-and-production-sharing-wells)
- [Unconventional Oil and Gas](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/unconventional-oil-and-gas)
- [Oil and Gas Production](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/oil-and-gas-production)
- [Oil & Gas Encyclopedia — all terms](https://www.buckheadenergy.com/learn)

_Educational information only, not legal or tax advice. Buckhead Energy is a direct buyer of oil & gas mineral and royalty interests._