The horizontal well industry has come a long way since its inception in the late 1980s.
Commonly used well materials for horizontal wells include high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), steel and stainless steel. Well materials for horizontal wells must be flexible to withstand stresses during installation through the curved section of the borehole, and must be strong enough to withstand either tensile or compressive stresses induced during installation. These strength requirements are different from those for vertical well materials.