Calculators
Drilling Cost per Foot Calculator
Calculate drilling cost per foot from bit cost, rig cost per hour, rotating time, trip time and footage drilled.
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- Nothing uploaded
The tool
Enter your numbers below. Results update as you type, and nothing leaves your browser.
Everything you enter stays on your own machine. Nothing is sent to us or to anyone else, which you can confirm in your browser network tab.
What people use it for
- Bit selection
- Drilling performance reviews
- AFE cost estimates
- Petroleum engineering coursework
About this tool
What the Drilling Cost per Foot Calculator does
The standard drilling cost per foot formula combines the bit cost with the rig’s hourly cost over the rotating and trip time for a bit run, divided by footage drilled. Comparing bit runs on cost per foot, rather than speed alone, shows which bit and parameters are most economical.
Formula
- Cost per foot = (bit cost + rig cost per hour × (rotating hours + trip hours)) ÷ footage
- Rate of penetration = footage ÷ rotating hours
Worked example
Using the starting values in the calculator above:
| Input | Value |
|---|---|
| Bit cost | $18,000 |
| Rig operating cost per hour | $1,500 |
| Rotating hours | 40 |
| Trip time | 10 hours |
| Footage drilled | 3,200 ft |
| Result | Value |
|---|---|
| Cost per foot | $29.06 |
| Rate of penetration | 80.0 |
| Bit run cost | $93,000 |
| Cost per metre | $95.35 |
How to read the result
A more expensive bit that drills further between trips often gives a lower cost per foot, because trip time is costly.
Compare bits in the same formation and depth interval for a fair comparison.
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Questions
Questions about this tool
The things clients actually want to know — costs, timelines, ownership and what happens after launch.
Add the bit cost to the rig cost for rotating and trip time, then divide by footage drilled.
Rate of penetration: feet drilled per rotating hour.
The rig is paid while tripping pipe to change bits, so it is part of the bit run cost.
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