Drilling through more conventional formations (oil or gas) that didn't need fracking. Particularly on formations with large, flat layers it could greatly reduc

Drilling through more conventional formations (oil or gas) that didn't need fracking. Particularly on formations with large, flat layers it could greatly reduce the number of wells needed, vs. vertical drilling. It's also very useful for offshore drilling. Measurement-while-drilling (where instruments in the drill string sense the surrounding formation, allowing it to follow ups and downs in the layers) is quite a technical accomplishment. Think about the problem of getting data back to the surface.