Choosing The Right Drilling Rig Does and Donts

Many jobs require drilling. There comes a time in every driller&#;s life when a new rig has to be bought. If you are in the market for one and are looking for information that can help with making the right purchasing decision then you have landed at the right place. Read on to determine some of the essentials when it comes to choosing the right rig for your objectives.

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A few types of drilling example:

• Pile Drilling: To support a building on unstable ground
• Micropile Drilling: To reinforce existing structures
• Drilling Wells and Oil Rig: To access groundwater or oil
• Geothermal Drilling: To access and extract the Earth&#;s heat
• Blast Hole Drilling: For quarries
• Continuous Flight Augering: Maintains the walls of the borehole with the drill cuttings that are driven by the auger.

Let us start with the basics. So, what is a Drilling Rig? &#; It is a type of construction equipment used to make holes in the earth&#;s surface. There are many variations of drilling rigs that vary considerably in size: they can be massive structures or light enough ones which can be moved manually by a single person.
Drilling rigs can take samples from mineral deposits and are capable of testing the physical properties of rocks, soil and groundwater as well. Additionally, they can also be used for underground installations: tunnels, shafts or pipes. Having said that, choosing the right rig doesn&#;t really have to be a daunting task. You just have to make sure exactly what you intend to use it for and what kind of terrain it will be used on.

The Do&#;s:

• Always make sure to choose the rig according to the terrain you are going to be working on.
• Inspect the rig thoroughly before purchase. Check to ensure it meets with all the quality standards and has sufficient drilling fluid to avoid any accidents or mishaps
• Proper maintenance is the key to the long life of your rig. Do make sure to maintain it on a regular basis to avoid any breakdowns
  Safety, reliability and ease of use are also important elements to consider before purchase
• Make sure the drilling contractor you are dealing with promises the rig to be delivered on time without any delays and has great after-sales service. This is vital in case of any breakdowns
• Be wary of the speed & power of the drilling rig. This can help save a lot of time for your workers during the drilling process and increase efficiency
• Ascertain the drilling contractor you are about to place the drilling rig order with has a global presence and has happy client testimonials. This gives off a sense of credibility and trust in the market

The Don&#;ts:

• Improper Maintenance &#; Failing to maintain a drilling rig can cause serious damage to the equipment. It could also cause the drill rod to stop functioning which may cause injury or death to the rig operator. Other factors include, leaks in the hydraulic or fluid pump systems can cause shortages or cause the machinery to seize up while working and cause costly project delays
• Do not be hasty in your decision and succumb to high pressure. Always take the time out to research and see which contractor offers the best solution to your business needs
• Do not purchase a used drilling rig. No matter how tempting it may be due to factors such as low price, short delivery time, local contractors, etc, as it may not be future proof and there will be a high chance of a breakdown
• Drilling Industries are sanctioned to have their own auxiliaries such as drilling bit, drilling pipe, drill string, etc to help support the drilling process adding further enhancements. But the quality of these supporting equipments may not always be up to the mark.
• Therefore, it is imperative that a thorough inspection of these products be done before hand, if you are planning to buy it from your contractor itself
• No proper research &#; Factors such as size, capabilities and shipping considerations all need to be taken into account when thinking about how much your business or organization is able to commit to

Did you know?

There are two main types of drilling rigs: autonomous crawlers and truck or trailer-mounted.
Crawlers are used when you need to move at a low speed over unlevel areas or on very loose grounds. The truck or trailer-mounter drilling rigs are comparatively cheaper than crawler drilling rigs but they are not free in terms of movement or their energy source which may come from the transport truck or an independent generator.

Bonus Tips

To avoid any injury at the workplace, be sure that the workers are geared with proper protection equipments before the commencement of any drilling operations.
When it comes to the oil and gas industries, the biggest concern surrounding this will involve fire, particularly oil companies. There will never be a shortage of flammable substances on-site at an oil rig, with explosions and spreading fires being a common threat. If you are familiar with the Piper Alpha disaster of then you would be aware that it&#;s essential that all pipes and installations throughout the rig are entirely secure and sound for the oil workers.

Drilling type Soil type Comments

Rotary drilling

Soft rock Significant depths up to 5,000 meters
Possibility of inclined or horizontal drilling Down-the-hole drilling Hard and cracked rock (limestone, granite, etc.) Depth up to 4,000 meters Top hammer drilling Consolidated land Small diameter (150 mm maximum), shallow depth
Able to do inclined drilling Auger drilling Clay, clayey sand, gravel Depth of a few dozen meters

Core drilling

All soil types Drilling for soil analysis
Able to do inclined drilling Percussion drilling Hard rock: sandstone, limestone, shale Depth up to 100 meters Pipe Jacking Clay, clayey sand, gravel Installation of horizontal or vertical pipes

 

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Rotary drilling: This type of drilling digs a hole by grinding the rock with a tool under the effect of weight and rotation. It is mainly used in oil production. The cuttings are brought to the surface under the pressure of a drilling fluid that is injected into the drill string. Drilling fluid also helps consolidate the walls of the borehole, so it is not necessary to case it as the operation progresses.

Down-the-hole drilling (rotary percussion drilling or rotary hammer drilling): this type of drilling uses drilling rigs that drill with a rotary cutter (drill head) and hammer the bottom of the hole with a pneumatic hammer. The excavated material rises to the surface under the pressure of the compressed air used for the hammer. These drilling rigs are powerful and have high drilling rates, especially in rock. For artesian wells (wells where water naturally rises to the surface under groundwater pressure) or geothermal drilling, an air injection at the end of the drill pipe pushes the water up the borehole, allowing the operator to immediately determine the water flow encountered. This type of drilling is used for hard and cracked ground up to 4,000 meters deep. When the drilling bit is eccentric, the drilling can be done with a casing advancement system (installation of tubes by gravity) which reinforces the hole as the drilling progresses.

Top hammer drilling: this type of drilling uses drilling rigs that also operate on a percussion system, but one that remains outside the borehole. They are mainly used for small diameter drilling, for example for mineral exploration or the installation of tie rods in rock. This system is used for shallow boreholes, as there can be significant deviation due to the structure of the ground drilled through. These drilling rigs can operate in any direction however.

Auger boring: This is a type of rotary drilling using a worm screw (the auger). This type of drilling is mainly used for unconsolidated clay or sand terrain. The excavated material is directly brought to the surface by the worm screw. For deep drilling, it may be necessary to regularly raise the auger to empty it of its excavated material.

Core drilling: Core drilling is similar to rotary drilling, but it uses a crown to extract a sample, called a core, inside the tool.

Percussion drilling: consists in breaking the rock by dropping a tool, the drill bit, by gravity. This type of drilling can only be used vertically. To prevent the borehole from collapsing, it is necessary to case it as it is drilled. The cuttings are reassembled as soon as they interfere with drilling by replacing the drill bit with a flap valve bailer. The flap valve bailer is a type of tube equipped with a tilting flap in the lower part. This tilting flap allows the tube to be filled with excavated material which is then transported to the surface.

Pipe jacking: is mainly used to install horizontal pipes. The tube is pushed progressively by percussion, the excavated material being removed at the end of the drilling operation either by water injection or with an auger. This technique is used in particular to avoid transmitting vibrations to the surrounding buildings or to avoid digging a trench.

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