Drills have different mining functions, from providing geologists with different samples of soil for analysis to facilitating the extraction of precious minerals that would otherwise be difficult to reach.
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As the mining industry advances and more excavating opportunities present themselves, the number of drilling methods increases. Whether it is for exploration, production, land-clearing or geotechnical purposes, there are drilling methods that serve every mining purpose.
Auger drilling is the simplest form of drilling. It involves the manual rotation of a helical screw into the ground, usually by two people although auger drills can also be mounted to small vehicles. Once the auger drill is deep enough, the earth is lifted up by the blade of the screw. This kind of drill specializes as an initial geochemical reconnaissance technique, which means it is used in softer soil to find the optimal place to mount a larger drill.
Rotary air blasting is the most common shallow drilling method, in which a piston-driven hammer-like object drives the drill bit into the rock, fragmenting the hard surface into chips that are then lifted to the surface via compressed air. This method is ideal for drilling multiple holes in a short period of time, and less ideal for producing geological samples because the airblasting process can compromise the quality of the rock.
Aircore drilling involves a three-bladed drill bit with a hollow drill rod in order to penetrate loose soil and rock fragments. After the drilling is complete, compressed air is blasted through the drill rod in order to bring the cuttings to the surface. While this method is typically slower than rotary air blasting, it is more precise, meaning that the samples collected are less prone to contamination.
Reverse circulation is a popular method for mining exploration that shares similarities with both rotary air blasting and aircore drilling. The same piston-driven hammer is used to drive the drill bit into the rock, however, the larger rigs and machinery associated with reverse circulation drilling allow for the drill bit to be driven even further into the earth. Compressed air is then used to drive the fragmented earth to the surface. This method is ideal for geological exploration, as it produces contaminant-free samples and requires less handling, resulting in cost reduction and faster turnaround times.
Diamond core drilling is the most expensive drilling method, as it involves using a drill bit that has been fortified with industrial diamonds attached to hollow drill rods to extract a continuous cylinder of rock from several kilometers below the earth. However, this method also produces the most accurate rock samples as the entire core of a mineral can be brought to the surface as opposed to mere fragments, making it ideal for procuring records on their strength, composition, porosity, etc.
Blast hole drilling is a method of drilling used to clear out large amounts of the earth and make the minerals below easier to access. It involves the drilling of holes into the earth. Explosive charges are then placed into each hole and detonated. After the explosion, the broken material is cleared and, if the drilling and blasting occurred underground, the tunnels created by the explosion are fortified to allow for safe human entry. Alternatively to explosives, gas pressure blasting pyrotechnics can also be used to displace the rock for excavation.
As mining operations have become more sophisticated with the passage of time, new kinds of drill rigs have emerged to meet the demand of mining companies. Nowadays, various mining drills utilise different features to complete different kinds of mining tasks while being both manually operated and remotely automated. These rigs are available in various shapes and sizes, functioning in confined spaces as well as large quarries. As a result, there is a wide array of surface mining drill rigs available for many different kinds of operations.
Top hammer drill rigs are equipped with powerful hydraulic drills as well as a hammer. The hammer strikes the drill rod, creating a percussive force that travels to the drill bit and displaces the rocks, leaving them susceptible to pressurized air or water. This kind of rig is renowned for its reliability in the toughest conditions, as well as its fuel economy and low operating costs. When partnered with the drill and blast method, this drill rig makes the excavation process efficient.
The purpose of a down-the-hole drill rig is to drill large-diameter holes downwards, consisting of a jackhammer screwed to the bottom of a drill string. Like other drill rigs, the DTH breaks up the rock so it can be flushed out using air or water. This particular rig specializes in high-capacity rock drilling in quarries, opencast mines, and rock excavation projects.
The dimensional stone drill rig has a more esoteric function that its other drill rig counterparts, in that its purpose is to drill precise holes in the ground in order to excavate for natural rock such as granite, limestone, marble, or sandstone so that it can be extracted and fashioned into blocks for construction. This rig is designed to drill precise holes safely and efficiently.
Rotary blasthole drill rigs drill into the earth in order to create holes that can then be filled with explosives that clear large sections of rock for subsequent mining operations. Rotary blasthole drill rigs are renowned for their precision and depth, boosting productivity by making the process of blast hole drilling easier and more cost-effective. In addition to the range of surface mining drill rigs, there is also a wide variety of underground drill rigs available that meet the stricter safety and logistical requirements that underground mining entails.
Development drill rigs are mining vehicles that drill holes into the surface of a coalbed that explosives can be inserted into and detonated. These vehicles are modular, meaning they can be disassembled, transported, and reassembled with ease. They can also be used for small-scale mine development and large-scale tunneling.
Tunneling jumbos are versatile modular electro-hydraulic excavation machines that can be used for both fast face drilling and mechanized longhole drilling and bolting. Jumbos operate as stationary work stations that an operator safely conducts mining operations from, consisting of one, two or three drock drill carriages, ensuring high productivity and reliability. They are used specifically for underground drilling and blasting jobs, however, they can also be used in tunneling if the hardness of the surrounding rocks prevents the use of tunneling machines.
Top hammer longhole drill rigs are ideal for mining operations where the highest priority is ore recovery and minimizing the contamination of rock fragments. Like its surface mining counterpart, this drill contains a piston-powered hammer that impacts the drill in order to shatter the rock before using compressed air to disperse the debris.
Rock support drill rigs are engineered to install rock bolts that stabilize the rock face by transferring the load from an unstable mine exterior to the confined (and therefore stronger) interior of the rock mass. These rigs ensure the safety of underground drilling and blasting by securing the rock mass and stopping it from caving in.
In-The-Hole longhole drill rigs are mounted on tracked or articulated carriers in order to be transported into a mine where it uses extension rods to drill holes and extract ore with the aid of an ITH hammer similar to that of the top hammer drill rig. Additionally, the ITH longhole drill rig also flushes out debris with pressurized water. These rigs are designed with mobility and accuracy in mind.
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Low profile drill rigs are mining drills that are built at a low elevation so they can enter more confined spaces that regular drills cannot due to their size. They are ideal for development, rock support, and production drilling in tabular ore bodies such as platinum and chrome mines. These drills come in single and double boom variants, meaning that their specialization for spaces with low heights does not sacrifice their ability to reach higher spaces if the need be.
Narrow vein drill rigs are similar to low profile drill rigs, in that they are designed to venture into and extract ore from confined spaces. However narrow vein drill rigs are designed less to accommodate height challenges and more for the general navigation of geologically complex mine spaces with widths less than 3-6m. Narrow vein deposits contain large amounts of gold, tin, copper, lead, and zinc that narrow vein drill rigs allow us to access and utilize.
Secondary breaking drill rigs are compact support drills that increase drawpoint availability in narrow vein mines and back caving operations by breaking oversized boulders that are causing blockages. These drills eliminate the need for explosives, which in turn eliminates the need for time-consuming ventilation and evacuation measures while promoting a safer mining environment. These small drill rigs are available in the form of jumbos, longhole rigs, and drill-charge and drill-split breaking units.
Oil and gas exploration use several drilling methods and platforms based on the formations, geographic location, soil type and other factors. Here are five of the most common drilling methods used in extracting oil and gas:
Percussion drilling, a commonly used manual drilling technique, employs a hammering bit attached to a long cable lowered into a wide-open hole. The technique is also known as cable drilling, wherein the driller uses a tripod to support the tools. Going back and forth with the bit loosens the soil in the borehole, which is then extracted with a bailer. At intervals, the operator removes the bit while the cuttings are suspended in water, which is then pumped to the surface and removed. A steel casing helps prevent the hole from collapsing down temporarily and also to safeguard groundwater against contamination. Drillers remove the temporary setting after a permanent screen and casing are installed.
This type of drilling is perfect for unconsolidated and consolidated formations including sand, silt, sandstone and even gravel. Manual percussion can reach depths of about 25 meters.
Companies often deploy rotary drilling techniques, especially for exploratory and production wells that can boast of depths that exceed 5 miles below the ground.
In this method, lightweight drills are used to drill low-depth wells on land. Rotary mobile and floating drills of various sizes are then used for drilling exploration wells. The equipment mounts on a platform with a 40-meter-high derrick. The setup consists of a rotary table, a handy engine, mud mixer and an efficient injector pump. It also includes a winch and 27-meter-long pipe sections. The rotary table directs the square kelly, which connects to the drilling pipe. The mud swivel on the pipe subsequently connects to blowout preventers. The pipe rotates at a velocity of 40 to 250 rpm with the drill made of drag bits, sharp cutting edges or rolling cutters with strong teeth.
Fluid circulation that gets inside the pipe removes the cuttings. Air-based fluids have faster penetration rates than water-based ones. A drag bit is useful in this scenario to penetrate unconsolidated sediments, while the roller bit can drill through consolidated rock. The overall rotation speed of the drill can be increased or decreased depending on the hardness of formation material.
Dual-wall reverse-circulation, itself a type of rotary drilling, involves two concentric drill pipes creating a controlled flow. Drilling fluid pumps through an outer swivel to reach the bottom of the bit and then ricochets upward into the main pipe. All cuttings are carried upward through an internal pipe with the help of the surface swivel. The method allows for geologic sample collection, with samples usually delivered through the cyclone created at the surface. The method is compatible with both rotary drilling and percussion drilling methods. The fluids circulate within a controlled space and all cuttings can be recovered any time.
The method is applicable for all types of geologic formations and does not require surface casing, too.
Good sample recovery is one of the main strengths of this method. The method also allows for fast penetration in alluvial or fissured rock. Also, it does help in delivering an accurate estimate of aquifer yield from the depths of the formation.
In this method, rotary tables, winches and the like are driven by electric motors, thus leading to better flexibility in operations (along with the potential for remote-controlled drilling). These drills are newer methods of oil and gas exploration. They provide more direct power to the drill bit by connecting the motor above the bit, below the hole.
The electro-drilling system has proven successful in complex geological conditions that demand the use of weighted mud or mud mixtures. Electro-drilling has made its presence felt in various places including Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan and Ukraine, which are keen to implement electro-drilling widely to boost savings in energy and material usage.
Combining the advantages of rotary and hydraulic-motor methods, this method involves a big range of drill-bit rotational speeds. This method can also use different borehole cleaning agents. One can even implement controlled drilling of deviated boreholes with this method.
Directional drilling is actually an extension of the rotary drilling technique. Operators guide the drill on a curved path with the deepening of the hole. Directional drilling can help oil explorers reach deposits that cannot be extracted by vertical drilling. This method saves drilling companies money, since several wells can kick off from a single platform. This also allows one to tap into undersea reservoirs, by using computers to guide the automatic drilling machines, without connecting and disconnecting sections.
Some other drilling methods include abrasive drilling that makes use of an abrasive material for driving pressure to cut through the substrata, and explosive drilling and flame piercing, two more methods that are used in some drilling scenarios.
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