An Introduction to Geotechnical Tools

editor — Sat, 27 Oct 2012 00:01:41 +0000

Geological engineering and the oil exploration and mining industries are extremely complicated and technological industries, and as such they require specific geotechnical tools which combine state-of-the-art technology with rugged performance. The right geotechnical tools can greatly improve the user’s ability to predict the nature of the exploration, as well as speed up the process of production – all of which increases the efficiency of the project and the cost effectiveness of the company.

The main kinds of geotechnical tools that are used in the field are those which are used to collect data, including gamma ray technologies, x-ray diffraction, tools to measure while drilling, and ‘wireline’ tools. Once the field work has been completed, the relevant results are taken back to the office and usually plotted using highly advanced three-dimensional plotting software.

Wireline tools have been used in the oil exploration industry for many years. These tools allow the user to measure various properties of rock layers, including how porous they are, how permeable they are and other mechanical properties. These tools are usually used around a borehole, and when seismic tools combine with ultrasonic borehole imagers, the result can be high-resolution images which show a lot of information about the rock layers in the borehole.

On the other hand, at other times it will be necessary to have a visual identification of the various kinds of rock formations during drilling. For this purpose, gamma ray measurements are the ideal method. By using the correct tools, gamma counts can be measured. These counts are then plotted against depth, and the resulting graph will show many different features of the underground rock layers. Geotechnical experts can then study the resulting cross sections of the rock formations, and can then adjust the planned drilling path to allow for the greatest level of precision.

Ready to go ahead with your new resource drilling project with Resource Drilling Services? If you’re geared up to get started, all you need to do is get in contact with us at Resource Drilling Services and arrange a call. Just phone us on (618) 9440 5056 or email us by clicking on our Resource Drilling Services Contact Us page. We’re looking forward to speaking with you!

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Air Core Drilling – a Special Kind of Reverse Circulation Drilling

editor — Sun, 07 Oct 2012 15:28:23 +0000

Air Core Drilling is a specialized Reverse Circulation (RC) drill used to collect solid rock cores from soft, easily broken material or unconsolidated ground. Air Core Drilling is often employed in soft clay materials which frequently bind other RC drill bits. Utilizing three hardened steel or tungsten blades set around the bit head, Air Core Drilling employs a compressed air tube in the outer rod barrel. The compressed air blows the cuttings back to the surface, where they are gathered into an inner tube and passed upwards to the surface for collection if desired.

Air Core Drilling can extend up to 300 meters under ideal conditions, utilising the addition of rods to the drill string as depth is achieved. The collection of core samples using Air Core Drilling is often considered preferable because the cores suffer much less contamination when gathered via compressed air techniques; other RC or Rotary Air Blast (RAB) drilling techniques have the cuttings pass to the surface between the drill rod and the walls of the hole, inviting other materials to mingle with the sample.

Air Core Drilling is generally considered to be a much faster process than RAB drilling because the cuttings are automatically passed through a tube into a receptacle rather than spilled onto the surface after being blasted upwards by compressed air, where they then must be gathered into a tray either by hand or by machinery. RAB also has the disadvantage when compared to Air Core Drilling because the air pressure must be regulated carefully to ensure that the cuttings are not blasted into the air and scattered. The cuttings retrieved from Air Core Drilling also do not need to be separated from contaminants as they do in RAB drilling. However, Air Core Drilling is not practical when dealing with hardened rock and should be restricted to regolith and unconsolidated ground.

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