Exploratory Drilling

Dheeraj Kumar

Soil Exploration

Failing Truck Mounted Rig All-Terrain Rig

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 Soil Exploration

Wireline Rig

Water Boring from Barge

for Bridge Crossing

Soil Exploration

Track Rig

Track Mounted Rig

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 Drilling & Sampling of Soil & Rock
z Objectives:
z Recognize various drilling techniques
z Be familiar with undisturbed vs. disturbed
sampling methods
z List rock exploration methods
z Familiarity with core bits & barrels
z Observations to be made during drilling, including
Rock Quality Designation (RQD).
z Appreciate role of geologic mapping in obtaining
information on rock masses.

Soil & Rock Drilling

z Soil Exploration
z Advancing a Boring/Borehole
z Sampling (Drive, Undisturbed)
z Transport of Samples to Laboratory

z Rock Exploration
z Rock Coring and Non-coring Techniques
z Logging of Rock Core (CR and RQD)

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 Selection of Drilling methods

z Depth of drilling: all drilling methods have certain

limitations;
limitations;
z Sample recovery: type of samples desired, i.e. soil,
groundwater, disturbed or undisturbed, frequency of
sampling, yield estimation;
z Target lithology:
lithology: well installation completed in
unconsolidated or consolidated formation.
formation.
z Health and Safety
z Level of contamination
z High yield of formation may produce high pressures;
z Underground fire hazards in gaseous areas

Selection of Drilling methods

z Access and Noise
z Terrain roughness;
z Space and height limitations;
z Municipal noise ordinance
z Disposal of drilling fluids and cuttings
z Contaminated cuttings and groundwater may have
to be handled as hazardous wastes and be
transported to landfill or special waste disposal
facilities.
z Lithology and Aquifer characteristics
z Soil type (sand, clay, boulders)
z Depth to water table
z Depth to bedrock
z Cost

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 Drilling Methods

Methods which do not use circulation

(drilling) fluids
z Displacement boring
z Driven wells
z Solid-stem auger
z Hollow-stem auger
z Sonic drilling

Drilling Methods
Methods which use circulation (drilling) fluids to
carry drill cuttings to the surface
1. Rotary Drilling
z Rotary (direct) Drilling
z Reverse Circulation Rotary Drilling (RC)
z Dual-wall Reverse Circulation Drilling
2. Percussion Drilling
z Cable-tool percussion
z Air percussion down-the-hole hammer
z Air percussion casing hammer
z ODEX percussion down-the-hole hammer

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Drilling Methods