Examples of Various Kinds of

DRILLING RIGS
J. David Rogers

 One of t e earliest diamond drilling ma! ines is t e steam"po#ered rig s o#n ere in $%&'( re!overing !ores for assessment of s allo# !oal deposits in Illinois. From Illinois State Geological Survey

 )rom a*out $%&&( s allo# +dr, *orings- for geote! ni!al exploration utili.ed a /"man !re# #it a simple 0"frame( su! as t at s o#n ere( along #it a gas po#ered engine. 1 is !ould *e set up and *ro2en do#n *, and( in !onfined spa!es.

0"frame rigs
0"frame rigs are still utili.ed #orld #ide for drilling explorator, *orings and advan!ing large diameter !aissons( as t e example s o#n ere. 1 is is an earl, example of a large diameter +*u!2et auger- ex!avation for a dam site in 3ontana

Old S41 Sampler

1 e original S41 sampler #as developed *, t e Go# Division of t e Ra,mond 5on!rete 4ile 5o. in t e late $%6&s It used a $7& l* #eig t dropping /& in! es( using a rope drag line #rapped around a !at ead( s o#n ere 8lo#!ounts are measured in t e field as t e sampler is driven into t e ground

Damage and Distur*an!e

Sampler s oes and eads *e!ome in!reasingl, damaged and deformed # en used in granular materials( li2e !o**les and ro!2 1 is distur*an!e invalidates !omparative measurements( su! as Nspt or 9N$:;&

Smear and selvage

Drive samples s ould *e assumed to *e distur*ed 1 eir perimeter is often !overed #it a selvage of smeared material t at ma, not *e representative of t e a!tual ori.on *eing sampled 1 is selvage of gooe, material s ould *e lig tl, s!rapped to as!ertain # at t e sample interval a!tuall, re!overed

 Samples of cohesionless materials( su! as !oarse sand 9s o#n ere:( ma, not *e re!overa*le as neat !,linders of !o erent material< esp. if sampling *elo# t e #ater ta*le.

0dvantages of t e S41 1est

=suall, t e most e!onomi!al met od of testing 4rovides p ,si!al sample for soil !lassifi!ation Long servi!e life of e>uipment Vast S41 data*ase Numerous empiri!al !orrelations #it S41 Ot er met ods availa*le to supplement # en more refinement ?ustified 9e.g. li>uefa!tion anal,ses:

3ost 5ommon Errors # en =sing S41 test

Damaged drive s oes Variation in ammer fall Effe!t of over*urden pressure 9if not !orre!ted: Driving a stone a ead of t e sampler @ollo# stem auger +>ui!2 !ondition- in saturated !o esionless soils 5areless or inexperien!ed drilling !re#

@OLLOA )LIG@1 0=GERS

Sampling t roug ollo# flig t augers

@ollo# flig t augers are !ommonl, emplo,ed in ig ground#ater !onditions Drive samplers !an *e inserted inside t e ollo# !,linders Note sample distur*an!e !aused *, penetration of t e plug

@ollo# flig t augers

@ollo# flig t augers !an *e used #it most !onventional drill rigs. 1 e stems !ost more per lineal foot( *ut t e ole !an *e advan!ed *et#een sampling rounds #it out aving to #it dra# t e drill stems

@ollo# )lig t 0ugers

@ollo# flig t augers *egan appearing in t e late $%6&s for drilling geote! ni!al *orings in running sands and lo# !o esion materials 1 is s o#s a !onventional S41 sampling *arrel *eing set inside ollo# flig t augers.

3=D RO10RB DRILLING

 3ud rotar, drilling rigs are t,pi!all, used for deeper appli!ations( su! as oles more t an C& or $&& feet deep( *elo# t e #ater ta*le

Rotar, Aells =suall, Drilled #it 1ri!one 8its

1 e tri!one *it #as developed *, @ug es 1ool 5o. in $%// to drill deeper oil #ells. It as *een refined man, times sin!e t en. It uses t ree distin!tive rotating !utting eads( #it interior flus ing of t e drill !uttings *, t e drilling mud

Drilling 3ud 5ir!ulation 1an2s

3ud rotar, drilling emplo,s a dense drilling fluid under its o#n ,drostati! pressure to support t e #alls of an open *ore ole 1 e drilling fluid is usuall, !omprised of bentonite( *ut some drillers #ill use soap or a variet, of ot er agents( depending on lo!al experien!e

Rotar, Rigs

Rotar, rigs #it t eir masts extended. 0 #ater tru!2 usuall, a!!ompanies t e rig( to provide t e drilling fluid.

Large 3ud Rotar, Drill Rig

3ost deep #ater #ells are drilled #it larger mud rotar, rigs( li2e t is Gardner"Denver $C&& series rig #it a 7& ft mast. 1 e *iggest eada! e is loss of !ir!ulation( most !ommon in limestone or ad?a!ent to *ro2en ro!2 along faults

DI))I5=L1 5ONDI1IONS )OR S=8S=R)05E S034LING

 5ommon !auses of !aving in a s allo# *ore ole

Sti!2, 5la,e, Silt

One of t e most ! allenging !onditions to drill and sample in are sti!2, !la,e, silts( su! as t ose pi!tured ere< # i! sti!2 to t e auger flig ts

 Loss of drilling fluid circulation is !ommon in #eat ered !ar*onate ro!2s #it open !avities. Clay-filled cavities !an *e also pro*lemati! # ere t e, !ontain ro!2 DfloatersE

Residuum
Residual soils profiles !an *e ig l, undulator, and anisotropi!( as portra,ed ere 8e#are of deepl, in!ised #eat ering .ones along faults( s ears( !onta!ts( fold axes( or lit ologi! ori.ons

 1,pi!al #eat ering profiles in metamorp i! and igneous ro!2s. Floating clasts are al#a,s pro*lemati! in developing relia*le !ross se!tions.

DE0LING AI1@ DI))I5=L1 SI1E 055ESS 5ONDI1IONS

5RI88ING S10NDS
In t e old da,s( temporar, #ood or steel !ri**ing #as ere!ted to support a drilling platform( or DpadE( as s o#n ere along 4a!ifi! 5oast @ig #a, in 4a!ifi! 4alisades( 5alifornia in $%7&.

Drilling 4latforms
1 is s o#s a temporar, drilling platform set up a!ross t e narro# gorge of t e Little 5olorado River( near 5ameron( 0ri.ona in t e earl, $%7&s Su! platforms are removed after drilling

1ru!2"mounted drill rigs

Generall, used on semi"level ground( if eas, site a!!ess Fui!2 set"up Rate of advan!e depends on eig t of mast G drill strings Large normal for!e !an *e emplo,ed 9see left *elo#:

 Some lig ter 7AD e>uipped drill rigs !an *e emplo,ed on uneven ground and in illside situations( using t e ,drauli! leveling rams.

1ra!2ed Rigs
0 num*er of manufa!turers offer tra!2ed rigs of var,ing si.e 1 ese !an *e extremel, useful # en #or2ing on sift or sloping ground

1ra!2ed Rigs

Smaller tra!2ed rigs !an *e operated remotel,( using radio !ontrols Largest produ!tion tra!2ed rig is t e 53E 'C&( s o#n at left

 DS#amp ogE all terrain ve i!les use oversi.e floatation tires inflated H 7 psi tire pressure to allo# a!!ess on soft( mu!2, ground

 4orta*le Ds2id rigE pla!ed on a fat"*ottom *arge or DJo n 8oatE( in lo#er 3ississippi Delta area. 8iggest pro*lem is an! oring t e !raft to resist drilling" indu!ed tor>ue.

4orta*le 3inuteman Rigs

)oremost 3o*ile produ!es 6;C l*s porta*le drill 2no#n as D3inuteman- rigs =ses a ;& l* ammer

 1 is vie# s o#s a !ustom remote drilling rig po#ered *, remote"sour!e offsite ,drauli!s. It is #or2ing on a /& degree slope C&&I feet a*ove t e nearest *en! .

@eli!opter 0ssist
=nder !onditions of extreme remoteness( eli!opters !an sometimes provide verti!al lift of lig ter skid rigs 1 is s o#s drilling pad set up for exploring pat of t e 1etsuo @arano 1unnels on Interstate @"/ t roug t e Koolau Range in Oa u( @a#aii.

ENGINEERING GEOLOGI5 LOGGING O) EJ4LOR01ORB 1REN5@ES

 Explorator, tren! es are an inexpensive met od to get a /D evaluation of soil !onditions and s allo# geologi! stru!ture. =suall, used in rural( undeveloped areas.

 1ren! es are generall, ex!avated *, *a!2 oe. 1 e, must *e s ored if K C.C ft deep in most states. 3e! ani!all, !ompa!ting *a!2fill !an *e expensive.

 1ren! es ave t e potential to reveal !omplex su*surfa!e stru!tural relations ips( su! as geologi! !onta!ts( faults( previousl, distur*ed ground( and anomalies reveled in geop ,si!al surve,s( li2e sin2 oles.

3apping of 4edogeni! ori.ons L exposed ori.ons !an *e deli!atel, examined and logged in open ex!avations. 1 is o!!asionall, allo#s for radiometri! dating.

Strategi! Sample Re!over, and Insitu testing

Lo# strengt ori.ons !an *e identfied and re!overed for la*orator, testing< or Insitu shear strength tests !an *e !arried out in t e field

L0RGE DI03E1ER EJ50V01IONS )OR 4ERSON0L ENGINEERING GEOLOGI5 INS4E51ION

 8u!2et augers are 67 to /;"in diameter oles drilled for do#n ole geologi! inspe!tion. 1 e, are usuall, advan!ed *, large tru!2"mounted drill rigs.

 8u!2et auger oles are generall, ex!avated using standard flig ts #it drag or ! isel *its( as s o#n at rig t. 1ra!2ed mounted rigs are sometimes needed in illside situations.

 0 geologist is lo#ered do#n t e ole #it ard at( radio eadset( prote!tive over ead !overing( and met ane and !ar*on dioxide meters and an emergen!, suppl, of ox,gen.

 1 e !ollar .one of t e large diameter oles is temporaril, !ased to prevent fall"in of *ro2en ground near t e ground surfa!e

1eam#or2
0 t#o person team logs t e ole( using t#o"#a, radio !ommuni!ation In t is manner a large amount of data !an *e re!orded in a s ort period of time( in!luding stru!tural information su! as stri2e and dip( orientation of ?oints( and s ear planes( et!.

Spe!ialt, Rigs
Some operators ave *uilt t eir o#n rigs( # i! allo# t em to #or2 on steep or !onstri!ted #or2 sites 3ost of t ese Eremote rigsE emplo, ,drauli! fluid( # i! !an *e transmitted to t e drill rig *, oses laid out from pumps to#ed *e ind ve i!les( as mu! as 6&& feet a#a,.

 Geologi! !ross se!tion t roug an a!tive landslide !omplex derived from *u!2et auger information.

 3i2e S!ullin( RG( 5EG( 54G 9$%/6"$%%C:( t e fat er of grading !odes