The Geothermal Journal

Geothermal Drilling Basics

Part Two Mud Rotary Drilling
Editors Note: No two geothermal loop systems are the same, which is why constant education is a requirement for geothermal drillers. In this new department, we will explore the variety of loop systems, installation methods, drilling approaches and unique product offerings in the residential geothermal heat pump market. Take it away, Brandon.

By Brandon Wronski

imply put, a rotary drill head bores a hole by pushing a rotating drill bit into the ground. In geothermal applications, the most common method used to rotate the bit and feed it down at a constant pressure is a hydraulically driven top drive rotation head that moves down the drill rigs mast while turning the drill rod and bit. The rotation head is the drill rigs bread and butter. Pull down chains, which drive the rotation head down, allow part of the drill rigs weight to be added to the drill rod to get sufficient down force on the bit. Drill rigs using a hydraulic cylinder to drive the chains are superior and provide much more down force than motor driven chains, affording faster drilling speeds.

A typical mud tray. After being flushed up the hole, the drill cuttings are diverted into a mud tray or settling pit on the surface.

Drilling Fluids

While the drill rod and drill bit are being rotated and fed down, fluid is circulated into the bore hole to flush out the drill cuttings. A pump pushes the fluid through the center of the drill rod via the swivel on the rotation head. The circulating fluid can either be compressed air or liquid (water or mud); air rotary/DTH hammer drilling will be discussed in the third part of this series. When water or mud is used as the circulating fluid, the drill rod must either be rated IF, which stands for Internal Flushing, or a Universal rod, which can be used for both mud and air. While water is often used as the circulating fluid, the term mud rotary is commonly used whether water or mud is pumped down the hole. Mud is a special drilling fluid made by mixing a polymer or bentonite based additive with water. Manufactures of drilling muds assert that it improves hole stability, lubricates and cools the bit, and maintains peak drilling efficiency. The main purpose, though, of the circulating fluid is to flush the drill cuttings up the annulus, the gap between the drill rod and the wall of the hole.

provide less pressure and volume than 2) piston pumps which are generally mono (one cylinder) or duplex (two cylinder) designs. In most cases, the mud pump can be powered by the drill rigs engine and hydraulic system. So which pump is right for you? That all depends on the pressure and volume required to flush up the drill cuttings. This is determined by your soil conditions, bore diameter, drill rod diameter, and borehole depth. For recommendations speak to a knowledgeable drill rig or mud pump manufacturer.

Mud Drilling Bits

There are numerous bit types available for mud rotary drilling. For geothermal applications the most common are Drag Bits, Roller Bits and PDC bits (also and more accurately called PCD bits, which stands for Poly-Crystalline-Diamond). 1. Drag Bits: Step-type drag bits use a shearing action and are designed for use in soft formations such as sand, clay or some soft rock. Small nozzles direct the drilling fluid down the faces of the blades. However, they will not work well in coarse gravel or hard rock formations. Chevron-type drag bits are designed for slightly harder and more consolidated materials than step-type drag bits; such as hard shale, limestone and tougher gravel. 2. Rock-Roller Bits: Made with hardened steel teeth or tungsten carbide, these bits are designed to apply a crushing and chipping action, making it possible to cut harder rock formations.
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Mud Pumps

Liquids can flush the drill cuttings at lower volumes and velocities than compressed air and are supplied by a mud pump rather than an air compressor. Two types of mud pumps are commonly used in geothermal drilling: 1) Centrifugal pumps are cost effective and easy to maintain but
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3. PDC Bits: Diamond cutters shear rock with a continuous scraping motion. These bits are designed for higher rotation speed drilling in consolidated formations such as shale, limestone and sandstone. If used properly, PDC bits can have quite a long lifespan.

Mud Cleaning

After being flushed up the hole, the drill cuttings are diverted into a mud tray or settling pit on the surface. The fluid is then re-circulated to continue the drilling process. Another option is a mud cleaning unit that will separate the large particles and sands and re-circulate the cleaned fluid. A mud cleaning unit provides better drilling performance due to the good condition of the mud. It eliminates the need for a mud tray or a settling pit and reduces the amount of mud used per hole. It keeps the drill site clean and protects the environment from harmful or hazardous waste material, thus saving time and money in the long run. Mud rotary drilling does have its limitations. Penetration rates will be much slower in rock formations compared to air rotary. And maintaining straight holes can be difficult in such conditions. However, mud rotary drilling in soft formations

High speed rotation heads and swivels can be retrofitted onto existing equipment. Just ask the folks at RigKits (www.rigkits.com).

can be very efficient if the drill rigs torque, rpm, tooling and support equipment are matched to your ground conditions.

Brandon Wronski is an equipment specialist with RigKits LLC, based in Charlotte, N.C.

www.ceunbound.com

October 2012

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