Down-the-Hole Horizontal Rock Drilling 20Aug Posted By: admin

Industries such as oil or gas production need the help of horizontal rock drilling services to extract gas from the source. Apart from that, this type of drilling is also helpful in some domestic drilling tasks and other large commercial projects. Horizontal rock drilling is a very complicated process. However, there are various companies out there that offer this type of drilling services such as Victoria Trenchless Solutions. Let’s take a closer look at the tools that are used in this particular type of rock drilling process.

Horizontal Rock Drilling

Horizontal rock drilling is a modern technology employed in building horizontal infrastructures several meters under the ground. This is done without breaking the covering surface except at entry and exit points. This engineering technology is employed when upgrading existing underground systems where the top ground is already teeming with built structures. Examples of such existing underground systems are power, water and gas system upgrade or a new telecommunications set-up needed by industries and communities.

Down-the-Hole Drilling

Getting the pipes laid out horizontally underneath has to be preceded by down-the-hole vertical drilling operation. This is much similar to the work done in setting up for a deep-well water system. Vertical openings have to be created at the entry and exit points. It’s a job which requires Down-the-Hole (DTH) hammer drill. This is one of the most up-to-date and efficient tools for horizontal rock drilling work.

The DTH Hammer

DTH hammer is a cylindrical percussive instrument fitted with a drill bit that pierces and breaks rocks into small rock chips through rapid hammer action. It consequently transports these rock pieces out via air pressure. This instrument combines the features of the old system of cable tool drilling with modern rotation.

This drilling technique allows efficient drilling, accurate holes alignment and straighter as well as clearer holes. The DTH hammer is the most recent version of evolving drilling instruments and techniques since mechanical drilling started many years ago. This is very effective even with extremely hard rock formations such as:

• · Magnetite;
• · Granite;
• · Limestone;
• · Sandstone;
• · Basalt; and
• · Quartzite

Drilling Forerunners

The first hammers used were the handheld Jack hammers which were portable, lighter and easy to maintain. However, they require manual operation, were less efficient and posed great hazards to health. Then there’s the cable tools which are distinct with a heavy bar pointed chisel attached to a wire rope. They are dropped on the rock in order to break it. The cable tool used water to draw out the chips and dusts created by the blast. The cable tool setup is easy to use and likewise easy to maintain. It is also very inexpensive. However, it is slow in output, limited to large holes and inaccurate in alignment. It requires a lot of water, needed at least two persons to run and is good only for soft rocks.

Then there’s the rotary drilling. This drilling system needs heavy rigs to provide weight and force to the drill bit as it rotates fast towards the rock. However, rotary drills are expensive, have high holes deviations and are less impressive on hard rocks. There is also the top hammer which comes as a more recent version of the Jack hammer. This version is much faster, carry-able and performed well in hard rocks. But it has high hole deviation and produces high noise levels and vibrations.

More Efficient Hammer

The DTH hammer is a more efficient alternative. This innovation offered new advantages in terms of suitability for all rock types, along its versatility and its simplicity. It is also inexpensive. Its holes are aligned, straighter and cleaner. It also offers great safety for users. The more recent versions of the DTH hammers boast of full automation and are suitable for all weather operations.

Because of these added advantages of the DTH hammers, they now have various uses which include:

• · Deep well water systems;
• · Geothermal drilling;
• · Mineral explorations;
• · Horizontal rock drilling; and
• · Rescue operations

Trenchless Technology

We at Victoria Trenchless Solutions are committed to provide state-of-the-art technology in horizontal rock drilling. We are expert in creating mechanisms for the laying out of infrastructures that will help communities and industries. In the underground drilling work that we do, apart from effective results, our key goal is to preserve the natural state of the environment with the least disruption to the ground surface.

We are the specialists in Trenchless Technology. If you wish to know more about our trenchless rock drilling service, please call us on (03) 9795 0608.

Or email us at [email protected].