Bits ‘n Pieces – The Driller’s Blog

Core recovery, and how to improve it, is a topic that comes up often in a discussion with field technicians. This is not surprising, since it is the purpose of diamond drilling and every driller and drilling company wants to be efficient and cost effective when drilling. There are several tips that can help you improve your core recovery.

When I speak to customers, I often talk about the importance of quality control when manufacturing drilling equipment. When you are paying good money for core bits and drill rods you want to make sure they last long, and provide the performance you are expecting.

Over this year we have done a few blogs on matrix troubleshooting where we have examined the different wear patterns on a bit crown. The wear profile provides clues as to why your core bit may be underperforming. By changing drilling parameters or making other simple changes, you may be able to improve drilling performance. Not long ago, one of our blog subscribers mentioned having problems with gauge loss on the outer diameter. Let’s look at some of the causes and some of the solutions.

In this blog, our last installment on handling core bits, we look at problems that can happen at the bottom of the bore hole when you’re adding or changing a new core bit. I always say that choosing the right core bit and bit configuration is one of the most important decisions you have to make to ensure you get the best drilling performance. You also need to make sure you handle them properly so that they get to the drill the ground they were chosen for.

Last week we looked at how experienced diamond drillers can get the best performance and longest life from their drilling equipment by avoiding common pitfalls in handling core bits. Often, core bits get damaged before they’re even used. You take the time to choose the right bit and the best configuration, so you want to get the longest bit life possible. Last week we looked at some problems that can happen above ground – this week we’ll examine common problems that happen all the way down, when you’re adding or changing a new core bit.

Experienced diamond drillers are always looking to get the best drilling performance and longest life from their drilling equipment. Sometimes core bits get damaged before they’re even used. After careful deliberation over choosing the right bit and the best core bit configuration, no one wants to ruin a bit before you start drilling. Let’s look at some problems that can happen above ground when you’re adding or changing a new core bit.

Drill rods are a hugely important part of your drilling equipment and how you take care of your drill rods can have a major impact on your drilling performance. The regular use of drilling lubricants and thread compound is imperative for breaking in and maintaining a healthy drill string and helps avoid many problems. Here are a few reasons you need to use thread compounds and lubricants, and the purpose of each.

It’s been a while since we’ve done a blog on matrix troubleshooting. Core bits play an integral role in getting great drilling performance and many things can cause a bit to underperform. One of the best ways to determine what is off is to examine the wear profile of your bit crown and change drilling parameters if necessary. Today, we’ll look at burnt core bits, some of the causes and some of the solutions.

I’m often going on about how choosing the equipment for the type of ground you will be drilling in is the first step to success and good drilling performance. Choosing the right drilling fluid additive to match the ground you will be drilling in beforehand, will make a world of difference. This is certainly the case in ground with clay or shale. Swelling clay can have disastrous results on your drilling operation.

Losing equipment in a bore hole and having to go retrieve it is called fishing and no diamond driller wants go fishing. The equipment has become stuck, lost, or broken off but either way it is obstructing the bore hole.