Rotary drilling uses a large drill on the end of a hollow pipe to drill deep into the earth. Fluid is pumped through the tube to cool and lubricate the drill bit and bring cut stone and earth to the surface. The type of drilling fluid used depends on the type of well being drilled. Drill bit lubrication is important to prevent burning and maintain efficiency.
Rotary drilling involves using a large drill on the end of a hollow pipe. The drill bit is either very strong steel wheels, typically in a set of three, that are attached to the end of the tube, or a solid bit that may be encrusted with diamonds. As the pipe is spun in a circle, the rotating drill bit spins and chews up dirt and rocks away. Rotary drilling is capable of drilling much deeper into the earth than any other form of drilling.
The hollow tube attached to the drill bit allows fluid to be pumped through the tube and up to the rotating drill bit. This fluid does three things. First, it cools the drill bit, as rotary drilling through rock generates a great deal of heat. The fluid also lubricates the bit and tube to allow it to pass through dirt and rock more easily. Perhaps the fluid’s most useful feature is that it helps bring the cut stone and earth to the surface through the pipe, which allows the rotary drill to continuously cut and move down without stopping to clean out the hole.
The type of well being drilled dictates what type of drilling fluid will be used. The most common type of drilling fluid is called mud. This fluid is mixed with bits of clay and helps seal the drill casing to the earth. This is an important step, as a leaky case can cause a lot of hardship and damage to the area around the well. When drilling a freshwater well, the drilling team would not use the salt water, as it could contaminate the fresh water. Conversely, when rotary drilling through underground salt deposits, fresh water used as the drilling fluid could cause salt erosion and collapse of the well.
Drill bit lubrication is considered important. A burnt or hot drill bit will not cut rock as fast as a fresh, sharp drill bit. The drill bit can be changed, but this is a time consuming effort. To change the bit, all of the drill pipe known as a drill string must be removed section by section until the bit reaches the surface. Careful planning of the area to be drilled can prevent the drill from being forced through the earth too quickly.
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