1.0 Introduction
In underground hard rock mining, drill and blast continues to be the dominant method of fragmenting rock. Blast hole deviation is an inevitable yet undesirable outcome of small diameter, long hole drilling. The objective of drill and blast is to unlock a targeted volume of rock for removal and further downstream processing. However, if poor drill hole accuracy is observed, outcomes may be significantly different to that which are planned and expected, resulting in additional cost and time implications. A hole is considered to have deviated if it has not been collared at the correct location, has not followed the projected path or has not broken through at the intended position (Kangwa, 2000). Underground mining uses a cyclical methodology with repetitive steps carried out on a daily basis. As drill and blast is the first stage of extraction, the accuracy of this step can significantly impact the cost of downstream operations including secondary drilling, mucking, transportation, ground control, milling, development requirements and crew requirements (Corcoran, n.d.). This report intends to investigate the common sources of drill hole deviation, address the cost and design implications of poor drill accuracy and outline control measures that may be effective in reducing blast hole deviation. Different drilling technologies will also be examined to understand their impact on drilling accuracy.
2.0 Types of drill hole deviation
As described by Singhal
The extraction of natural gas requires a borehole which is dug down to the deep shale formation. After the hole is dug, a steel pipe is inserted into the borehole where it is encased with cement on the outer perimeter of the pipe. A perforation gun is lowered into the cement-encased piping. Using an explosive, the perforation gun perforates the casing and puts initial fractures into the shale at targeted locations. The shale is fractured further by inserting fracking fluids, which consists of 98% water and sand, plus 2% proprietary fluids. The fracking fluids are pushed down into the wellbore and pressurized to 3000 psi causing the initial fracture to spread in the shale, along the shale natural fracture lines. The sand in the fracking fluids keeps the created fractures open which allows the gas from the shale pores to flow into the casing and then to the surface, where it is collected.
Personal space is a concept of sociology. Personal space is an approximate area surrounding an individual in which other people should not physically violate in order for them to feel comfortable and secure. It is the zone around individuals which they regard as psychologically theirs; they don’t want to share that zone with others. The amount of personal space required for any given person is subjective, it depends on individual. It also depends on how well you know the other person. It also depends on different culture and countries; and the gender behavior like men to men, men to female, female to female and female to men. The more intimate the relationship, the less personal space is involved.
Once the well reaches the right depth, it turns right or left and becomes horizontal. This is called the kick off point. The horizontal section can span anywhere from 1,000 to 6,000 feet. The drill is removed but the surrounding steel casing remains. These steel casings are meant to protect the groundwater and the surrounding area from any potential leakage during the fracking process. Down at the horizontal section of the well, little holes are punctured through the steel in thousands of spots. Then, a water solution is pumped at a extremely high pressure down the well. This causes tons of cracks and fissures in the rock. Additives and sand in the water mixture hold the cracks open, allowing oil to escape and be brought up to the surface.
The overall mining industry profits declining in 2013 came along with the declining of investment, which may lead to a lack of funds in research and development in the mining industry, and slow down the innovation process of drilling equipment to achieve faster and more accurate drilling. Besides, better equipment can also address the issue raised by the “bonus pay” which often results in damaging equipment or mineral.
drilling process also uses various chemicals to extract the oil and natural gasses. Since fracking
With the age of constant industrial and technological growth has come the necessity for not only cost effective and efficient methods for industry, but also the need for obtaining fuel for the machines that make the modern world possible. Oil has become as precious a commodity as gold, if not more so; its attainments constantly driving the world's largest businesses and governments across the world into action. Naturally, a "quick-fix" solution to this problem is constantly sought after by oil companies wishing to provide oil on a massive scale. One of these drilling methods is known as induced hydraulic fracturing (also known as fracking).
Over the years vertical hydraulic fracturing has become outdated and new techniques are now used. Technology now allows mechanics to drill horizontally up to 10,000 feet. This new technique only takes a single drill and it can hold multiple piping lines and have them extending out in all directions at once. This allows more area of production to be covered in less surface area. With horizontal fracking, theoretically, the amount of area that can be covered is indefinite because more and more piping can be added if needed in the making of just one
In today’s society the issues of producing energy is becoming more and more scare which, constantly posses the question, “How will energy be obtained in order to sustain future generations?” Hydraulic fracturing, informally known as fracking is believed to be an effective alternative to provide us with the energy we need to fuel tomorrow. Hydraulic fracking was first used at Texas Stanolind Oil and Gas Cooperations in 1947. However, it was not until 1949 that The Halliburton Oil Well Cementing Cooperation was given a licensee to use hydraulic fracturing. Since then a combination of two advanced methods have been introduced and incorporated (4). These methods are slick-water hydraulic fracturing and precision drilling of wells. Nevertheless,
When the solution of water, chemicals, proppants, and sand leak into the ground, it can contaminate ground water (Fracking Fury). The mix of chemicals the workers use can be very toxic to any living thing. The mix does not only poison the water, but contaminate it so severe that it cannot even be cleaned in a water treatment plant (Fracking Explained). To further the chance of this happening the drillers, by law are required to leave a variable amount of the toxic liquid in the hole and seal it up (fracking good idea?). Leaving it miles deep in the earth to poison our ground water. The chemicals do not only pollute the water we drink, but also the air we
The concept of close order drill has been used in some form in every war since the inception of the U.S. Marine Corps, and the practice still proves useful in the twenty-first century. It is much more than the Silent Drill Platoon performing on commercials to attract young adults to the military. This art form is being set aside in Marine Corps after a decade of war; even though drill influences combat efficiency by instilling precision, automatic response to orders and develops assertive leaders.
Petroleum is a key material when it comes to supplying people with energy and supplies. Petroleum engineers have the duty of producing the best tools that would make retrieving and transporting the material as efficient as possible. Natural gas and Petroleum has a large showing in the United States. Marcellus Shale has been a provider of energy to the Northeast. Within the past ten years engineers have found a whole new formation right below it called Utica Shale. Engineers are focusing on if there are different ways to get down to the Utica level efficiently and safely. If the new methods are more productive than the already existing technology companies will move forth with the new technologies. Engineers are focusing on waterless fracking, pipelines and drilling techniques to increase efficiency.
Fracking in CSG mining is a process where a mixture of water, sand and additives are pumped under pressure into a coal seam to open up already existent cracks in the coal strata. Fracturing fluid is 97%-99% sand and water, with a small amount of commonly used biodegradable compounds to prevent bacterial growth and turn the fluid into a gel so it can be pumped more easily ("What is coal seam gas? - NSW Resources and Energy", 2016). The CSIRO suggests the components of fracturing fluid are: guar gum, sodium hypochlorite, sodium hydroxide, ammonium persulphate, ethanol, acetic acid and sodium carbonate.
Hydraulic Fracking “Hydro-fracking” is a controversial technique on extracting oil and shale gas from the Earth’s surface. This technique was developed in the late 1940’s to access fossil energy by drilling down the Earth. The process of Hydrofracking is explicit due to the controversial manner in which it is done. Vertical well bores are drilled thousands of metres into the earth, through sediment layers, the water table, and shale rock formations in order to reach the oil and gas. The drilling is then angled horizontally, where a cement casing is installed and will serve as a pipe for the large volumes of water, fracking fluid, chemicals and sand needed to fracture the rock and shale. In some cases, prior to the injection of fluids, small explosions are used to open up the rock layers. The fractures allow the gas and oil to be removed from the formerly impermeable rock. The breaking of the resistant rock may result in minor Earthquakes. Due to the
An accurate knowledge of formation pore pressure is required for safe and economic drilling and successful and exploration and production of hydrocarbons in areas which are abnormally pressured (pressure gradients greater than 0.465 psi/ft). An accurate estimation of formation pressure and depths helps in optimum planning so that proper hole sizes, casing programs, and mud weighting schedules can be selected. Historically, techniques for measuring pore pressures and detecting the proximity of abnormal pressure formations were based on quantitative relations between various log parameters – formation resistivity or conductivity, acoustic travel time or slowness with formation effective stress. These are based on the relationship
The lower parts of the drill string ranging from Under Reamers, Stabilizers, shocks, Drill bit and Drill subs as well as Hole openers collectively make up the Bottom Hole Assembly (BHA). It can also be defined as the components of a drill string that are normally located at the bottom of a wellbore during drilling procedures. Each of the components comes with a special function that helps drilling engineers to gain a better control during drilling. Other function of a BHA includes, helping operators to safely and more efficiently controlling the well in its original or intended direction. Furthermore, they provide knowledge when it comes to determining the shape, size and other important wellbore properties relating to geometry.