horizontal directional drilling

25 Nagging Borehole Drilling Questions

Why is Borehole drilling essential?

Borehole drilling is a universal solution to water scarcity. Highly densely populated countries like India always face water shortage problems. In India, many agriculture rural areas are now solely dependent on borehole drilling. Farmers are not only cultivating crash crops but also winter crops as well.

What is the difference between a water well and borewell?

Borewell process includes puncturing the water well with the help of the drilling machine. In a traditional approach, the soil is dug using human resources. If labor hits any rocky area, then rocks are fractured using explosions.

What is the advantage of borewell drilling than traditional water well?

  • It takes less amount of space for a bore.
  • Water well requires at least a month to build, whereas borewell drilling happens within 2 hours.
  • Fail-Start – If by chance, you don’t get water even after one thousand feet, then you can try another bore on the same day. On the other hand, water well is a one-time attempt most of the time.

Why are the drawbacks of borehole drilling?

There are three significant drawbacks. First is, the drilling area must be specific. Second, if the borehole doe not has a cap, then there are chances of water theft. Third, an additional water motor setup is necessary to pump the water out of the aquifer.

Who invented borewell?

There is no specific timeline identified by historians. However, borewell innovated around an era of the Han Dynasty.

How much does it cost to drill a borehole?

A borehole costs approximately 500 Indian rupees per foot, which is equivalent to ten US dollars; it will be around one or two-dollar per foot. The total borehole cost for five hundred feet, including casing and water motor, is fifty thousand Indian rupees or one thousand dollars.

Is there any additional cost?

In addition to drilling, there is an additional cost of capping, casing, and water motor installation. Capping is essential to avoid stealing water. The housing around the borehole is mandatory to prevent the closure of the hole due to mud. And finally, water motor and electricity installation is necessary to pull water from the hole.

What are the three types of drill bits?

1) Fixed cutter drill bits – it is further classified into PDC drill bits (Polycrystalline diamond compact) and Diamond drill bits. The diamond drill bits organized into Natural diamond drill bits, TSP drill bits, and 

2) Roller tri-cone drill bits – it is further divided into two categories. Mill tooth roller tri-cone drill bits.

 3) Impregnated diamond drill bits.

How long does it take to drill a borehole?

After analysis of the drilling, the surface is ready, and drill entrance is available, it takes around two hours for one thousand feet depth of borehole drilling.

What is directional drilling?

The drilling system works in two directions, horizontal drilling, and vertical drilling. The vertical drilling follows a common approach of pushing drill bits inside the surface vertically using drilling shafts and bits. In horizontal drilling, holes are made inside readymade water well. Over the years, water well holes get filled with mud and sand. Therefore, horizontal drilling helps to clear chocked up water lines. Manual horizontal directional drilling involves workforce and labor.

On the other hand, Automatic modern horizontal directional drilling works on a fully computerized system. The computer analyzes the drilling path using advance mapping data. This digital map contains all information about which is a suitable area for drilling and which is not.

What is maximum borehole depth?

Water aquifer is located usually within one thousand feet. After a thousand feet, it is not possible to drill because the further areas may contain rocks and other deposits.

How does borehole work?

horizontal directional drilling
Horizontal directional drilling

As you can see in the image, the rotating drilling bit mounted on shaft pushes forward and sprays the high-pressure liquid along with water and clay mixture. Once the drilling bit has reached its desired potential, a circular casing is fit around the drill hole. The drilling bit entirely operates bases automatically on the instructions of the ground team. It can go left, right, up, down, or any degree circular is depending upon the steering done by an operator on surface.

Can you drink water from a borehole?

Borehole water is the purest form of water condensed inside aquifer over the years. It is perfectly drinkable with little minimal filtration.

Do I need permission to drill a borehole?

If you are drilling in your land, then there is no need to take any permission from the local government. However, if you want to dig in an urban area, local authorities’ approval is required depending upon the locality of the drilling spot.

Can a borehole run dry?

The borehole is a line of water table inside the soil. If aquifer does not have regular water supply from rainfall, then there are chances that borehole will dry soon enough.

Where do we drill a borehole?

You can drill a bore in your garden or a farm that is own by you. You can take the help of geoscientists to understand the elevation levels. Many do-yourself-tools are also available in the market to analyze water aquifers.

How much water needed for the drill hole?

There is some amount of water flushed when drilling bits puncture the soil. This water is used to clear the drilling and loosen the further area. In horizontal drilling, high-pressure liquid continuously flows through drilling bit.

What is drilling machinery required for borehole drilling?

Drilling machines primarily consist of a steering motor, shaft, bits, cables, and casing. The entire machinery is transportable, provided road is broad enough.

How many drills does a drill machine can makes?

One thousand feet of drilling usually completes in around 2 hours. So you can make as many as holes that time permits, and the drilling contractor is comfortable to do. Sometimes drilling is required for multiple locations until water locates.

Which is the best time for borehole drilling?

Summer is the best time for borehole drilling. Because most of the land is dry, and the drilling machine is easily transportable across farms.

Are there any do-it-yourself Horizontal boring machine?

Yes, there are plenty of YouTube videos, where you can watch how manual operator horizontal boring machine works.

Does Borehole cost differ in countries?

Yes, it does. In the USA, people use advanced technology contained drilling machines. This drilling machine is highly expensive than a traditional drilling machine. Also, it depends upon the quality of other components used along with drill bits for drill a bore. If you want to hire borehole services like borewell imaging specialists, then the cost of the drilling would also increase.

Can I start a borehole drilling business?

Yes, there are many successful companies in the borehole business — the majority of them operator twenty-four-seven during the peak summer season. If you do not have enough knowledge on the market, then you can just rent out the borehole drilling machine. However, it is essential to do some homework before starting any drilling business. The capital requirement is medium as big banks even provide loan discounts on machinery.

The following list contains a few top Borehole companies and services.

Organization name: Borehole Control

Location: Marrero, Louisiana

Organization Name: Sigma Cubed Micro seismic

Location: Houston, TX

Organization name: Mount Sopris Instrument Co.

Location: Denver, Colorado

The following are some of the drill bit manufacturing companies.

Organization name: Ulterra Drilling Technologies L.P.

Location: Fort Worth, Texas

Helmerich & Payne

Location: Tulsa, OK

Cimarex Energy

Location: Denver, CO

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