CALL: 1-876-927-1779 | CARIBBEAN PETROLEUM UPDATE : SEPTEMBER 2016
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CARIBBEAN Petroleum Update A Publication of the Caribbean Energy Information System (CEIS)
September 2016 ISSUE
Percussion or Cable Tool Onshore Drilling Method
The Earth has been explored for valuable resources since recorded history. Ancient civilizations began the process of exploration by digging for water and irrigation. At first, these wells were primarily dug by hand, then by stone or wood tools. The first recorded instance of the practice of ‘drilling’ holes in the ground came about around 600 B.C., when the Chinese developed a technique of repeatedly pounding bamboo shoots capped with metal bits into the ground. This method is referred to as Percussion Drilling, an onshore drilling method that is still used today. In this issue of the Petroleum Update, we will look at a brief overview of the cable tool drilling technique used in the onshore drilling arena.
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Onshore drilling is simply land based drilling facilitated by ground transportation. The two main types of onshore drilling are percussion and rotary drilling. Percussion drilling is also referred to as ‘cable tool’ drilling. This method consists of raising and dropping a heavy metal bit into the ground, effectively punching a hole down through the earth. Cable tool drilling is usually used for shallow, low pressure formations. Although this drilling method has largely been supplanted in recent years by other, faster drilling techniques, it is still the most practicable drilling method for large diameter, deep bedrock wells, and in widespread use for small rural water supply
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