Design of a water jet drill for development of geothermal resources. Annual progress report, June 1, 1976--May 31, 1977

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1977-05-31

Research was expanded to the drilling of crystalline rock. Advance rates of 40 inches per minute have been achieved at 16,000 psi, 10 gpm flow rate in a 30,000 psi compressive strength rock using the water alone as the drilling mechanism. The quality of the hole achieved as the jet drilled a variety of rock was found to vary and a hydromechanical drilling bit, combining high pressure water jets with roller cones, has been developed. A field drilling unit has been tested and modified to allow the drilling of holes to 3/sup 1///sub 2/ inch diameter using the hydromechanical drill.more » Preliminary work on the development of a cavitation test for rock is also included.« less

Fundamental Research on Percussion Drilling: Improved rock mechanics analysis, advanced simulation technology, and full-scale laboratory investigations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Michael S. Bruno

This report summarizes the research efforts on the DOE supported research project Percussion Drilling (DE-FC26-03NT41999), which is to significantly advance the fundamental understandings of the physical mechanisms involved in combined percussion and rotary drilling, and thereby facilitate more efficient and lower cost drilling and exploration of hard-rock reservoirs. The project has been divided into multiple tasks: literature reviews, analytical and numerical modeling, full scale laboratory testing and model validation, and final report delivery. Literature reviews document the history, pros and cons, and rock failure physics of percussion drilling in oil and gas industries. Based on the current understandings, a conceptualmore » drilling model is proposed for modeling efforts. Both analytical and numerical approaches are deployed to investigate drilling processes such as drillbit penetration with compression, rotation and percussion, rock response with stress propagation, damage accumulation and failure, and debris transportation inside the annulus after disintegrated from rock. For rock mechanics modeling, a dynamic numerical tool has been developed to describe rock damage and failure, including rock crushing by compressive bit load, rock fracturing by both shearing and tensile forces, and rock weakening by repetitive compression-tension loading. Besides multiple failure criteria, the tool also includes a damping algorithm to dissipate oscillation energy and a fatigue/damage algorithm to update rock properties during each impact. From the model, Rate of Penetration (ROP) and rock failure history can be estimated. For cuttings transport in annulus, a 3D numerical particle flowing model has been developed with aid of analytical approaches. The tool can simulate cuttings movement at particle scale under laminar or turbulent fluid flow conditions and evaluate the efficiency of cutting removal. To calibrate the modeling efforts, a series of full-scale fluid hammer drilling tests, as well as single impact tests, have been designed and executed. Both Berea sandstone and Mancos shale samples are used. In single impact tests, three impacts are sequentially loaded at the same rock location to investigate rock response to repetitive loadings. The crater depth and width are measured as well as the displacement and force in the rod and the force in the rock. Various pressure differences across the rock-indentor interface (i.e. bore pressure minus pore pressure) are used to investigate the pressure effect on rock penetration. For hammer drilling tests, an industrial fluid hammer is used to drill under both underbalanced and overbalanced conditions. Besides calibrating the modeling tool, the data and cuttings collected from the tests indicate several other important applications. For example, different rock penetrations during single impact tests may reveal why a fluid hammer behaves differently with diverse rock types and under various pressure conditions at the hole bottom. On the other hand, the shape of the cuttings from fluid hammer tests, comparing to those from traditional rotary drilling methods, may help to identify the dominant failure mechanism that percussion drilling relies on. If so, encouraging such a failure mechanism may improve hammer performance. The project is summarized in this report. Instead of compiling the information contained in the previous quarterly or other technical reports, this report focuses on the descriptions of tasks, findings, and conclusions, as well as the efforts on promoting percussion drilling technologies to industries including site visits, presentations, and publications. As a part of the final deliveries, the 3D numerical model for rock mechanics is also attached.« less

Preparatory Test for First Rock Drilling by Mars Rover Curiosity

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-02-04

The bit in the rotary-percussion drill of NASA Mars rover Curiosity left its mark in a target patch of rock called John Klein during a test on Feb. 2, 2013, in preparation for the first drilling of a rock by the rover.

Rock melting technology and geothermal drilling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rowley, J. C.

1974-01-01

National awareness of the potential future shortages in energy resources has heightened interest in exploration and utilization of a variety of geothermal energy (GTE) reservoirs. The status of conventional drilling of GTE wells is reviewed briefly and problem areas which lead to higher drilling costs are identified and R and D directions toward solution are suggested. In the immediate future, an expanded program of drilling in GTE formations can benefit from improvements in drilling equipment and technology normally associated with oil or gas wells. Over a longer time period, the new rock-melting drill bits being developed as a part of the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory's Subterrene Program offer new solutions to a number of problems which frequently hamper GTE drilling, including the most basic problem - high temperature. Two of the most favorable characteristics of rock-melting penetrators are their ability to operate effectively in hot rock and produce glass linings around the hole as an integral part of the drilling process. The technical advantages to be gained by use of rock-melting penetrators are discussed in relation to the basic needs for GTE wells.

Prediction of penetration rate of rotary-percussive drilling using artificial neural networks - a case study / Prognozowanie postępu wiercenia przy użyciu wiertła udarowo-obrotowego przy wykorzystaniu sztucznych sieci neuronowych - studium przypadku

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aalizad, Seyed Ali; Rashidinejad, Farshad

2012-12-01

Penetration rate in rocks is one of the most important parameters of determination of drilling economics. Total drilling costs can be determined by predicting the penetration rate and utilized for mine planning. The factors which affect penetration rate are exceedingly numerous and certainly are not completely understood. For the prediction of penetration rate in rotary-percussive drilling, four types of rocks in Sangan mine have been chosen. Sangan is situated in Khorasan-Razavi province in Northeastern Iran. The selected parameters affect penetration rate is divided in three categories: rock properties, drilling condition and drilling pattern. The rock properties are: density, rock quality designation (RQD), uni-axial compressive strength, Brazilian tensile strength, porosity, Mohs hardness, Young modulus, P-wave velocity. Drilling condition parameters are: percussion, rotation, feed (thrust load) and flushing pressure; and parameters for drilling pattern are: blasthole diameter and length. Rock properties were determined in the laboratory, and drilling condition and drilling pattern were determined in the field. For create a correlation between penetration rate and rock properties, drilling condition and drilling pattern, artificial neural networks (ANN) were used. For this purpose, 102 blastholes were observed and drilling condition, drilling pattern and time of drilling in each blasthole were recorded. To obtain a correlation between this data and prediction of penetration rate, MATLAB software was used. To train the pattern of ANN, 77 data has been used and 25 of them found for testing the pattern. Performance of ANN models was assessed through the root mean square error (RMSE) and correlation coefficient (R2). For optimized model (14-14-10-1) RMSE and R2 is 0.1865 and 86%, respectively, and its sensitivity analysis showed that there is a strong correlation between penetration rate and RQD, rotation and blasthole diameter. High correlation coefficient and low root mean square error of these models showed that the ANN is a suitable tool for penetration rate prediction.

Percussive Force Magnitude in Permafrost

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eustes, A. W., III; Bridgford, E.; Tischler, A.; Wilcox, B. H.

2000-01-01

An in-depth look at percussive drilling shows that the transmission efficiency is very important; however, data for percussive drilling in hard rock or permafrost is rarely available or the existing data are very old. Transmission efficiency can be used as a measurement of the transmission of the energy in the piston to the drill steel or bit and from the bit to the rock. Having a plane and centralized impact of the piston on the drill steel can optimize the transmission efficiency from the piston to the drill steel. A transmission efficiency of near 100% between piston and drill steel is possible. The transmission efficiency between bit and rock is dependent upon the interaction within the entire system. The main factors influencing this transmission efficiency are the contact area between cutting structure and surrounding rock (energy loss due to friction heat), damping characteristics of the surrounding rock (energy dampening), and cuttings transport. Some of these parameters are not controllable. To solve the existing void regarding available drilling data, an experiment for gathering energy data in permafrost for percussive drilling was designed. Fifteen artificial permafrost samples were prepared. The samples differed in the grain size distribution to observe a possible influence of the grain size distribution on the drilling performance. The samples were then manually penetrated (with a sledge-hammer) with two different spikes.

The research of breaking rock with liquid-solid two-phase jet flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, X. Z.; Ren, F. S.; Fang, T. C.

2018-03-01

Abstracts. Particle impact drilling is an efficient way of breaking rock, which is mainly used in deep drilling and ultra-deep drilling. The differential equation was established based on the theory of Hertz and Newton’s second law, through the analysis of particle impact rock, the depth of particles into the rock was obtained. The mathematical model was established based on the effect of water impact crack. The research results show when water jet speed is more than 40 m/s, rock stability coefficient is more than 1.0, the rock fracture appear. Through the experimental research of particle impact drilling facilities, analysis of cuttings and the crack size which was analyzed through Scanning electron microscope consistent with the theoretical calculation, the validity of the model was verified.

Theoretical analysis and design of hydro-hammer with a jet actuator: An engineering application to improve the penetration rate of directional well drilling in hard rock formations.

PubMed

He, Jiang-Fu; Liang, Yun-Pei; Li, Li-Jia; Luo, Yong-Jiang

2018-01-01

Rapid horizontal directional well drilling in hard or fractured formations requires efficient drilling technology. The penetration rate of conventional hard rock drilling technology in horizontal directional well excavations is relatively low, resulting in multiple overgrinding of drill cuttings in bottom boreholes. Conventional drilling techniques with reamer or diamond drill bit face difficulties due to the long construction periods, low penetration rates, and high engineering costs in the directional well drilling of hard rock. To improve the impact energy and penetration rate of directional well drilling in hard formations, a new drilling system with a percussive and rotary drilling technology has been proposed, and a hydro-hammer with a jet actuator has also been theoretically designed on the basis of the impulse hydro-turbine pressure model. In addition, the performance parameters of the hydro-hammer with a jet actuator have been numerically and experimentally analyzed, and the influence of impact stroke and pumped flow rate on the motion velocity and impact energy of the hydro-hammer has been obtained. Moreover, the designed hydro-hammer with a jet actuator has been applied to hard rock drilling in a trenchless drilling program. The motion velocity of the hydro-hammer ranges from 1.2 m/s to 3.19 m/s with diverse flow rates and impact strokes, and the motion frequency ranges from 10 Hz to 22 Hz. Moreover, the maximum impact energy of the hydro-hammer is 407 J, and the pumped flow rate is 2.3 m3/min. Thus, the average penetration rate of the optimized hydro-hammer improves by over 30% compared to conventional directional drilling in hard rock formations.

Theoretical analysis and design of hydro-hammer with a jet actuator: An engineering application to improve the penetration rate of directional well drilling in hard rock formations

PubMed Central

He, Jiang-fu; Li, Li-jia; Luo, Yong-jiang

2018-01-01

Rapid horizontal directional well drilling in hard or fractured formations requires efficient drilling technology. The penetration rate of conventional hard rock drilling technology in horizontal directional well excavations is relatively low, resulting in multiple overgrinding of drill cuttings in bottom boreholes. Conventional drilling techniques with reamer or diamond drill bit face difficulties due to the long construction periods, low penetration rates, and high engineering costs in the directional well drilling of hard rock. To improve the impact energy and penetration rate of directional well drilling in hard formations, a new drilling system with a percussive and rotary drilling technology has been proposed, and a hydro-hammer with a jet actuator has also been theoretically designed on the basis of the impulse hydro-turbine pressure model. In addition, the performance parameters of the hydro-hammer with a jet actuator have been numerically and experimentally analyzed, and the influence of impact stroke and pumped flow rate on the motion velocity and impact energy of the hydro-hammer has been obtained. Moreover, the designed hydro-hammer with a jet actuator has been applied to hard rock drilling in a trenchless drilling program. The motion velocity of the hydro-hammer ranges from 1.2 m/s to 3.19 m/s with diverse flow rates and impact strokes, and the motion frequency ranges from 10 Hz to 22 Hz. Moreover, the maximum impact energy of the hydro-hammer is 407 J, and the pumped flow rate is 2.3 m3/min. Thus, the average penetration rate of the optimized hydro-hammer improves by over 30% compared to conventional directional drilling in hard rock formations. PMID:29768421

Confidence Hills Drill Powder in Scoop

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-11-04

This image from NASA Curiosity rover shows a sample of powdered rock extracted by the rover drill from the Confidence Hills target -- the first rock drilled after Curiosity reached the base of Mount Sharp in September 2014.

Laser Hits on Martian Drill Tailings

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-02-13

A day after NASA Mars rover Curiosity drilled the first sample-collection hole into a rock on Mars, the rover Chemistry and Camera ChemCam instrument shot laser pulses into the fresh rock powder that the drilling generated.

Numerical Simulations of Thermo-Mechanical Processes during Thermal Spallation Drilling for Geothermal Reservoirs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vogler, D.; Walsh, S. D. C.; Rudolf von Rohr, P.; Saar, M. O.

2017-12-01

Drilling expenses constitute a significant share of the upfront capital costs and thereby the associated risks of geothermal energy production. This is especially true for deep boreholes, as drilling costs per meter increase significantly with depth. Thermal spallation drilling is a relatively new drilling technique, particularly suited to the hard crystalline (e.g., basement) rocks in which many deep geothermal resources are located. The method uses a hot jet-flame to rapidly heat the rock surface, which leads to large temperature gradients in the rock. These temperature gradients cause localized thermal stresses that, in combination with the in situ stress field, lead to the formation and ejection of spalls. These spalls are then transported out of the borehole with the drilling mud. Thermal spallation not only in principle enables much faster rates of penetration than traditional rotary drilling, but is also contact-less, which significantly reduces the long tripping times associated with conventional rotary head drilling. We present numerical simulations investigating the influence of rock heterogeneities on the thermal spallation process. Special emphasis is put on different mineral compositions, stress regimes, and heat sources.

Deep Geothermal Drilling Using Millimeter Wave Technology. Final Technical Research Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Oglesby, Kenneth; Woskov, Paul; Einstein, Herbert

2014-12-30

Conventional drilling methods are very mature, but still have difficulty drilling through very deep,very hard and hot rocks for geothermal, nuclear waste entombment and oil and gas applications.This project demonstrated the capabilities of utilizing only high energy beams to drill such rocks,commonly called ‘Direct Energy Drilling’, which has been the dream of industry since the invention of the laser in the 1960s. A new region of the electromagnetic spectrum, millimeter wave (MMW) wavelengths at 30-300 giga-hertz (GHz) frequency was used to accomplish this feat. To demonstrate MMW beam drilling capabilities a lab bench waveguide delivery, monitoring and instrument system wasmore » designed, built and tested around an existing (but non-optimal) 28 GHz frequency, 10 kilowatt (kW) gyrotron. Low waveguide efficiency, plasma generation and reflected power challenges were overcome. Real-time monitoring of the drilling process was also demonstrated. Then the technical capability of using only high power intense millimeter waves to melt (with some vaporization) four different rock types (granite, basalt, sandstone, limestone) was demonstrated through 36 bench tests. Full bore drilling up to 2” diameter (size limited by the available MMW power) was demonstrated through granite and basalt samples. The project also demonstrated that MMW beam transmission losses through high temperature (260°C, 500oF), high pressure (34.5 MPa, 5000 psi) nitrogen gas was below the error range of the meter long path length test equipment and instruments utilized. To refine those transmission losses closer, to allow extrapolation to very great distances, will require a new test cell design and higher sensitivity instruments. All rock samples subjected to high peak temperature by MMW beams developed fractures due to thermal stresses, although the peak temperature was thermodynamically limited by radiative losses. Therefore, this limited drill rate and rock strength data were not able to be determined experimentally. New methods to encapsulate larger rock specimens must be developed and higher power intensities are needed to overcome these limitations. It was demonstrated that rock properties are affected (weakening then strengthened) by exposure to high temperatures. Since only MMW beams can economically reach rock temperatures of over 1650°C, even exceeding 3000°C, that can cause low viscosity melts or vaporization of rocks. Future encapsulated rock specimens must provide sufficiently large sizes of thermally impacted material to provide for the necessary rock strength, permeability and other analyzes required. Multiple MMW field systems, tools and methods for drilling and lining were identified. It was concluded that forcing a managed over-pressure drilling operation would overcome water influx and hot rock particulates handling problems, while simultaneously forming the conditions necessary to create a strong, sealing rock melt liner. Materials that contact hot rock surfaces were identified for further study. High power windows and gases for beam transmission under high pressures are critical paths for some of the MMW drilling systems. Straightness/ alignment can be a great benefit or a problem, especially if a MMW beam is transmitted through an existing, conventionally drilled bore.« less

30 CFR 72.630 - Drill dust control at underground areas of underground mines.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... condition. Dust collectors approved under Part 33—Dust Collectors for Use in Connection with Rock Drilling...) Ventilation control. To adequately control dust from drilling rock, the air current shall be so directed that...

30 CFR 72.630 - Drill dust control at underground areas of underground mines.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... condition. Dust collectors approved under Part 33—Dust Collectors for Use in Connection with Rock Drilling...) Ventilation control. To adequately control dust from drilling rock, the air current shall be so directed that...

13. Photocopied August 1978. ROCK DRILLING MACHINES, NOVEMBER 23, 1898. ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

13. Photocopied August 1978. ROCK DRILLING MACHINES, NOVEMBER 23, 1898. THE HOLES DRILLED BY THESE MACHINES WERE PACKED WITH GUNPOWDER FOR BLASTING. (19) - Michigan Lake Superior Power Company, Portage Street, Sault Ste. Marie, Chippewa County, MI

Curiosity Mars Rover Drilling Into Its Second Rock

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-06-05

This frame from an animation from NASA Mars rover Curiosity shows the rover drilling into rock target Cumberland. The drilling was performed during the 279th Martian day, or sol, of the Curiosity work on Mars May 19, 2013.

Empirical relations of rock properties of outcrop and core samples from the Northwest German Basin for geothermal drilling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reyer, D.; Philipp, S. L.

2014-09-01

Information about geomechanical and physical rock properties, particularly uniaxial compressive strength (UCS), are needed for geomechanical model development and updating with logging-while-drilling methods to minimise costs and risks of the drilling process. The following parameters with importance at different stages of geothermal exploitation and drilling are presented for typical sedimentary and volcanic rocks of the Northwest German Basin (NWGB): physical (P wave velocities, porosity, and bulk and grain density) and geomechanical parameters (UCS, static Young's modulus, destruction work and indirect tensile strength both perpendicular and parallel to bedding) for 35 rock samples from quarries and 14 core samples of sandstones and carbonate rocks. With regression analyses (linear- and non-linear) empirical relations are developed to predict UCS values from all other parameters. Analyses focus on sedimentary rocks and were repeated separately for clastic rock samples or carbonate rock samples as well as for outcrop samples or core samples. Empirical relations have high statistical significance for Young's modulus, tensile strength and destruction work; for physical properties, there is a wider scatter of data and prediction of UCS is less precise. For most relations, properties of core samples plot within the scatter of outcrop samples and lie within the 90% prediction bands of developed regression functions. The results indicate the applicability of empirical relations that are based on outcrop data on questions related to drilling operations when the database contains a sufficient number of samples with varying rock properties. The presented equations may help to predict UCS values for sedimentary rocks at depth, and thus develop suitable geomechanical models for the adaptation of the drilling strategy on rock mechanical conditions in the NWGB.

ROPEC - ROtary PErcussive Coring Drill for Mars Sample Return

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chu, Philip; Spring, Justin; Zacny, Kris

2014-01-01

The ROtary Percussive Coring Drill is a light weight, flight-like, five-actuator drilling system prototype designed to acquire core material from rock targets for the purposes of Mars Sample Return. In addition to producing rock cores for sample caching, the ROPEC drill can be integrated with a number of end effectors to perform functions such as rock surface abrasion, dust and debris removal, powder and regolith acquisition, and viewing of potential cores prior to caching. The ROPEC drill and its suite of end effectors have been demonstrated with a five degree of freedom Robotic Arm mounted to a mobility system with a prototype sample cache and bit storage station.

Modeling pellet impact drilling process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kovalyov, A. V.; Ryabchikov, S. Ya; Isaev, Ye D.; Ulyanova, O. S.

2016-03-01

The paper describes pellet impact drilling which could be used to increase the drilling speed and the rate of penetration when drilling hard rocks. Pellet impact drilling implies rock destruction by metal pellets with high kinetic energy in the immediate vicinity of the earth formation encountered. The pellets are circulated in the bottom hole by a high velocity fluid jet, which is the principle component of the ejector pellet impact drill bit. The experiments conducted has allowed modeling the process of pellet impact drilling, which creates the scientific and methodological basis for engineering design of drilling operations under different geo-technical conditions.

Gravity-Independent Mobility and Drilling on Natural Rock using Microspines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parness, Aaron; Frost, Matthew; Thatte, Nitish; King, Jonathan P.

2012-01-01

To grip rocks on the surfaces of asteroids and comets, and to grip the cliff faces and lava tubes of Mars, a 250 mm diameter omni-directional anchor is presented that utilizes a hierarchical array of claws with suspension flexures, called microspines, to create fast, strong attachment. Prototypes have been demonstrated on vesicular basalt and a'a lava rock supporting forces in all directions away from the rock. Each anchor can support >160 N tangent, >150 N at 45?, and >180 N normal to the surface of the rock. A two-actuator selectively- compliant ankle interfaces these anchors to the Lemur IIB robot for climbing trials. A rotary percussive drill was also integrated into the anchor, demonstrating self-contained rock coring regardless of gravitational orientation. As a harder- than-zero-g proof of concept, 20mm diameter boreholes were drilled 83 mm deep in vesicular basalt samples, retaining a 12 mm diameter rock core in 3-6 pieces while in an inverted configuration, literally drilling into the ceiling.

Video Clip of a Rover Rock-Drilling Demonstration at JPL

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-02-20

This frame from a video clip shows moments during a demonstration of drilling into a rock at NASA JPL, Pasadena, Calif., with a test double of the Mars rover Curiosity. The drill combines hammering and rotation motions of the bit.

An Overview on Measurement-While-Drilling Technique and its Scope in Excavation Industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rai, P.; Schunesson, H.; Lindqvist, P.-A.; Kumar, U.

2015-04-01

Measurement-while-drilling (MWD) aims at collecting accurate, speedy and high resolution information from the production blast hole drills with a target of characterization of highly variable rock masses encountered in sub-surface excavations. The essence of the technique rests on combining the physical drill variables in a manner to yield a fairly accurate description of the sub-surface rock mass much ahead of following downstream operations. In this light, the current paper presents an overview of the MWD by explaining the technique and its set-up, the existing drill-rock mass relationships and numerous on-going researches highlighting the real-time applications. Although the paper acknowledges the importance of concepts of specific energy, rock quality index and a couple of other indices and techniques for rock mass characterization, it must be distinctly borne in mind that the technique of MWD is highly site-specific, which entails derivation of site-specific calibration with utmost care.

Research into robotic automation of drilling equipment by the Institute of Mining, UB RAS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Regotunov, AS; Sukhov, RI

2018-03-01

The article discusses the issues connected with the development of instrumentation for the express-determination of strength characteristics of rocks during blasthole drilling in open pit mines. The trial results of the instrumentation are reported in terms of the drilling rate–energy content interrelation determined in the analyses of experimental drilling block data and by the digital model of rock distribution in depth versus drilling complexity index.

Drilling into molten rock at Kilauea Iki

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Colp, J.L.; Okamura, R.T.

1978-01-01

The scientific feasibility of extracting energy directly from buried circulating magma resources is being assessed. One of the tasks of the project is the study of geophysical measuring systems to locate and define buried molten rock bodies. To verify the results of a molten rock sensing experiment performed at Kilauea Iki lava lake, it is necessary to drill a series of holes through the solid upper crust and through the molten zone at that location. Thirteen holes have been drilled in Kilauea Iki. The results achieved during the drilling of the last two holes indicated that the molten zone inmore » Kilauea Iki is not a simple, relatively homogeneous fluid body as expected. The encountering of an unexpected, unknown rigid obstruction 2.5 ft below the crust/melt interface has led to the conceptual development of a drilling system intended to have the capability to drill through a hot, rigid obstruction while the drill stem is immersed in molten rock. The concept will be field tested at Kilauea Iki in the summer of 1978.« less

PDC Bit Testing at Sandia Reveals Influence of Chatter in Hard-Rock Drilling

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

RAYMOND,DAVID W.

1999-10-14

Polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) bits have yet to be routinely applied to drilling the hard-rock formations characteristic of geothermal reservoirs. Most geothermal production wells are currently drilled with tungsten-carbide-insert roller-cone bits. PDC bits have significantly improved penetration rates and bit life beyond roller-cone bits in the oil and gas industry where soft to medium-hard rock types are encountered. If PDC bits could be used to double current penetration rates in hard rock geothermal well-drilling costs could be reduced by 15 percent or more. PDC bits exhibit reasonable life in hard-rock wear testing using the relatively rigid setups typical of laboratorymore » testing. Unfortunately, field experience indicates otherwise. The prevailing mode of failure encountered by PDC bits returning from hard-rock formations in the field is catastrophic, presumably due to impact loading. These failures usually occur in advance of any appreciable wear that might dictate cutter replacement. Self-induced bit vibration, or ''chatter'', is one of the mechanisms that may be responsible for impact damage to PDC cutters in hard-rock drilling. Chatter is more severe in hard-rock formations since they induce significant dynamic loading on the cutter elements. Chatter is a phenomenon whereby the drillstring becomes dynamically unstable and excessive sustained vibrations occur. Unlike forced vibration, the force (i.e., weight on bit) that drives self-induced vibration is coupled with the response it produces. Many of the chatter principles derived in the machine tool industry are applicable to drilling. It is a simple matter to make changes to a machine tool to study the chatter phenomenon. This is not the case with drilling. Chatter occurs in field drilling due to the flexibility of the drillstring. Hence, laboratory setups must be made compliant to observe chatter.« less

A Study of Specific Fracture Energy at Percussion Drilling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

A, Shadrina; T, Kabanova; V, Krets; L, Saruev

2014-08-01

The paper presents experimental studies of rock failure provided by percussion drilling. Quantification and qualitative analysis were carried out to estimate critical values of rock failure depending on the hammer pre-impact velocity, types of drill bits and cylindrical hammer parameters (weight, length, diameter), and turn angle of a drill bit. Obtained data in this work were compared with obtained results by other researchers. The particle-size distribution in granite-cutting sludge was analyzed in this paper. Statistical approach (Spearmen's rank-order correlation, multiple regression analysis with dummy variables, Kruskal-Wallis nonparametric test) was used to analyze the drilling process. Experimental data will be useful for specialists engaged in simulation and illustration of rock failure.

Hole at Telegraph Peak Drilled by Mars Rover Curiosity

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-02-25

This hole, with a diameter slightly smaller than a U.S. dime, was drilled by NASA Curiosity Mars rover into a rock target called Telegraph Peak. The rock is located within the basal layer of Mount Sharp. The hole was drilled on Feb. 24, 2015.

Improvement of the geotechnical axial design methodology for Colorado's drilled shafts socketed in weak rocks

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2003-07-01

Drilled shaft foundations embedded in weak rock formations (e.g., Denver blue claystone and sandstone) support a significant portion of bridges in Colorado. Since the 1960s, empirical methods and rules of thumb have been used to design drilled shafts...

Smaller Footprint Drilling System for Deep and Hard Rock Environments; Feasibility of Ultra-High-Speed Diamond Drilling

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Arnis Judzis; Alan Black; Homer Robertson

2006-03-01

The two phase program addresses long-term developments in deep well and hard rock drilling. TerraTek believes that significant improvements in drilling deep hard rock will be obtained by applying ultra-high rotational speeds (greater than 10,000 rpm). The work includes a feasibility of concept research effort aimed at development that will ultimately result in the ability to reliably drill ''faster and deeper'' possibly with smaller, more mobile rigs. The principle focus is on demonstration testing of diamond bits rotating at speeds in excess of 10,000 rpm to achieve high rate of penetration (ROP) rock cutting with substantially lower inputs of energymore » and loads. The significance of the ultra-high rotary speed drilling system is the ability to drill into rock at very low weights on bit and possibly lower energy levels. The drilling and coring industry today does not practice this technology. The highest rotary speed systems in oil field and mining drilling and coring today run less than 10,000 rpm--usually well below 5,000 rpm. This document details the progress to date on the program entitled ''Smaller Footprint Drilling System for Deep and Hard Rock Environments: Feasibility of Ultra-High-Speed Diamond Drilling'' for the period starting 1 October 2004 through 30 September 2005. Additionally, research activity from 1 October 2005 through 28 February 2006 is included in this report: (1) TerraTek reviewed applicable literature and documentation and convened a project kick-off meeting with Industry Advisors in attendance. (2) TerraTek designed and planned Phase I bench scale experiments. Some difficulties continue in obtaining ultra-high speed motors. Improvements have been made to the loading mechanism and the rotational speed monitoring instrumentation. New drill bit designs have been provided to vendors for production. A more consistent product is required to minimize the differences in bit performance. A test matrix for the final core bit testing program has been completed. (3) TerraTek is progressing through Task 3 ''Small-scale cutting performance tests''. (4) Significant testing has been performed on nine different rocks. (5) Bit balling has been observed on some rock and seems to be more pronounces at higher rotational speeds. (6) Preliminary analysis of data has been completed and indicates that decreased specific energy is required as the rotational speed increases (Task 4). This data analysis has been used to direct the efforts of the final testing for Phase I (Task 5). (7) Technology transfer (Task 6) has begun with technical presentations to the industry (see Judzis).« less

Geology of drill hole UE25p No. 1: A test hole into pre-Tertiary rocks near Yucca Mountain, southern Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Carr, M.D.; Waddell, S.J.; Vick, G.S.

1986-12-31

Yucca Mountain in southern Nye County, Nevada, has been proposed as a potential site for the underground disposal of high-level nuclear waste. An exploratory drill hole designated UE25p No. 1 was drilled 3 km east of the proposed repository site to investigate the geology and hydrology of the rocks that underlie the Tertiary volcanic and sedimentary rock sequence forming Yucca Mountain. Silurian dolomite assigned to the Roberts Mountain and Lone Mountain Formations was intersected below the Tertiary section between a depth of approximately 1244 m (4080 ft) and the bottom of the drill hole at 1807 m (5923 ft). Thesemore » formations are part of an important regional carbonate aquifer in the deep ground-water system. Tertiary units deeper than 1139 m (3733 ft) in drill hole UE25p No. 1 are stratigraphically older than any units previously penetrated by drill holes at Yucca Mountain. These units are, in ascending order, the tuff of Yucca Flat, an unnamed calcified ash-flow tuff, and a sequence of clastic deposits. The upper part of the Tertiary sequence in drill hole UE25p No. 1 is similar to that found in other drill holes at Yucca Mountain. The Tertiary sequence is in fault contact with the Silurian rocks. This fault between Tertiary and Paleozoic rocks may correlate with the Fran Ridge fault, a steeply westward-dipping fault exposed approximately 0.5 km east of the drill hole. Another fault intersects UE25p No. 1 at 873 m (2863 ft), but its surface trace is concealed beneath the valley west of the Fran Ridge fault. The Paintbrush Canyon fault, the trace of which passes less than 100 m (330 ft) east of the drilling site, intersects drill hole UE25p No. 1 at a depth of approximately 78 m (255 ft). The drill hole apparently intersected the west flank of a structural high of pre-Tertiary rocks, near the eastern edge of the Crater Flat structural depression.« less

Study of sample drilling techniques for Mars sample return missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mitchell, D. C.; Harris, P. T.

1980-01-01

To demonstrate the feasibility of acquiring various surface samples for a Mars sample return mission the following tasks were performed: (1) design of a Mars rover-mounted drill system capable of acquiring crystalline rock cores; prediction of performance, mass, and power requirements for various size systems, and the generation of engineering drawings; (2) performance of simulated permafrost coring tests using a residual Apollo lunar surface drill, (3) design of a rock breaker system which can be used to produce small samples of rock chips from rocks which are too large to return to Earth, but too small to be cored with the Rover-mounted drill; (4)design of sample containers for the selected regolith cores, rock cores, and small particulate or rock samples; and (5) design of sample handling and transfer techniques which will be required through all phase of sample acquisition, processing, and stowage on-board the Earth return vehicle. A preliminary design of a light-weight Rover-mounted sampling scoop was also developed.

A sampling study on rock properties affecting drilling rate index (DRI)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yenice, Hayati; Özdoğan, Mehmet V.; Özfırat, M. Kemal

2018-05-01

Drilling rate index (DRI) developed in Norway is a very useful index in determining the drillability of rocks and even in performance prediction of hard rock TBMs and it requires special laboratory test equipment. Drillability is one of the most important subjects in rock excavation. However, determining drillability index from physical and mechanical properties of rocks is very important for practicing engineers such as underground excavation, drilling operations in open pit mining, underground mining and natural stone production. That is why many researchers have studied concerned with drillability to find the correlations between drilling rate index (DRI) and penetration rate, influence of geological properties on drillability prediction in tunneling, correlations between rock properties and drillability. In this study, the relationships between drilling rate index (DRI) and some physico-mechanical properties (Density, Shore hardness, uniaxial compressive strength (UCS, σc), Indirect tensile strength (ITS, σt)) of three different rock groups including magmatic, sedimentary and metamorphic were evaluated using both simple and multiple regression analysis. This study reveals the effects of rock properties on DRI according to different types of rocks. In simple regression, quite high correlations were found between DRI and uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) and also between DRI and indirect tensile strength (ITS) values. Multiple regression analyses revealed even higher correlations when compared to simple regression. Especially, UCS, ITS, Shore hardness (SH) and the interactions between them were found to be very effective on DRI values.

Improving Site Characterization for Rock Dredging using a Drilling Parameter Recorder and the Point Load Test

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-09-01

materials. Also, available data from drilling rates in the mining and tunneling industries (Howarth and Rowlands 1987, Somerton 1959) indicate a...selected uniform natural rock materials and several man -made rock simulants were used to obtain drilling parameter records for materials of known...Dredging Seminar, Atlantic City, NJ, May 1993. Western Dredging Association (WEDA) and Texas A&M University. Somerton , W. H. (1959). "A laboratory study of

Mars Rover Step Toward Possible Resumption of Drilling

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-10-23

NASA's Curiosity Mars rover conducted a test on Oct. 17, 2017, as part of the rover team's development of a new way to use the rover's drill. This image from Curiosity's front Hazard Avoidance Camera (Hazcam) shows the drill's bit touching the ground during an assessment of measurements by a sensor on the rover's robotic arm. Curiosity used its drill to acquire sample material from Martian rocks 15 times from 2013 to 2016. In December 2016, the drill's feed mechanism stopped working reliably. During the test shown in this image, the rover touched the drill bit to the ground for the first time in 10 months. The image has been adjusted to brighten shaded areas so that the bit is more evident. The date was the 1,848th Martian day, or sol, of Curiosity's work on Mars In drill use prior to December 2016, two contact posts -- the stabilizers on either side of the bit -- were placed on the target rock while the bit was in a withdrawn position. Then the motorized feed mechanism within the drill extended the bit forward, and the bit's rotation and percussion actions penetrated the rock. A promising alternative now under development and testing -- called feed-extended drilling -- uses motion of the robotic arm to directly advance the extended bit into a rock. In this image, the bit is touching the ground but the stabilizers are not. In the Sol 1848 activity, Curiosity pressed the drill bit downward, and then applied smaller sideways forces while taking measurements with a force/torque sensor on the arm. The objective was to gain understanding about how readings from the sensor can be used during drilling to adjust for any sideways pressure that might risk the bit becoming stuck in a rock. While rover-team engineers are working on an alternative drilling method, the mission continues to examine sites on Mount Sharp, Mars, with other tools. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22063

Methods to ensure optimal off-bottom and drill bit distance under pellet impact drilling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kovalyov, A. V.; Isaev, Ye D.; Vagapov, A. R.; Urnish, V. V.; Ulyanova, O. S.

2016-09-01

The paper describes pellet impact drilling which could be used to increase the drilling speed and the rate of penetration when drilling hard rock for various purposes. Pellet impact drilling implies rock destruction by metal pellets with high kinetic energy in the immediate vicinity of the earth formation encountered. The pellets are circulated in the bottom hole by a high velocity fluid jet, which is the principle component of the ejector pellet impact drill bit. The paper presents the survey of methods ensuring an optimal off-bottom and a drill bit distance. The analysis of methods shows that the issue is topical and requires further research.

HPC simulations of grain-scale spallation to improve thermal spallation drilling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walsh, S. D.; Lomov, I.; Wideman, T. W.; Potter, J.

2012-12-01

Thermal spallation drilling and related hard-rock hole opening techniques are transformative technologies with the potential to dramatically reduce the costs associated with EGS well drilling and improve the productivity of new and existing wells. In contrast to conventional drilling methods that employ mechanical means to penetrate rock, thermal spallation methods fragment rock into small pieces ("spalls") without contact via the rapid transmission of heat to the rock surface. State-of-the-art constitutive models of thermal spallation employ Weibull statistical failure theory to represent the relationship between rock heterogeneity and its propensity to produce spalls when heat is applied to the rock surface. These models have been successfully used to predict such factors as penetration rate, spall-size distribution and borehole radius from drilling jet velocity and applied heat flux. A properly calibrated Weibull model would permit design optimization of thermal spallation drilling under geothermal field conditions. However, although useful for predicting system response in a given context, Weibull models are by their nature empirically derived. In the past, the parameters used in these models were carefully determined from laboratory tests, and thus model applicability was limited by experimental scope. This becomes problematic, for example, if simulating spall production at depths relevant for geothermal energy production, or modeling thermal spallation drilling in new rock types. Nevertheless, with sufficient computational resources, Weibull models could be validated in the absence of experimental data by explicit small-scale simulations that fully resolve rock grains. This presentation will discuss how high-fidelity simulations can be used to inform Weibull models of thermal spallation, and what these simulations reveal about the processes driving spallation at the grain-scale - in particular, the role that inter-grain boundaries and micro-pores play in the onset and extent of spallation. This work performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract DE-AC52-07NA27344.

A 3-D wellbore simulator (WELLTHER-SIM) to determine the thermal diffusivity of rock-formations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wong-Loya, J. A.; Santoyo, E.; Andaverde, J.

2017-06-01

Acquiring thermophysical properties of rock-formations in geothermal systems is an essential task required for the well drilling and completion. Wellbore thermal simulators require such properties for predicting the thermal behavior of a wellbore and the formation under drilling and shut-in conditions. The estimation of static formation temperatures also needs the use of these properties for the wellbore and formation materials (drilling fluids and pipes, cements, casings, and rocks). A numerical simulator (WELLTHER-SIM) has been developed for modeling the drilling fluid circulation and shut-in processes of geothermal wellbores, and for the in-situ determination of thermal diffusivities of rocks. Bottomhole temperatures logged under shut-in conditions (BHTm), and thermophysical and transport properties of drilling fluids were used as main input data. To model the thermal disturbance and recovery processes in the wellbore and rock-formation, initial drilling fluid and static formation temperatures were used as initial and boundary conditions. WELLTHER-SIM uses these temperatures together with an initial thermal diffusivity for the rock-formation to solve the governing equations of the heat transfer model. WELLTHER-SIM was programmed using the finite volume technique to solve the heat conduction equations under 3-D and transient conditions. Thermal diffusivities of rock-formations were inversely computed by using an iterative and efficient numerical simulation, where simulated thermal recovery data sets (BHTs) were statistically compared with those temperature measurements (BHTm) logged in some geothermal wellbores. The simulator was validated using a well-documented case reported in the literature, where the thermophysical properties of the rock-formation are known with accuracy. The new numerical simulator has been successfully applied to two wellbores drilled in geothermal fields of Japan and Mexico. Details of the physical conceptual model, the numerical algorithm, and the validation and application results are outlined in this work.

Assessing the efficiency of carbide drill bits and factors influencing their application to debris-rich subglacial ice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Cheng; Jiang, Jianliang; Cao, Pinlu; Wang, Jinsong; Fan, Xiaopeng; Shang, Yuequan; Talalay, Pavel

2017-09-01

When drilling into subglacial bedrock, drill operators commonly encounter basal ice containing high concentrations of rock debris and melt water. As such conditions can easily damage conventional ice drills, researchers have experimented with carbide, diamond, and polycrystalline diamond compact drill bits, with varying degrees of success. In this study, we analyzed the relationship between drilling speed and power consumption for a carbide drill bit penetrating debris-rich ice. We also assessed drill load, rotation speed, and various performance parameters for the cutting element, as well as the physical and mechanical properties of rock and ice, to construct mathematical models. We show that our modeled results are in close agreement with the experimental data, and that both penetration speed and power consumption are positively correlated with drill speed and load. When used in ice with 30% rock content, the maximum penetration speed of the carbide bit is 3.4 mm/s with a power consumption of ≤0.5 kW, making the bit suitable for use with existing electromechanical drills. Our study also provides a guide for further research into cutting heat and equipment design.

SMALLER FOOTPRINT DRILLING SYSTEM FOR DEEP AND HARD ROCK ENVIRONMENTS; FEASIBILITY OF ULTRA-HIGH SPEED DIAMOND DRILLING

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Alan Black; Arnis Judzis

2004-10-01

The two phase program addresses long-term developments in deep well and hard rock drilling. TerraTek believes that significant improvements in drilling deep hard rock will be obtained by applying ultra-high (greater than 10,000 rpm) rotational speeds. The work includes a feasibility of concept research effort aimed at development and test results that will ultimately result in the ability to reliably drill ''faster and deeper'' possibly with rigs having a smaller footprint to be more mobile. The principle focus is on demonstration testing of diamond bits rotating at speeds in excess of 10,000 rpm to achieve high rate of penetration rockmore » cutting with substantially lower inputs of energy and loads. The project draws on TerraTek results submitted to NASA's ''Drilling on Mars'' program. The objective of that program was to demonstrate miniaturization of a robust and mobile drilling system that expends small amounts of energy. TerraTek successfully tested ultrahigh speed ({approx}40,000 rpm) small kerf diamond coring. Adaptation to the oilfield will require innovative bit designs for full hole drilling or continuous coring and the eventual development of downhole ultra-high speed drives. For domestic operations involving hard rock and deep oil and gas plays, improvements in penetration rates is an opportunity to reduce well costs and make viable certain field developments. An estimate of North American hard rock drilling costs is in excess of $1,200 MM. Thus potential savings of $200 MM to $600 MM are possible if drilling rates are doubled [assuming bit life is reasonable]. The net result for operators is improved profit margin as well as an improved position on reserves. The significance of the ''ultra-high rotary speed drilling system'' is the ability to drill into rock at very low weights on bit and possibly lower energy levels. The drilling and coring industry today does not practice this technology. The highest rotary speed systems in oil field and mining drilling and coring today run less than 10,000 rpm--usually well below 5,000 rpm. This document details the progress to date on the program entitled ''SMALLER FOOTPRINT DRILLING SYSTEM FOR DEEP AND HARD ROCK ENVIRONMENTS; FEASIBILITY OF ULTRA-HIGH SPEED DIAMOND DRILLING'' for the period starting June 23, 2003 through September 30, 2004. TerraTek has reviewed applicable literature and documentation and has convened a project kick-off meeting with Industry Advisors in attendance. TerraTek has designed and planned Phase I bench scale experiments. Some difficulties in obtaining ultra-high speed motors for this feasibility work were encountered though they were sourced mid 2004. TerraTek is progressing through Task 3 ''Small-scale cutting performance tests''. Some improvements over early NASA experiments have been identified.« less

SMALLER FOOTPRINT DRILLING SYSTEM FOR DEEP AND HARD ROCK ENVIRONMENTS; FEASIBILITY OF ULTRA-HIGH SPEED DIAMOND DRILLING

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Alan Black; Arnis Judzis

2004-10-01

The two phase program addresses long-term developments in deep well and hard rock drilling. TerraTek believes that significant improvements in drilling deep hard rock will be obtained by applying ultra-high (greater than 10,000 rpm) rotational speeds. The work includes a feasibility of concept research effort aimed at development and test results that will ultimately result in the ability to reliably drill ''faster and deeper'' possibly with rigs having a smaller footprint to be more mobile. The principle focus is on demonstration testing of diamond bits rotating at speeds in excess of 10,000 rpm to achieve high rate of penetration rockmore » cutting with substantially lower inputs of energy and loads. The project draws on TerraTek results submitted to NASA's ''Drilling on Mars'' program. The objective of that program was to demonstrate miniaturization of a robust and mobile drilling system that expends small amounts of energy. TerraTek successfully tested ultrahigh speed ({approx}40,000 rpm) small kerf diamond coring. Adaptation to the oilfield will require innovative bit designs for full hole drilling or continuous coring and the eventual development of downhole ultra-high speed drives. For domestic operations involving hard rock and deep oil and gas plays, improvements in penetration rates is an opportunity to reduce well costs and make viable certain field developments. An estimate of North American hard rock drilling costs is in excess of $1,200 MM. Thus potential savings of $200 MM to $600 MM are possible if drilling rates are doubled [assuming bit life is reasonable]. The net result for operators is improved profit margin as well as an improved position on reserves. The significance of the ''ultra-high rotary speed drilling system'' is the ability to drill into rock at very low weights on bit and possibly lower energy levels. The drilling and coring industry today does not practice this technology. The highest rotary speed systems in oil field and mining drilling and coring today run less than 10,000 rpm--usually well below 5,000 rpm. This document details the progress to date on the program entitled ''SMALLER FOOTPRINT DRILLING SYSTEM FOR DEEP AND HARD ROCK ENVIRONMENTS; FEASIBILITY OF ULTRA-HIGH SPEED DIAMOND DRILLING'' for the period starting June 23, 2003 through September 30, 2004. (1) TerraTek has reviewed applicable literature and documentation and has convened a project kick-off meeting with Industry Advisors in attendance. (2) TerraTek has designed and planned Phase I bench scale experiments. Some difficulties in obtaining ultra-high speed motors for this feasibility work were encountered though they were sourced mid 2004. (3) TerraTek is progressing through Task 3 ''Small-scale cutting performance tests''. Some improvements over early NASA experiments have been identified.« less

30 CFR 33.1 - Purpose.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... PRODUCTS DUST COLLECTORS FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH ROCK DRILLING IN COAL MINES General Provisions § 33.1... with rock drilling in coal mines to procure their certification as permissible for use in coal mines...

30 CFR 33.1 - Purpose.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... PRODUCTS DUST COLLECTORS FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH ROCK DRILLING IN COAL MINES General Provisions § 33.1... with rock drilling in coal mines to procure their certification as permissible for use in coal mines...

30 CFR 33.1 - Purpose.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... PRODUCTS DUST COLLECTORS FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH ROCK DRILLING IN COAL MINES General Provisions § 33.1... with rock drilling in coal mines to procure their certification as permissible for use in coal mines...

30 CFR 33.1 - Purpose.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... PRODUCTS DUST COLLECTORS FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH ROCK DRILLING IN COAL MINES General Provisions § 33.1... with rock drilling in coal mines to procure their certification as permissible for use in coal mines...

30 CFR 33.1 - Purpose.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... PRODUCTS DUST COLLECTORS FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH ROCK DRILLING IN COAL MINES General Provisions § 33.1... with rock drilling in coal mines to procure their certification as permissible for use in coal mines...

Bounce Rock Dimple

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

This panoramic camera image shows the hole drilled by the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's rock abrasion tool into the rock dubbed 'Bounce' on Sol 65 of the rover's journey. The tool drilled about 7 millimeters (0.3 inches) into the rock and generated small piles of 'tailings' or rock dust around the central hole, which is about 4.5 centimeters (1.7 inches) across. The image from sol 66 of the mission was acquired using the panoramic camera's 430 nanometer filter.

Preliminary Research on Possibilities of Drilling Process Robotization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pawel, Stefaniak; Jacek, Wodecki; Jakubiak, Janusz; Zimroz, Radoslaw

2017-12-01

Nowadays, drilling & blasting is crucial technique for deposit excavation using in hard rock mining. Unfortunately, such approach requires qualified staff to perform, and consequently there is a serious risk related to rock mechanics when using explosives. Negative influence of explosives usage on safety issues of underground mine is a main cause of mining demands related to elimination of people from production area. Other aspects worth taking into consideration are drilling precision according to drilling pattern, blasting effectiveness, improvement of drilling tool reliability etc. In the literature different drilling support solutions are well-known in terms of positioning support systems, anti-jamming systems or cavity detection systems. For many years, teleoperation of drilling process is also developed. Unfortunately, available technologies have so far not fully met the industries expectation in hard rock. Mine of the future is expected to incorporate robotic system instead of current approaches. In this paper we present preliminary research related to robotization of drilling process and possibilities of its application in underground mine condition. A test rig has been proposed. To simulate drilling process several key assumptions have been accepted. As a result, algorithms for automation of drilling process have been proposed and tested on the test rig. Experiences gathered so far underline that there is a need for further developing robotic system for drilling process.

Potential Cement Phases in Sedimentary Rocks Drilled by Curiosity at Gale Crater, Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rampe, E. B.; Morris, R. V.; Bish, D. L.; Chipera, S. J.; Ming, D. W.; Blake, D. F.; Vaniman, D. T.; Bristow, T. F.; Cavanagh, P.; Farmer, J. D.;

Demonstrations of Gravity-Independent Mobility and Drilling on Natural Rock using Microspines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parness, Aaron; Frost, Matthew; King, Jonathan P.; Thatte, Nitish

2012-01-01

The video presents microspine-based anchors be ing developed for gripping rocks on the surfaces of comets and asteroids, or for use on cliff faces and lava tubes on Mars. Two types of anchor prototypes are shown on supporting forces in all directions away from the rock; >160 N tangent, >150 N at 45?, and >180 N normal to the surface of the rock. A compliant robotic ankle with two active degrees of freedom interfaces these anchors to the Lemur IIB robot for future climbing trials. Finally, a rotary percussive drill is shown coring into rock regardless of gravitational orientation. As a harder- than-zero-g proof of concept, inverted drilling was performed creating 20mm diameter boreholes 83 mm deep in vesicular basalt samples while retaining 12 mm diameter rock cores in 3-6 pieces.

Real Time Seismic Prediction while Drilling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schilling, F. R.; Bohlen, T.; Edelmann, T.; Kassel, A.; Heim, A.; Gehring, M.; Lüth, S.; Giese, R.; Jaksch, K.; Rechlin, A.; Kopf, M.; Stahlmann, J.; Gattermann, J.; Bruns, B.

2009-12-01

Efficient and safe drilling is a prerequisite to enhance the mobility of people and goods, to improve the traffic as well as utility infrastructure of growing megacities, and to ensure the growing energy demand while building geothermal and in hydroelectric power plants. Construction within the underground is often building within the unknown. An enhanced risk potential for people and the underground building may arise if drilling enters fracture zones, karsts, brittle rocks, mixed solid and soft rocks, caves, or anthropogenic obstacles. Knowing about the material behavior ahead of the drilling allows reducing the risk during drilling and construction operation. In drilling operations direct observations from boreholes can be complemented with geophysical investigations. In this presentation we focus on “real time” seismic prediction while drilling which is seen as a prerequisite while using geophysical methods in modern drilling operations. In solid rocks P- and S-wave velocity, refraction and reflection as well as seismic wave attenuation can be used for the interpretation of structures ahead of the drilling. An Integrated Seismic Imaging System (ISIS) for exploration ahead of a construction is used, where a pneumatic hammer or a magnetostrictive vibration source generate repetitive signals behind the tunneling machine. Tube waves are generated which travel along the tunnel to the working face. There the tube waves are converted to mainly S- but also P-Waves which interact with the formation ahead of the heading face. The reflected or refracted waves travel back to the working front are converted back to tube waves and recorded using three-component geophones which are fit into the tips of anchor rods. In near real time, the ISIS software allows for an integrated 3D imaging and interpretation of the observed data, geological and geotechnical parameters. Fracture zones, heterogeneities, and variations in the rock properties can be revealed during the drilling operation. First experiments indicate that parts of the ISIS system can be used for smaller diameters e.g. in vertical drilling. In unconsolidated rocks S-waves are strongly attenuated. For the Sonic Softground Probing (SSP) system P-waves are used. A vibration-seismic correlation positioning system was developed. One transmitter and several receiver are placed within the cutting wheel. During drilling, a specially coded transmitter signal is sent directly from the cutterhead via the face support medium in the direction of tunneling. With this geometry, boulders can be detected 50 m ahead of the working face. Fracture zones and other discontinuities can be localized, and the physical properties of the upcoming rocks can be partly determined nearly in real time, while using sound velocity and attenuation as indicators. All evaluation is based on real time 3D velocity models which are determined during the drilling operation. Different technologies allow a seismic prediction while drilling in various rock types and geologies. Seismic prediction during vertical drilling will significantly profit from the lesson learned from state of the art tunneling systems.

Cumberland Target Drilled by Curiosity

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-05-20

NASA Mars rover Curiosity drilled into this rock target, Cumberland, during the 279th Martian day, or sol, of the rover work on Mars May 19, 2013 and collected a powdered sample of material from the rock interior.

Powder-Collection System for Ultrasonic/Sonic Drill/Corer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sherrit, Stewart; Bar-Cohen, Yoseph; Bao, Xiaoqi; Chang, Zensheu; Blake, David; Bryson, Charles

2005-01-01

A system for collecting samples of powdered rock has been devised for use in conjunction with an ultrasonic/sonic drill/corer (USDC) -- a lightweight, lowpower apparatus designed to cut into, and acquire samples of, rock or other hard material for scientific analysis. The USDC includes a drill bit, corer, or other tool bit, in which ultrasonic and sonic vibrations are excited by an electronically driven piezoelectric actuator. The USDC advances into the rock or other material of interest by means of a hammering action and a resulting chiseling action at the tip of the tool bit. The hammering and chiseling actions are so effective that unlike in conventional twist drilling, a negligible amount of axial force is needed to make the USDC advance into the material. Also unlike a conventional twist drill, the USDC operates without need for torsional restraint, lubricant, or a sharp bit. The USDC generates powder as a byproduct of the drilling or coring process. The purpose served by the present samplecollection system is to remove the powder from the tool-bit/rock interface and deliver the powder to one or more designated location(s) for analysis or storage

Technology Development and Field Trials of EGS Drilling Systems at Chocolate Mountain

DOE Data Explorer

Steven Knudsen

2012-01-01

Polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) bits are routinely used in the oil and gas industry for drilling medium to hard rock but have not been adopted for geothermal drilling, largely due to past reliability issues and higher purchase costs. The Sandia Geothermal Research Department has recently completed a field demonstration of the applicability of advanced synthetic diamond drill bits for production geothermal drilling. Two commercially-available PDC bits were tested in a geothermal drilling program in the Chocolate Mountains in Southern California. These bits drilled the granitic formations with significantly better Rate of Penetration (ROP) and bit life than the roller cone bit they are compared with. Drilling records and bit performance data along with associated drilling cost savings are presented herein. The drilling trials have demonstrated PDC bit drilling technology has matured for applicability and improvements to geothermal drilling. This will be especially beneficial for development of Enhanced Geothermal Systems whereby resources can be accessed anywhere within the continental US by drilling to deep, hot resources in hard, basement rock formations.

Results from Testing of Two Rotary Percussive Drilling Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kriechbaum, Kristopher; Brown, Kyle; Cady, Ian; von der Heydt, Max; Klein, Kerry; Kulczycki, Eric; Okon, Avi

2010-01-01

The developmental test program for the MSL (Mars Science Laboratory) rotary percussive drill examined the e ect of various drill input parameters on the drill pene- tration rate. Some of the input parameters tested were drill angle with respect to gravity and percussive impact energy. The suite of rocks tested ranged from a high strength basalt to soft Kaolinite clay. We developed a hole start routine to reduce high sideloads from bit walk. The ongoing development test program for the IMSAH (Integrated Mars Sample Acquisition and Handling) rotary percussive corer uses many of the same rocks as the MSL suite. An additional performance parameter is core integrity. The MSL development test drill and the IMSAH test drill use similar hardware to provide rotation and percussion. However, the MSL test drill uses external stabilizers, while the IMSAH test drill does not have external stabilization. In addition the IMSAH drill is a core drill, while the MSL drill uses a solid powdering bit. Results from the testing of these two related drilling systems is examined.

Drilling Candidate Site Bonanza King on Mars

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-08-15

This Aug. 12, 2012, image from the Mastcam on NASA Curiosity Mars rover shows an outcrop that includes the Bonanza King rock under consideration as a drilling target. Raised ridges on the flat rocks are visible at right.

Confidence Hills -- The First Mount Sharp Drilling Site

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-11-04

This image shows the first holes drilled by NASA Mars rover Curiosity at Mount Sharp. The loose material near the drill holes is drill tailings and an accumulation of dust that slid down the rock during drilling.

Continuous depth profile of mechanical properties in the Nankai accretionary prism based on drilling performance parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamada, Y.; Kitamura, M.; Yamada, Y.; Sanada, Y.; Moe, K.; Hirose, T.

2016-12-01

In-situ rock properties in/around seismogenic zone in an accretionary prism are key parameters to understand the development mechanisms of an accretionary prism, spatio-temporal variation of stress state, and so on. For the purpose of acquiring continuous-depth-profile of in-situ formation strength in an accretionary prism, here we propose the new method to evaluate the in-situ rock strength using drilling performance property. Drilling parameters are inevitably obtained by any drilling operation even in the non-coring intervals or at challenging environment where core recovery may be poor. The relationship between the rock properties and drilling parameters has been proposed by previous researches [e.g. Teale 1964]. We introduced the relationship theory of Teale [1964], and developed a converting method to estimate in-situ rock strength without depending on uncertain parameters such as weight on bit (WOB). Specifically, we first calculated equivalent specific toughness (EST) which represents gradient of the relationship between Torque energy and volume of penetration at arbitrary interval (in this study, five meters). Then the EST values were converted into strength using the drilling parameters-rock strengths correlation obtained by Karasawa et al. [2002]. This method was applied to eight drilling holes in the Site C0002 of IODP NanTroSEIZE in order to evaluate in-situ rock strength in shallow to deep accretionary prism. In the shallower part (0 - 300 mbsf), the calculated strength shows sharp increase up to 20 MPa. Then the strength has approximate constant value to 1500 mbsf without significant change even at unconformity around 1000 mbsf (boundary between forearc basin and accretionary prism). Below that depth, value of the strength gradually increases with depth up to 60 MPa at 3000 mbsf with variation between 10 and 80 MPa. Because the calculated strength is across approximately the same lithology, the increase trend can responds to the rock strength. This strength-depth curve correspond reasonably well with the strength data of core and cutting samples collected from hole C0002N and C0002P [Kitamura et al., 2016 AGU]. These results show the validity of the method evaluating in-situ strength from the drilling parameters.

Smaller Footprint Drilling System for Deep and Hard Rock Environments; Feasibility of Ultra-High-Speed Diamond Drilling

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Arnis Judzis; Homer Robertson; Alan Black

2006-06-22

The two phase program addresses long-term developments in deep well and hard rock drilling. TerraTek believes that significant improvements in drilling deep hard rock will be obtained by applying ultra-high rotational speeds (greater than 10,000 rpm). The work includes a feasibility of concept research effort aimed at development that will ultimately result in the ability to reliably drill ''faster and deeper'' possibly with smaller, more mobile rigs. The principle focus is on demonstration testing of diamond bits rotating at speeds in excess of 10,000 rpm to achieve high rate of penetration (ROP) rock cutting with substantially lower inputs of energymore » and loads. The significance of the ''ultra-high rotary speed drilling system'' is the ability to drill into rock at very low weights on bit and possibly lower energy levels. The drilling and coring industry today does not practice this technology. The highest rotary speed systems in oil field and mining drilling and coring today run less than 10,000 rpm-usually well below 5,000 rpm. This document details the progress at the end of Phase 1 on the program entitled ''Smaller Footprint Drilling System for Deep and Hard Rock Environments: Feasibility of Ultra-High-Speed Diamond Drilling'' for the period starting 1 March 2006 and concluding 30 June 2006. (Note: Results from 1 September 2005 through 28 February 2006 were included in the previous report (see Judzis, Black, and Robertson)). Summarizing the accomplished during Phase 1: {lg_bullet} TerraTek reviewed applicable literature and documentation and convened a project kickoff meeting with Industry Advisors in attendance (see Black and Judzis). {lg_bullet} TerraTek designed and planned Phase I bench scale experiments (See Black and Judzis). Some difficulties continued in obtaining ultra-high speed motors. Improvements were made to the loading mechanism and the rotational speed monitoring instrumentation. New drill bit designs were developed to provided a more consistent product with consistent performance. A test matrix for the final core bit testing program was completed. {lg_bullet} TerraTek concluded Task 3 ''Small-scale cutting performance tests.'' {sm_bullet} Significant testing was performed on nine different rocks. {sm_bullet} Five rocks were used for the final testing. The final tests were based on statistical design of experiments. {sm_bullet} Two full-faced bits, a small diameter and a large diameter, were run in Berea sandstone. {lg_bullet} Analysis of data was completed and indicates that there is decreased specific energy as the rotational speed increases (Task 4). Data analysis from early trials was used to direct the efforts of the final testing for Phase I (Task 5). {lg_bullet} Technology transfer (Task 6) was accomplished with technical presentations to the industry (see Judzis, Boucher, McCammon, and Black).« less

Examining the relation between rock mass cuttability index and rock drilling properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yetkin, Mustafa E.; Özfırat, M. Kemal; Yenice, Hayati; Şimşir, Ferhan; Kahraman, Bayram

2016-12-01

Drilling rate is a substantial index value in drilling and excavation operations at mining. It is not only a help in determining physical and mechanical features of rocks, but also delivers strong estimations about instantaneous cutting rates. By this way, work durations to be finished on time, proper machine/equipment selection and efficient excavation works can be achieved. In this study, physical and mechanical properties of surrounding rocks and ore zones are determined by investigations carried out on specimens taken from an underground ore mine. Later, relationships among rock mass classifications, drillability rates, cuttability, and abrasivity have been investigated using multi regression analysis. As a result, equations having high regression rates have been found out among instantaneous cutting rates and geomechanical properties of rocks. Moreover, excavation machine selection for the study area has been made at the best possible interval.

Preparation on Earth for Drilling on Mars

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-02-20

The development of the Mars rover Curiosity capabilities for drilling into a rock on Mars required years of development work. Seen here are some of the rocks used in bit development testing and lifespan testing at JPL in 2007.

About creation of machines for rock destruction with formation of apertures of various cross-sections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhukov, I. A.; Dvornikov, L. T.; Nikitenko, S. M.

2016-04-01

The article presents the results of the experimental research of the high strength rock destruction by a bladeless tool. Rational circuit designs of disposing of indenters in the impact part of the drill bits and a diamond tool are justified. New constructive solutions of reinforcing bladeless drill bits, which allow drilling blast-holes of the various cross-section, are shown.

Design and testing of coring bits on drilling lunar rock simulant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Peng; Jiang, Shengyuan; Tang, Dewei; Xu, Bo; Ma, Chao; Zhang, Hui; Qin, Hongwei; Deng, Zongquan

2017-02-01

Coring bits are widely utilized in the sampling of celestial bodies, and their drilling behaviors directly affect the sampling results and drilling security. This paper introduces a lunar regolith coring bit (LRCB), which is a key component of sampling tools for lunar rock breaking during the lunar soil sampling process. We establish the interaction model between the drill bit and rock at a small cutting depth, and the two main influential parameters (forward and outward rake angles) of LRCB on drilling loads are determined. We perform the parameter screening task of LRCB with the aim to minimize the weight on bit (WOB). We verify the drilling load performances of LRCB after optimization, and the higher penetrations per revolution (PPR) are, the larger drilling loads we gained. Besides, we perform lunar soil drilling simulations to estimate the efficiency on chip conveying and sample coring of LRCB. The results of the simulation and test are basically consistent on coring efficiency, and the chip removal efficiency of LRCB is slightly lower than HIT-H bit from simulation. This work proposes a method for the design of coring bits in subsequent extraterrestrial explorations.

Continuous depth profile of the rock strength in the Nankai accretionary prism based on drilling performance parameters.

PubMed

Hamada, Yohei; Kitamura, Manami; Yamada, Yasuhiro; Sanada, Yoshinori; Sugihara, Takamitsu; Saito, Saneatsu; Moe, Kyaw; Hirose, Takehiro

2018-02-14

A new method for evaluating the in situ rock strength beneath the seafloor is proposed and applied to the Nankai Trough accretionary prism. The depth-continuous in situ rock strength is a critical parameter for numerous studies in earth science, particularly for seismology and tectonics at plate convergence zones; yet, measurements are limited owing to a lack of drilled cores. Here, we propose a new indicator of strength, the equivalent strength (EST), which is determined only by drilling performance parameters such as drill string rotational torque, bit depth, and string rotational speed. A continuous depth profile of EST was drawn from 0 to 3000 m below the seafloor (mbsf) across the forearc basin and accretionary prism in the Nankai Trough. The EST did not show a significant increase around the forearc basin-accretionary prism boundary, but it did show a clear increase within the prism, ca. below 1500 mbsf. This result may indicate that even the shallow accretionary prism has been strengthened by horizontal compression derived from plate subduction. The EST is a potential parameter to continuously evaluate the in situ rock strength during drilling, and its accuracy of the absolute value can be improved by combining with laboratory drilling experiments.

30 CFR 33.4 - Types of dust collectors for which certificates of approval may be granted.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... CONNECTION WITH ROCK DRILLING IN COAL MINES General Provisions § 33.4 Types of dust collectors for which... specifically to prevent dissemination of airborne dust generated by drilling into coal-mine rock strata in...

30 CFR 33.4 - Types of dust collectors for which certificates of approval may be granted.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... CONNECTION WITH ROCK DRILLING IN COAL MINES General Provisions § 33.4 Types of dust collectors for which... specifically to prevent dissemination of airborne dust generated by drilling into coal-mine rock strata in...

30 CFR 33.4 - Types of dust collectors for which certificates of approval may be granted.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... CONNECTION WITH ROCK DRILLING IN COAL MINES General Provisions § 33.4 Types of dust collectors for which... specifically to prevent dissemination of airborne dust generated by drilling into coal-mine rock strata in...

30 CFR 33.4 - Types of dust collectors for which certificates of approval may be granted.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... CONNECTION WITH ROCK DRILLING IN COAL MINES General Provisions § 33.4 Types of dust collectors for which... specifically to prevent dissemination of airborne dust generated by drilling into coal-mine rock strata in...

30 CFR 33.4 - Types of dust collectors for which certificates of approval may be granted.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... CONNECTION WITH ROCK DRILLING IN COAL MINES General Provisions § 33.4 Types of dust collectors for which... specifically to prevent dissemination of airborne dust generated by drilling into coal-mine rock strata in...

Rock bit requires no flushing medium to maintain drilling speed

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1965-01-01

Steel drill bit having terraces of teeth intersected by spiral grooves with teeth permits the boring of small holes through rock with low power. The cuttings are stored in a chamber behind the cutting head. Could be used as sampling device.

First Drilled Sample on Mars Since 2016

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-05-23

NASA's Curiosity rover successfully drilled a hole 2 inches (5.1 centimeters) deep in a target called "Duluth" on May 20, 2018. The hole is about .6 inches (1.6 centimeters) across. It was the first rock sample captured by the drill since October 2016. A mechanical issue took the drill offline in December 2016. Engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, had to innovate a new way for the rover to drill in order to restore this ability. The new technique, called Feed Extended Drilling (FED) keeps the drill's bit extended out past two stabilizer posts that were originally used to steady the drill against Martian rocks. It lets Curiosity drill using the force of its robotic arm, a little more like a human would while drilling into a wall at home. This image was taken by Curiosity's Mast Camera (Mastcam) on Sol 2057. It has been white balanced and contrast-enhanced. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22325

Modified Standard Penetration Test–based Drilled Shaft Design Method for Weak Rocks (Phase 2 Study)

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-12-15

In this project, Illinois-specific design procedures were developed for drilled shafts founded in weak shale or rock. In particular, a modified standard penetration test was developed and verified to characterize the in situ condition of weak shales ...

Curiosity Self-Portrait at Okoruso Drill Hole

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-06-13

This self-portrait of NASA's Curiosity Mars rover shows the vehicle at a drilled sample site called "Okoruso," on the "Naukluft Plateau" of lower Mount Sharp. The scene combines multiple images taken with the rover's Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) on May 11, 2016, during the 1,338th Martian day, or sol, of the rover's work on Mars. In front of the rover is the hole, surrounded by grayish drill cuttings, created by using Curiosity's drill to collect sample rock powder at Okoruo, plus a patch of powder dumped onto the ground after delivery of a portion to the rover's internal Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin) laboratory instrument. The rover team compared the rock powder from drilling at Okoruso to material from the nearby "Lubango" drilling site, which is visible behind the rover, just to the left of the mast. The Lubango site was selected within a pale zone, or "halo," beside a fracture in the area's sandstone bedrock. Okoruso is in less-altered bedrock farther from any fractures. Note that the Okoruso drill cuttings appear darker than the Lubango drill cuttings. The Lubango sample was found to be enriched in silica and sulfates, relative to Okoruso. To the left of the rover, in this scene, several broken rocks reveal grayish interiors. Here, Curiosity was driven over the rocks in a fracture-associated halo, so that freshly exposed surfaces could be examined with MAHLI, Mast Camera (Mastcam) and Chemistry and Camera (ChemCam) instruments. An upper portion of Mount Sharp is prominent on the horizon. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20602

Geological mapping and analysis in determining resource recitivity limestone rocks in the village of Mersip and surrounding areas, district Limun, Sorolangun Regency, Jambi Province

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dona, Obie Mario; Ibrahim, Eddy; Susilo, Budhi Kuswan

2017-11-01

The research objective is to describe potential, to analyze the quality and quantity of limestone, and to know the limit distribution of rocks based on the value of resistivity, the pattern of distribution of rocks by drilling, the influence mineral growing on rock against resistivity values, the model deposition of limestone based on the value resistivity of rock and drilling, and the comparison between the interpretation resistivity values based on petrographic studies by drilling. Geologic Formations study area consists of assays consisting of altered sandstone, phyllite, slate, siltstone, grewake, and inset limestone. Local quartz sandstone, schist, genealogy, which is Member of Mersip Stylists Formation, consists of limestone that formed in shallow seas. Stylists Formation consists of slate, shale, siltstone and sandstone. This research methodology is quantitative using experimental observation by survey. This type of research methodology by its nature is descriptive analysis.

30 CFR 33.34 - Drilling test.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Drilling test. 33.34 Section 33.34 Mineral... MINING PRODUCTS DUST COLLECTORS FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH ROCK DRILLING IN COAL MINES Test Requirements § 33.34 Drilling test. (a) A drilling test shall consist of drilling a set of 10 test holes, without...

30 CFR 33.34 - Drilling test.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Drilling test. 33.34 Section 33.34 Mineral... MINING PRODUCTS DUST COLLECTORS FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH ROCK DRILLING IN COAL MINES Test Requirements § 33.34 Drilling test. (a) A drilling test shall consist of drilling a set of 10 test holes, without...

30 CFR 33.34 - Drilling test.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Drilling test. 33.34 Section 33.34 Mineral... MINING PRODUCTS DUST COLLECTORS FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH ROCK DRILLING IN COAL MINES Test Requirements § 33.34 Drilling test. (a) A drilling test shall consist of drilling a set of 10 test holes, without...

Similar on the Inside (post-grinding)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

This approximate true-color image taken by the panoramic camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity show the hole drilled into the rock called 'Pilbara,' which is located in the small crater dubbed 'Fram.' Spirit drilled into this rock with its rock abrasion tool. The rock appears to be dotted with the same 'blueberries,' or spherules, found at 'Eagle Crater.' After analyzing the hole with the rover's scientific instruments, scientists concluded that Pilbara has a similar chemical make-up, and thus watery past, to rocks studied at Eagle Crater. This image was taken with the panoramic camera's 480-, 530- and 600-nanometer filters.

Smaller Footprint Drilling System for Deep and Hard Rock Environments; Feasibility of Ultra-High-Speed Diamond Drilling

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

TerraTek, A Schlumberger Company

2008-12-31

The two phase program addresses long-term developments in deep well and hard rock drilling. TerraTek believes that significant improvements in drilling deep hard rock will be obtained by applying ultra-high rotational speeds (greater than 10,000 rpm). The work includes a feasibility of concept research effort aimed at development that will ultimately result in the ability to reliably drill 'faster and deeper' possibly with smaller, more mobile rigs. The principle focus is on demonstration testing of diamond bits rotating at speeds in excess of 10,000 rpm to achieve high rate of penetration (ROP) rock cutting with substantially lower inputs of energymore » and loads. The significance of the 'ultra-high rotary speed drilling system' is the ability to drill into rock at very low weights on bit and possibly lower energy levels. The drilling and coring industry today does not practice this technology. The highest rotary speed systems in oil field and mining drilling and coring today run less than 10,000 rpm - usually well below 5,000 rpm. This document provides the progress through two phases of the program entitled 'Smaller Footprint Drilling System for Deep and Hard Rock Environments: Feasibility of Ultra-High-Speed Diamond Drilling' for the period starting 30 June 2003 and concluding 31 March 2009. The accomplishments of Phases 1 and 2 are summarized as follows: (1) TerraTek reviewed applicable literature and documentation and convened a project kick-off meeting with Industry Advisors in attendance (see Black and Judzis); (2) TerraTek designed and planned Phase I bench scale experiments (See Black and Judzis). Improvements were made to the loading mechanism and the rotational speed monitoring instrumentation. New drill bit designs were developed to provided a more consistent product with consistent performance. A test matrix for the final core bit testing program was completed; (3) TerraTek concluded small-scale cutting performance tests; (4) Analysis of Phase 1 data indicated that there is decreased specific energy as the rotational speed increases; (5) Technology transfer, as part of Phase 1, was accomplished with technical presentations to the industry (see Judzis, Boucher, McCammon, and Black); (6) TerraTek prepared a design concept for the high speed drilling test stand, which was planned around the proposed high speed mud motor concept. Alternative drives for the test stand were explored; a high speed hydraulic motor concept was finally used; (7) The high speed system was modified to accommodate larger drill bits than originally planned; (8) Prototype mud turbine motors and the high speed test stand were used to drive the drill bits at high speed; (9) Three different rock types were used during the testing: Sierra White granite, Crab Orchard sandstone, and Colton sandstone. The drill bits used included diamond impregnated bits, a polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) bit, a thermally stable PDC (TSP) bit, and a hybrid TSP and natural diamond bit; and (10) The drill bits were run at rotary speeds up to 5500 rpm and weight on bit (WOB) to 8000 lbf. During Phase 2, the ROP as measured in depth of cut per bit revolution generally increased with increased WOB. The performance was mixed with increased rotary speed, with the depth cut with the impregnated drill bit generally increasing and the TSP and hybrid TSP drill bits generally decreasing. The ROP in ft/hr generally increased with all bits with increased WOB and rotary speed. The mechanical specific energy generally improved (decreased) with increased WOB and was mixed with increased rotary speed.« less

Method and apparatus for water jet drilling of rock

DOEpatents

Summers, David A.; Mazurkiewicz, Marian; Bushnell, Dwight J.; Blaine, James

1978-01-01

Rock drilling method and apparatus utilizing high pressure water jets for drilling holes of relatively small diameter at speeds significantly greater than that attainable with existing drilling tools. Greatly increased drilling rates are attained due to jet nozzle geometry and speed of rotation. The jet nozzle design has two orifices, one pointing axially ahead in the direction of travel and the second inclined at an angle of approximately 30.degree. from the axis. The two orifices have diameters in the ratio of approximately 1:2. Liquid jet velocities in excess of 1,000 ft/sec are used, and the nozzle is rotated at speeds up to 1,000 rpm and higher.

Contamination Tracer Testing With Seabed Rock Drills: IODP Expedition 357

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orcutt, B.; Bergenthal, M.; Freudenthal, T.; Smith, D. J.; Lilley, M. D.; Schneiders, L.; Fruh-Green, G. L.

2016-12-01

IODP Expedition 357 utilized seabed rock drills for the first time in the history of the ocean drilling program, with the aim of collecting intact core of shallow mantle sequences from the Atlantis Massif to examine serpentinization processes and the deep biosphere. This new drilling approach required the development of a new system for delivering synthetic tracers during drilling to assess for possible sample contamination. Here, we describe this new tracer delivery system, assess the performance of the system during the expedition, provide an overview of the quality of the core samples collected for deep biosphere investigations based on tracer concentrations, and make recommendations for future applications of the system.

Physical rock properties in and around a conduit zone by well-logging in the Unzen Scientific Drilling Project, Japan

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ikeda, R.; Kajiwara, T.; Omura, K.; Hickman, S.

2008-01-01

The objective of the Unzen Scientific Drilling Project (USDP) is not only to reveal the structure and eruption history of the Unzen volcano but also to clarify the ascent and degassing mechanisms of the magma conduit. Conduit drilling (USDP-4) was conducted in 2004, which targeted the magma conduit for the 1990-95 eruption. The total drilled length of USDP-4 was 1995.75??m. Geophysical well logging, including resistivity, gamma-ray, spontaneous potential, sonic-wave velocity, density, neutron porosity, and Fullbore Formation MicroImager (FMI), was conducted at each drilling stage. Variations in the physical properties of the rocks were revealed by the well-log data, which correlated with not only large-scale formation boundaries but also small-scale changes in lithology. Such variations were evident in the lava dike, pyroclastic rocks, and breccias over depth intervals ranging from 1 to 40??m. These data support previous models for structure of the lava conduit, in that they indicate the existence of alternating layers of high-resistivity and high P-wave velocity rocks corresponding to the lava dikes, in proximity to narrower zones exhibiting high porosity, low resistivity, and low P-wave velocity. These narrow, low-porosity zones are presumably higher in permeability than the adjacent rocks and may form preferential conduits for degassing during magma ascent. ?? 2008 Elsevier B.V.

Deep-Time drilling in the Australian Archean: the Agouron Institute geobiological drilling project. (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buick, R.

2010-12-01

The Agouron Institute has sponsored deep-time drilling across the South African Archean-Proterozoic boundary, investigating the rise of oxygen over an onshore-offshore environmental transect. It is now supporting a drilling program in the Australian Archean of the Pilbara Craton, addressing a similar theme but with the added goal of resolving controversy over the age and origin of hydrocarbon biomarker molecules in ancient kerogenous shales. As these have been claimed to provide evidence for the evolution of oxygenic photosynthesis long before the rise of atmospheric oxygen to persistently high levels during the ~2.3 Ga “Great Oxidation Event”, their syngenesis with their host shales is thus of critical importance for the interpretation of Earth’s early oxygenation history. During the first drilling season, 3 holes were drilled using techniques and equipment to minimize organic geochemical contamination (new drill-string components cleaned before drilling potentially biomarker-bearing rocks, pre-contamination of drilling fluid with a synthetic organic compound of similar geochemical characteristics to biomarkers, sterile cutting and storage of samples immediately upon retrieval from the core-barrel). The initial hole was a blank control for organic geochemistry, drilled into rocks too metamorphosed to retain biomarker molecules. These rocks, cherts, carbonates and pelites of the 3.52 Ga Coucal Formation, Coonterunah Group, have been metamorphosed to upper greenschist facies at temperatures near 500°C and so should have had any ancient soluble hydrocarbons destroyed. However, because they contain both carbonate and organic carbon, these rocks can instead provide isotopic information about the earliest evolution of biological metabolism as they possess residues of both the reactant and product sides of the carbon-fixation reaction. The second hole sampled an on-shore section of carbonates and kerogenous shales in the ~2.65 Ga Carawine Dolomite and Lewin Shale of the Hamersley Group near Yilgalong Creek. This location had been previously drilled by a mining company in the 1980’s and the core provided the highest biomarker yields of any Archean rocks thus far sampled. As it has been suggested that these biomarkers are non-indigenous contaminants, one possibility is that they were introduced into the drill-core at some time between drilling and sampling, so this hole tests that hypothesis. If biomarker concentrations and ratios differ significantly between the two adjacent holes with differing exposures to post-drilling contaminants, then clearly contamination has affected one or other of the cores. The third hole sampled an off-shore equivalent, through banded irons and kerogenous shales of the ~2.65 Ga Marra Mamba and Jeerinah Formations of the Hamersley Group near Cowcumba Creek. Another opportunity for contamination may arise during post-depositional but pre-drilling hydrocarbon migration, when biomarkers can potentially be introduced into previously barren rocks by younger oils, so this hole tests that possibility. As it was drilled through the same stratigraphic interval and structural domain as the second hole but in a different environment, biomarker ratios should be similar if contaminated but different if indigenous.

A New Method of Stress Measurement Based upon Elastic Deformation of Core Sample with Stress Relief by Drilling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ito, T.; Funato, A.; Tamagawa, T.; Tezuka, K.; Yabe, Y.; Abe, S.; Ishida, A.; Ogasawara, H.

2017-12-01

When rock is cored at depth by drilling, anisotropic expansion occurs with the relief of anisotropic rock stresses, resulting in a sinusoidal variation of core diameter with a period of 180 deg. in the core roll angle. The circumferential variation of core diameter is given theoretically as a function of rock stresses. These new findings can lead various ideas to estimate the rock stress from circumferential variation of core diameter measured after the core retrieving. In the simplest case when a single core sample is only available, the difference between the maximum and minimum components of rock stress in a plane perpendicular to the drilled hole can be estimated from the maximum and minimum core diameters (see the detail in, Funato and Ito, IJRMMS, 2017). The advantages of this method include, (i) much easier measurement operation than those in other in-situ or in-lab estimation methods, and (ii) applicability in high stress environment where stress measurements need pressure for packers or pumping system for the hydro-fracturing methods higher than their tolerance levels. We have successfully tested the method at deep seismogenic zones in South African gold mines, and we are going to apply it to boreholes collared at 3 km depth and intersecting a M5.5 rupture plane several hundred meters below the mine workings in the ICDP project of "Drilling into Seismogenic zones of M2.0 - M5.5 earthquakes in deep South African gold mines" (DSeis) (e.g., http://www.icdp-online.org/projects/world/africa/orkney-s-africa/details/). If several core samples with different orientation are available, all of three principal components of 3D rock stress can be estimated. To realize this, we should have several boreholes drilled in different directions in a rock mass where the stress field is considered to be uniform. It is commonly carried out to dill boreholes in different directions from a mine gallery. Even in a deep borehole drilled vertically from the ground surface, the downhole tool of rotary sidewall coring allows us to take core samples with different orientations at depths of interest from the sidewall of the vertically-drilled borehole. The theoretical relationship between the core expansion and rock stress has been verified through the examination of core samples prepared in laboratory experiments and retrieved field cores.

Extended Horizontal Jet Drilling for EGS applications in Petrothermal Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hahn, Simon; Duda, Mandy; Stoeckhert, Ferdinand; Wittig, Volker; Bracke, Rolf

2017-04-01

Extended Horizontal Jet Drilling for EGS applications in Petrothermal Environments S. Hahn, M. Duda, F. Stoeckhert, V. Wittig, R. Bracke International Geothermal Centre Bochum High pressure water jet drilling technologies are widely used in the drilling industry. Especially in geothermal and hard rock applications, horizontal (radial) jet drilling is, however, confronted with several limitations like lateral length, hole size and steerability. In order to serve as a serious alternative to conventional stimulation techniques these high pressure jetting techniques are experimentally investigated to gain fundamental knowledge about the fluid-structure interaction, to enhance the rock failing process and to identify the governing drilling parameters. The experimental program is divided into three levels. In a first step jetting experiments are performed under free surface conditions while logging fluid pressures, flow speeds and extracted rock volume. All process parameters are quantified with a self-developed jet-ability index and compared to the rock properties (density, porosity, permeability, etc.). In a second step experiments will be performed under pressure-controlled conditions. A test bench is currently under construction offering the possibility to assign an in-situ stress field to the specimen while penetrating the rock sample with a high pressure water jet or a radial jet drilling device. The experimental results from levels 1 and 2 allow to identify the governing rock failure mechanisms and to correlate them with physical rock properties and limited reservoir conditions. Results of the initial tests do show a clear dependency of achievable penetration depth on the interaction of jetting and rock parameters and an individual threshold of the nozzle outlet velocity can be noticed in order to successfully penetrate different formation types. At level 3 jetting experiments will be performed at simulated reservoir conditions corresponding to 5.000 m depth (e.g. up to 1.250 bar and 180 °C) on large samples with a diameter of 25 cm and a length of up to 3m using GZB's in-situ borehole and geofluid simulator 'iBOGS'. Experiments will be documented by active and passive ultrasound measurements and high speed imaging. Acknowledgement Jetting research and work at GZB has received funding in part from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 654662 and also from federal government GER and state of NRW.

NETL Extreme Drilling Laboratory Studies High Pressure High Temperature Drilling Phenomena

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lyons, K.D.; Honeygan, S.; Moroz, T.H.

2008-12-01

The U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) established the Extreme Drilling Laboratory to engineer effective and efficient drilling technologies viable at depths greater than 20,000 ft. This paper details the challenges of ultradeep drilling, documents reports of decreased drilling rates as a result of increasing fluid pressure and temperature, and describes NETL's research and development activities. NETL is invested in laboratory-scale physical simulation. Its physical simulator will have capability of circulating drilling fluids at 30,000 psi and 480°F around a single drill cutter. This simulator is not yet operational; therefore, the results will be limited to themore » identification of leading hypotheses of drilling phenomena and NETL's test plans to validate or refute such theories. Of particular interest to the Extreme Drilling Laboratory's studies are the combinatorial effects of drilling fluid pressure, drilling fluid properties, rock properties, pore pressure, and drilling parameters, such as cutter rotational speed, weight on bit, and hydraulics associated with drilling fluid introduction to the rock-cutter interface. A detailed discussion of how each variable is controlled in a laboratory setting will be part of the conference paper and presentation.« less

Application of Composite Indices for Improving Joint Detection Capabilities of Instrumented Roof Bolt Drills in Underground Mining and Construction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Wenpeng; Rostami, Jamal; Elsworth, Derek; Ray, Asok

2018-03-01

Roof bolts are the dominant method of ground support in mining and tunneling applications, and the concept of using drilling parameters from the bolter for ground characterization has been studied for a few decades. This refers to the use of drilling data to identify geological features in the ground including joints and voids, as well as rock classification. Rock mass properties, including distribution of joints/voids and strengths of rock layers, are critical factors for proper design of ground support to avoid instability. The goal of this research was to improve the capability and sensitivity of joint detection programs based on the updated pattern recognition algorithms in sensing joints with smaller than 3.175 mm (0.125 in.) aperture while reducing the number of false alarms, and discriminating rock layers with different strengths. A set of concrete blocks with different strengths were used to simulate various rock layers, where the gap between the blocks would represent the joints in laboratory tests. Data obtained from drilling through these blocks were analyzed to improve the reliability and precision of joint detection systems. While drilling parameters can be used to detect the gaps, due to low accuracy of the results, new composite indices have been introduced and used in the analysis to improve the detection rates. This paper briefly discusses ongoing research on joint detection by using drilling parameters collected from a roof bolter in a controlled environment. The performances of the new algorithms for joint detection are also examined by comparing their ability to identify existing joints and reducing false alarms.

Curiosity Conducting Mini-Drill Test at Mojave

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-01-14

This view NASA Curiosity Mars Rover shows the rover drill in position for a mini-drill test to assess whether a rock target called Mojave is appropriate for full-depth drilling to collect a sample. It was taken on Jan. 13, 2015.

Geophysical investigations in deep horizontal holes drilled ahead of tunnelling

USGS Publications Warehouse

Carroll, R.D.; Cunningham, M.J.

1980-01-01

Deep horizontal drill holes have been used since 1967 by the Defense Nuclear Agency as a primary exploration tool for siting nuclear events in tunnels at the Nevada Test Site. The U.S. Geological Survey had developed geophysical logging techniques for obtaining resistivity and velocity in these holes, and to date 33 horizontal drill holes in excess of 300 m in depth have been successfully logged. The deepest hole was drilled to a horizontal depth of 1125 m. The purposes of the logging measurements are to define clay zones, because of the unstable ground conditions such zones can present to tunnelling, and to define zones of partially saturated rock, because of the attenuating effects such zones have on the shock wave generated by the nuclear detonation. Excessive attenuation is undesirable because the shock wave is used as a tunnel closure mechanism to contain debris and other undesirable explosion products. Measurements are made by pumping resistivity, sonic and geophone probes down the drill string and out of the bit into the open hole. Clay zones are defined by the electrical resistivity technique based on empirical data relating the magnitude of the resistivity measurement to qualitative clay content. Rock exhibiting resistivity of less than 20 ??-m is considered potentially unstable, and resistivities less than 10 ??-m indicate appreciable amounts of clay are present in the rock. Partially saturated rock zones are defined by the measurement of the rock sound speed. Zones in the rock which exhibit velocities less than 2450 m/sec are considered of potential concern. ?? 1980.

Applications of NTNU/SINTEF Drillability Indices in Hard Rock Tunneling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zare, S.; Bruland, A.

2013-01-01

Drillability indices, i.e., the Drilling Rate Index™ (DRI), Bit Wear Index™ (BWI), Cutter Life Index™ (CLI), and Vickers Hardness Number Rock (VHNR), are indirect measures of rock drillability. These indices are recognized as providing practical characterization of rock properties used in the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) time and cost prediction models available for hard rock tunneling and surface excavation. The tests form the foundation of various hard rock equipment capacity and performance prediction methods. In this paper, application of the tests for tunnel boring machine (TBM) and drill and blast (D&B) tunneling is investigated and the impact of the indices on excavation time and costs is presented.

A study of electro-osmosis as applied to drilling engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hariharan, Peringandoor Raman

In the present research project. the application of the process of electro-osmosis has been extended to a variety of rocks during the drilling operation. Electro-osmosis has been utilized extensively to examine its influence in reducing (i) bit balling, (ii) coefficient of friction between rock and metal and (iii) bit/tool wear. An attempt has been made to extend the envelope of confidence in which electro-osmosis was found to be operating satisfactorily. For all the above cases the current requirements during electro-osmosis were identified and were recorded. A novel test method providing repeatable results has been developed to study the problem of bit balling in the laboratory through the design of a special metallic bob simulating the drill bit. A numerical parameter described as the Degree-of-Balling (DOB) defined by the amount of cuttings stuck per unit volume of rock cut for the same duration of time is being proposed as a means to quantitatively describe the balling process in the laboratory. Five different types of shales (Pierre I & II, Catoosa, Mancos and Wellington) were compared and evaluated for balling characteristics and to determine the best conditions for reducing bit balling with electro-osmosis in a variety of drilling fluids including fresh water, polymer solutions and field type drilling fluids. Through the design, fabrication and performing of experiments conducted with a model Bottom Hole Assembly (BHA). the feasibility of maintaining the drill bit separately at a negative potential and causing the current to flow through the rock back into the string through a near bit stabilizer has been demonstrated. Experiments conducted with this self contained arrangement for the application of electro-osmosis have demonstrated a substantial decrease in balling and increase in the rate of penetration (ROP) while drilling with both a roller cone and PDC microbit (1-1/4" dia.) in Pierre I and Wellington shales. It is believed that the results obtained from the model BHA will aid in scaling up to a full-scale prototype BHA for possible application in the field. Experiments conducted with electro-osmosis in a simulated drill string under loaded conditions have clearly demonstrated that the coefficient of friction (mu) can be reduced at the interface of a rotating cylinder (simulating the drill-pipe) and a rock (usually a type of shale), through electro-osmosis. Studies examined the influence of many variables such as drilling fluid, rock type, and current on mu. The need for the correct estimation of mu is for reliable correlation between values obtained in the laboratory with those observed in the field. The knowledge of the coefficient of friction (mu) is an important requirement for drill string design and well trajectory planning. The use of electro-osmosis in reducing bit/tool wear through experiments in various rocks utilizing a specially designed steel bob simulating the drill bit has clearly indicated a decreased average tool wear, varying from 35% in Pierre I shale up to 57% in sandstone when used with the tool maintained at a cathodic DC potential. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

Confined compressive strength analysis can improve PDC bit selection. [Polycrystalline Diamond Compact

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fabain, R.T.

1994-05-16

A rock strength analysis program, through intensive log analysis, can quantify rock hardness in terms of confined compressive strength to identify intervals suited for drilling with polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) bits. Additionally, knowing the confined compressive strength helps determine the optimum PDC bit for the intervals. Computing rock strength as confined compressive strength can more accurately characterize a rock's actual hardness downhole than other methods. the information can be used to improve bit selections and to help adjust drilling parameters to reduce drilling costs. Empirical data compiled from numerous field strength analyses have provided a guide to selecting PDC drillmore » bits. A computer analysis program has been developed to aid in PDC bit selection. The program more accurately defines rock hardness in terms of confined strength, which approximates the in situ rock hardness downhole. Unconfined compressive strength is rock hardness at atmospheric pressure. The program uses sonic and gamma ray logs as well as numerous input data from mud logs. Within the range of lithologies for which the program is valid, rock hardness can be determine with improved accuracy. The program's output is typically graphed in a log format displaying raw data traces from well logs, computer-interpreted lithology, the calculated values of confined compressive strength, and various optional rock mechanic outputs.« less

Checking Contact Points for Curiosity Drill

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-06-05

This image demonstrates how engineers place the drill carried by NASA Mars rover Curiosity onto rock targets. They first set down the drill two stabilizing prongs near the target, as shown by the dashed line.

Organic geochemistry, lithology, and paleontology of Tertiary and Mesozoic rocks from wells on the Alaska Peninsula

USGS Publications Warehouse

McLean, Hugh James

1977-01-01

Core chips and drill cuttings from eight of the nine wells drilled along the Bering Sea lowlands of the Alaska Peninsula were subjected to lithologic and paleontologic analyses. Results suggest that at least locally, sedimentary rocks of Tertiary age contain oil and gas source and reservoir rocks capable of generating and accumulating liquid and gas hydrocarbons. Paleogene strata rich in organic carbon are immature. However, strata in offshore basins to the north and south may have been subjected to a more productive thermal environment. Total organic carbon content of fine grained Neogene strata appears to be significantly lower than in Paleogene rocks, possibly reflecting nonmarine or brackish water environments of deposition. Neogene sandstone beds locally yield high values of porosity and permeability to depths of about 8,000 feet (2,439 m). Below this depth, reservoir potential rapidly declines. The General Petroleum, Great Basins No. 1 well drilled along the shore of Bristol Bay reached granitic rocks. Other wells drilled closer to the axis of the present volcanic arc indicate that both Tertiary and Mesozoic sedimentary rocks have been intruded by dikes and sills of andesite and basalt. Although the Alaska Peninsula has been the locus of igneous activity throughout much of Mesozoic and Tertiary time, thermal maturity indicators such as vitrinite reflectance and coal rank suggest, that on a regional scale, sedimentary rocks have not been subjected to abnormally high geothermal gradients.

Physical-Property Measurements on Core samples from Drill-Holes DB-1 and DB-2, Blue Mountain Geothermal Prospect, North-Central Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ponce, David A.; Watt, Janet T.; Casteel, John; Logsdon, Grant

2009-01-01

From May to June 2008, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collected and measured physical properties on 36 core samples from drill-hole Deep Blue No. 1 (DB-1) and 46 samples from drill-hole Deep Blue No. 2 (DB-2) along the west side of Blue Mountain about 40 km west of Winnemucca, Nev. These data were collected as part of an effort to determine the geophysical setting of the Blue Mountain geothermal prospect as an aid to understanding the geologic framework of geothermal systems throughout the Great Basin. The physical properties of these rocks and other rock types in the area create a distinguishable pattern of gravity and magnetic anomalies that can be used to infer their subsurface geologic structure. Drill-holes DB-1 and DB-2 were spudded in alluvium on the western flank of Blue Mountain in 2002 and 2004, respectively, and are about 1 km apart. Drill-hole DB-1 is at a ground elevation of 1,325 m and was drilled to a depth of 672 m and drill-hole DB-2 is at a ground elevation of 1,392 m and was drilled to a depth of 1522 m. Diameter of the core samples is 6.4 cm. These drill holes penetrate Jurassic and Triassic metasedimentary rocks predominantly consisting of argillite, mudstone, and sandstone; Tertiary diorite and gabbro; and younger Tertiary felsic dikes.

GRAIN-SCALE FAILURE IN THERMAL SPALLATION DRILLING

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Walsh, S C; Lomov, I; Roberts, J J

2012-01-19

Geothermal power promises clean, renewable, reliable and potentially widely-available energy, but is limited by high initial capital costs. New drilling technologies are required to make geothermal power financially competitive with other energy sources. One potential solution is offered by Thermal Spallation Drilling (TSD) - a novel drilling technique in which small particles (spalls) are released from the rock surface by rapid heating. While TSD has the potential to improve drilling rates of brittle granitic rocks, the coupled thermomechanical processes involved in TSD are poorly described, making system control and optimization difficult for this drilling technology. In this paper, we discussmore » results from a new modeling effort investigating thermal spallation drilling. In particular, we describe an explicit model that simulates the grain-scale mechanics of thermal spallation and use this model to examine existing theories concerning spalling mechanisms. We will report how borehole conditions influence spall production, and discuss implications for macro-scale models of drilling systems.« less

NETL Extreme Drilling Laboratory Studies High Pressure High Temperature Drilling Phenomena

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lyons, K.D.; Honeygan, S.; Moroz, T

2007-06-01

The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) established an Extreme Drilling Lab to engineer effective and efficient drilling technologies viable at depths greater than 20,000 feet. This paper details the challenges of ultra-deep drilling, documents reports of decreased drilling rates as a result of increasing fluid pressure and temperature, and describes NETL’s Research and Development activities. NETL is invested in laboratory-scale physical simulation. Their physical simulator will have capability of circulating drilling fluids at 30,000 psi and 480 °F around a single drill cutter. This simulator will not yet be operational by the planned conference dates; therefore,more » the results will be limited to identification of leading hypotheses of drilling phenomena and NETL’s test plans to validate or refute such theories. Of particular interest to the Extreme Drilling Lab’s studies are the combinatorial effects of drilling fluid pressure, drilling fluid properties, rock properties, pore pressure, and drilling parameters, such as cutter rotational speed, weight on bit, and hydraulics associated with drilling fluid introduction to the rock-cutter interface. A detailed discussion of how each variable is controlled in a laboratory setting will be part of the conference paper and presentation.« less

The Final Phase of Drilling of the Hawaii Scientific Drilling Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stolper, E.; Depaolo, D.; Thomas, D.; Garcia, M.; Haskins, E.; Baker, M.

2008-12-01

The principal goal of the Hawaii Scientific Drilling Project (HSDP) was to core continuously deep into the flank of a Hawaiian volcano and to investigate the petrology, geochemisty, geochronology, magnetics, etc. of the recovered samples. Drilling in Hilo, on the island of Hawaii proceeded in three phases. A 1.06 km pilot hole was core-drilled in 1993; a second hole was core-drilled to 3,098 meters below sea level (mbsl) in 1999, then deepened in 2004-2007 to 3,509 mbsl. Although the final phase of drilling was at times technically challenging, core recovery was close to 100%. All rocks from the final phase of drilling were emplaced below sea level and are from the Mauna Kea volcano. On-site core logging identified 45 separate units (the 1999 phase of drilling yielded 345 units). Five lithologies were identified: pillows (~60%); pillow breccias (~10%); massive lavas (~12%); hyaloclastites (~17%); intrusives (~1%; these are mostly multiple thin (down to cm scale) fingers of magma with identical lithologies occurring over narrow depth intervals). The rocks are primarily tholeiitic, ranging from aphyric to highly olivine-phyric lavas (up to ~25% olivine phenocrysts), with considerable fresh glass and olivine; clays and zeolites are present throughout the core. Forty whole-rock samples were collected as a reference suite and sent to multiple investigators for study. Additionally, glass was collected at roughly 3 m intervals for electron microprobe analysis. Although continuous and consistent with the shallower rocks from the previous phase of coring, there are several noteworthy features of the deepest core: (1) Glasses from shallower portions of the core exhibited bimodal silica contents, a low SiO2 group (~48-50 wt.%) and a high SiO2 group (~50.5- 52 wt.%). Glasses from the last phase of drilling are essentially all in the high-silica group and are somewhat more evolved than the high-silica glasses from the shallower portion of the core (5.1-7.6 vs. 5.1-10.4 wt.% MgO). (2) The expected sequence of lithologies with depth in the core is subaerial lava flows, hyaloclastites (formed by debris flows carrying glass and lithic fragments from the shoreline down the submarine flanks of the volcano), and finally pillow lavas. This sequence was generally observed in the earlier phases of drilling, and it appeared that the deepest rocks from the 1999 phase of drilling were essentially all formed from pillow lavas (i.e., there were no more hyaloclastites). However, thick hyaloclastites reflecting long distance transport from the ancient shoreline reappear in the bottom ~100 m of the drill hole. Although it may be coincidence, pillow breccias occur in the shallower parts of the core from the final phase of drilling, but not in the deeper parts in which the hyaloclastites reappear. (3) Intrusive rocks make up a lower fraction (~1%) of samples from the final phase of coring than in the deeper parts of the section from the 1999 phase of drilling (3.8%). It had been suggested that intrusives might become more common the deeper the drilling, but this is not the case at depths down to 3.5 km. (4) There are three units classified as "massive" including one relatively thick (~40 m), featureless (no internal boundaries, no evidence of mixing or internal differentiation), moderately olivine-phyric basalt.

Detachment Faulting, Serpentinization, Fluids and Life: Preliminary Results of IODP Expedition 357 (Atlantis Massif, MAR 30°N)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fruh-Green, G. L.; Orcutt, B.; Green, S.; Cotterill, C.

2016-12-01

We present an overview of IODP Expedition 357, which successfully used two seabed rock drills to core 17 shallow holes at 9 sites across Atlantis Massif (Mid-Atlantic Ridge 30°N). A major goal of this expedition is to investigate serpentinization processes and microbial activity in the shallow subsurface of highly altered ultramafic and mafic sequences that have been uplifted to the seafloor along a major detachment fault zone. More than 57 m of core were recovered, with borehole penetration ranging from 1.3 to 16.4 meters below seafloor, and core recovery as high as 75% of total penetration. The cores show highly heterogeneous rock type, bulk rock chemistry and alteration that reflect multiple phases of magmatism and fluid-rock interaction within the detachment fault zone. In cores along an E-W transect of the southern wall, recovered mantle peridotites are locally intruded by gabbroic and doleritic dikes and veins. The proportion of mafic rocks are volumetrically less than the amount of mafic rocks recovered previously in the central dome at IODP Site U1309, suggesting a lower degree of melt infiltration into mantle peridotite at the ridge-transform intersection. New technologies were developed and successfully applied for the first time: (1) an in-situ sensor package and water sampling system on each seabed drill measured real-time variations in dissolved methane, oxygen, pH, oxidation reduction potential, temperature, and conductivity during drilling and took water samples after drilling; (2) a borehole plug system to seal the boreholes was successfully deployed at two sites to allow access for future sampling; and (3) delivery of chemical tracers into the drilling fluids for contamination testing. We will provide an overview of the drilling strategy and preliminary results of Expedition 357, and highlight the role of serpentinization in sustaining microbial communities in a region of active serpentinization and low temperature hydrothermal alteration.

Drilled shaft resistance based on diameter, torque and crowd (drilling resistance vs. rock strength) phase II [summary].

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-05-01

Over the past 20 years, drilled shafts have demonstrated increasing popularity over driven : precast piles. Drilled shafts can accommodate a wider range of sizes, and noise and vibration : during construction are significantly reduced. On the other h...

An interactive drilling simulator for teaching and research

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cooper, G.A.; Cooper, A.G.; Bihn, G.

1995-12-31

An interactive program has been constructed that allows a student or engineer to simulate the drilling of an oil well, and to optimize the drilling process by comparing different drilling plans. The program operates in a very user-friendly way, with emphasis on menu and button-driven commands. The simulator may be run either as a training program, with exercises that illustrate various features of the drilling process, as a game, in which a student is set a challenge to drill a well with minimum cost or time under constraints set by an instructor, or as a simulator of a real situationmore » to investigate the merit of different drilling strategies. It has three main parts, a Lithology Editor, a Settings Editor and the simulation program itself. The Lithology Editor allows the student, instructor or engineer to build a real or imaginary sequence of rock layers, each characterized by its mineralogy, drilling and log responses. The Settings Editor allows the definition of all the operational parameters, ranging from the drilling and wear rates of particular bits in specified rocks to the costs of different procedures. The simulator itself contains an algorithm that determines rate of penetration and rate of wear of the bit as drilling continues. It also determines whether the well kicks or fractures, and assigns various other {open_quotes}accident{close_quotes} conditions. During operation, a depth vs. time curve is displayed, together with a {open_quotes}mud log{close_quotes} showing the rock layers penetrated. If desired, the well may be {open_quotes}logged{close_quotes} casings may be set and pore and fracture pressure gradients may be displayed. During drilling, the total time and cost are shown, together with cost per foot in total and for the current bit run.« less

MeBo70 Seabed Drilling on a Polar Continental Shelf: Operational Report and Lessons From Drilling in the Amundsen Sea Embayment of West Antarctica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gohl, K.; Freudenthal, T.; Hillenbrand, C.-D.; Klages, J.; Larter, R.; Bickert, T.; Bohaty, S.; Ehrmann, W.; Esper, O.; Frederichs, T.; Gebhardt, C.; Küssner, K.; Kuhn, G.; Pälike, H.; Ronge, T.; Simões Pereira, P.; Smith, J.; Uenzelmann-Neben, G.; van de Flierdt, C.

2017-11-01

A multibarrel seabed drill rig was used for the first time to drill unconsolidated sediments and consolidated sedimentary rocks from an Antarctic shelf with core recoveries between 7% and 76%. We deployed the MARUM-MeBo70 drill device at nine drill sites in the Amundsen Sea Embayment. Three sites were located on the inner shelf of Pine Island Bay from which soft sediments, presumably deposited at high sedimentation rates in isolated small basins, were recovered from drill depths of up to 36 m below seafloor. Six sites were located on the middle shelf of the eastern and western embayment. Drilling at five of these sites recovered consolidated sediments and sedimentary rocks from dipping strata spanning ages from Cretaceous to Miocene. This report describes the initial coring results, the challenges posed by drifting icebergs and sea ice, and technical issues related to deployment of the MeBo70. We also present recommendations for similar future drilling campaigns on polar continental shelves.

Microgravity Drill and Anchor System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parness, Aaron; Frost, Matthew A.; King, Jonathan P.

2013-01-01

This work is a method to drill into a rock surface regardless of the gravitational field or orientation. The required weight-on-bit (WOB) is supplied by a self-contained anchoring mechanism. The system includes a rotary percussive coring drill, forming a complete sampling instrument usable by robot or human. This method of in situ sample acquisition using micro - spine anchoring technology enables several NASA mission concepts not currently possible with existing technology, including sampling from consolidated rock on asteroids, providing a bolt network for astronauts visiting a near-Earth asteroid, and sampling from the ceilings or vertical walls of lava tubes and cliff faces on Mars. One of the most fundamental parameters of drilling is the WOB; essentially, the load applied to the bit that allows it to cut, creating a reaction force normal to the surface. In every drilling application, there is a minimum WOB that must be maintained for the system to function properly. In microgravity (asteroids and comets), even a small WOB could not be supported conventionally by the weight of the robot or astronaut. An anchoring mechanism would be needed to resist the reactions, or the robot or astronaut would push themselves off the surface and into space. The ability of the system to anchor itself to a surface creates potential applications that reach beyond use in low gravity. The use of these anchoring mechanisms as end effectors on climbing robots has the potential of vastly expanding the scope of what is considered accessible terrain. Further, because the drill is supported by its own anchor rather than by a robotic arm, the workspace is not constrained by the reach of such an arm. Yet, if the drill is on a robotic arm, it has the benefit of not reflecting the forces of drilling back to the arm s joints. Combining the drill with the anchoring feet will create a highly mobile, highly stable, and highly reliable system. The drilling system s anchor uses hundreds of microspine toes that independently find holes and ledges on a rock to create an anchor. Once the system is anchored, a linear translation mechanism moves the drill axially into the surface while maintaining the proper WOB. The linear translation mechanism is composed of a ball screw and stepper motor that can translate a carriage with high precision and applied load. The carriage slides along rails using self-aligning linear bearings that correct any axial misalignment caused by bending and torsion. The carriage then compresses a series of springs that simultaneously transmit the load to the drill along the bit axis and act as a suspension that compensates for the vibration caused by percussive drilling. The drill is a compacted, modified version of an off-the-shelf rotary percussive drill, which uses a custom carbide-tipped coring bit. By using rotary percussive drilling, the drill time is greatly reduced. The percussive action fractures the rock debris, which is removed during rotation. The final result is a 0.75-in. (.1.9- cm) diameter hole and a preserved 0.5- in. (.1.3-cm) diameter rock core. This work extends microspine technology, making it applicable to astronaut missions to asteroids and a host of robotic sampling concepts. At the time of this reporting, it is the first instrument to be demonstrated using microspine anchors, and is the first self-contained drill/anchor system to be demonstrated that is capable of drilling in inverted configurations and would be capable of drilling in microgravity.

Laboratory Equipment for Investigation of Coring Under Mars-like Conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zacny, K.; Cooper, G.

2004-12-01

To develop a suitable drill bit and set of operating conditions for Mars sample coring applications, it is essential to make tests under conditions that match those of the mission. The goal of the laboratory test program was to determine the drilling performance of diamond-impregnated bits under simulated Martian conditions, particularly those of low pressure and low temperature in a carbon dioxide atmosphere. For this purpose, drilling tests were performed in a vacuum chamber kept at a pressure of 5 torr. Prior to drilling, a rock, soil or a clay sample was cooled down to minus 80 degrees Celsius (Zacny et al, 2004). Thus, all Martian conditions, except the low gravity were simulated in the controlled environment. Input drilling parameters of interest included the weight on bit and rotational speed. These two independent variables were controlled from a PC station. The dependent variables included the bit reaction torque, the depth of the bit inside the drilled hole and the temperatures at various positions inside the drilled sample, in the center of the core as it was being cut and at the bit itself. These were acquired every second by a data acquisition system. Additional information such as the rate of penetration and the drill power were calculated after the test was completed. The weight of the rock and the bit prior to and after the test were measured to aid in evaluating the bit performance. In addition, the water saturation of the rock was measured prior to the test. Finally, the bit was viewed under the Scanning Electron Microscope and the Stereo Optical Microscope. The extent of the bit wear and its salient features were captured photographically. The results revealed that drilling or coring under Martian conditions in a water saturated rock is different in many respects from drilling on Earth. This is mainly because the Martian atmospheric pressure is in the vicinity of the pressure at the triple point of water. Thus ice, heated by contact with the rotating bit, sublimed and released water vapor. The volumetric expansion of ice turning into a vapor was over 150 000 times. This continuously generated volume of gas effectively cleared the freeze-dried rock cuttings from the bottom of the hole. In addition, the subliming ice provided a powerful cooling effect that kept the bit cold and preserved the core in its original state. Keeping the rock core below freezing also reduced drastically the chances of cross contamination. To keep the bit cool in near vacuum conditions where convective cooling is poor, some intermittent stops would have to be made. Under virtually the same drilling conditions, coring under Martian low temperature and pressure conditions consumed only half the power while doubling the rate of penetration as compared to drilling under Earth atmospheric conditions. However, the rate of bit wear was much higher under Martian conditions (Zacny and Cooper, 2004) References Zacny, K. A., M. C. Quayle, and G. A. Cooper (2004), Laboratory drilling under Martian conditions yields unexpected results, J. Geophys. Res., 109, E07S16, doi:10.1029/2003JE002203. Zacny, K. A., and G. A. Cooper (2004), Investigation of diamond-impregnated drill bit wear while drilling under Earth and Mars conditions, J. Geophys. Res., 109, E07S10, doi:10.1029/2003JE002204. Acknowledgments The research supported by the NASA Astrobiology, Science and Technology Instrument Development (ASTID) program.

Cumberland Selected as Curiosity Second Drilling Target

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-05-09

This map shows the location of Cumberland, the second rock-drilling target for NASA Mars rover Curiosity, in relation to the rover first drilling target, John Klein, within the southwestern lobe of a shallow depression called Yellowknife Bay.

Experimental system for drilling simulated lunar rock in ultrahigh vacuum

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roepke, W. W.

1975-01-01

An experimental apparatus designed for studying drillability of hard volcanic rock in a simulated lunar vacuum of 5 x 10 to the minus 10th power torr is described. The engineering techniques used to provide suitable drilling torque inside the ultrahigh vacuum chamber while excluding all hydrocarbon are detailed. Totally unlubricated bearings and gears were used to better approximate the true lunar surface conditions within the ultrahigh vacuum system. The drilling system has a starting torque of 30 in-lb with an unloaded running torque of 4 in-lb. Nominal torque increase during drilling is 4.5 in-lb or a total drilling torque of 8.5 in-lb with a 100-lb load on the drill bit at 210 rpm. The research shows conclusively that it is possible to design operational equipment for moderate loads operating under UHV conditions without the use of sealed bearings or any need of lubricants whatsoever.

Roofbolters with compressed-air rotators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lantsevich, MA; Repin Klishin, AA, VI; Kokoulin, DI

2018-03-01

The specifications of the most popular roofbolters of domestic and foreign manufacture currently in operation in coal mines are discussed. Compressed-air roofbolters SAP and SAP2 designed at the Institute of Mining are capable of drilling in hard rocks. The authors describe the compressed-air rotator of SAP2 roofbolter with alternate motion rotors. From the comparative analysis of characteristics of SAP and SAP 2 roofbolters, the combination of high-frequency axial and rotary impacts on a drilling tool in SAP2 ensure efficient drilling in rocks with the strength up to 160 MPa.

Microbial diversity in ultra-high-pressure rocks and fluids from the Chinese Continental Scientific Drilling Project in China.

PubMed

Zhang, Gengxin; Dong, Hailiang; Xu, Zhiqin; Zhao, Donggao; Zhang, Chuanlun

2005-06-01

Microbial communities in ultra-high-pressure (UHP) rocks and drilling fluids from the Chinese Continental Scientific Drilling Project were characterized. The rocks had a porosity of 1 to 3.5% and a permeability of approximately 0.5 mDarcy. Abundant fluid and gas inclusions were present in the minerals. The rocks contained significant amounts of Fe2O3, FeO, P2O5, and nitrate (3 to 16 ppm). Acridine orange direct counting and phospholipid fatty acid analysis indicated that the total counts in the rocks and the fluids were 5.2 x 10(3) to 2.4 x 10(4) cells/g and 3.5 x 10(8) to 4.2 x 10(9) cells/g, respectively. Enrichment assays resulted in successful growth of thermophilic and alkaliphilic bacteria from the fluids, and some of these bacteria reduced Fe(III) to magnetite. 16S rRNA gene analyses indicated that the rocks were dominated by sequences similar to sequences of Proteobacteria and that most organisms were related to nitrate reducers from a saline, alkaline, cold habitat; however, some phylotypes were either members of a novel lineage or closely related to uncultured clones. The bacterial communities in the fluids were more diverse and included Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, gram-positive bacteria, Planctomycetes, and Candidatus taxa. The archaeal diversity was lower, and most sequences were not related to any known cultivated species. Some archaeal sequences were 90 to 95% similar to sequences recovered from ocean sediments or other subsurface environments. Some archaeal sequences from the drilling fluids were >93% similar to sequences of Sulfolobus solfataricus, and the thermophilic nature was consistent with the in situ temperature. We inferred that the microbes in the UHP rocks reside in fluid and gas inclusions, whereas those in the drilling fluids may be derived from subsurface fluids.

Microbial Diversity in Ultra-High-Pressure Rocks and Fluids from the Chinese Continental Scientific Drilling Project in China

PubMed Central

Zhang, Gengxin; Dong, Hailiang; Xu, Zhiqin; Zhao, Donggao; Zhang, Chuanlun

2005-01-01

Microbial communities in ultra-high-pressure (UHP) rocks and drilling fluids from the Chinese Continental Scientific Drilling Project were characterized. The rocks had a porosity of 1 to 3.5% and a permeability of ∼0.5 mDarcy. Abundant fluid and gas inclusions were present in the minerals. The rocks contained significant amounts of Fe2O3, FeO, P2O5, and nitrate (3 to 16 ppm). Acridine orange direct counting and phospholipid fatty acid analysis indicated that the total counts in the rocks and the fluids were 5.2 × 103 to 2.4 × 104 cells/g and 3.5 × 108 to 4.2 × 109 cells/g, respectively. Enrichment assays resulted in successful growth of thermophilic and alkaliphilic bacteria from the fluids, and some of these bacteria reduced Fe(III) to magnetite. 16S rRNA gene analyses indicated that the rocks were dominated by sequences similar to sequences of Proteobacteria and that most organisms were related to nitrate reducers from a saline, alkaline, cold habitat; however, some phylotypes were either members of a novel lineage or closely related to uncultured clones. The bacterial communities in the fluids were more diverse and included Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, gram-positive bacteria, Planctomycetes, and Candidatus taxa. The archaeal diversity was lower, and most sequences were not related to any known cultivated species. Some archaeal sequences were 90 to 95% similar to sequences recovered from ocean sediments or other subsurface environments. Some archaeal sequences from the drilling fluids were >93% similar to sequences of Sulfolobus solfataricus, and the thermophilic nature was consistent with the in situ temperature. We inferred that the microbes in the UHP rocks reside in fluid and gas inclusions, whereas those in the drilling fluids may be derived from subsurface fluids. PMID:15933024

Curiosity Rover Self Portrait at John Klein Drilling Site

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-02-07

The rover is positioned at a patch of flat outcrop called John Klein, which was selected as the site for the first rock-drilling activities by NASA Curiosity. This self-portrait was acquired to document the drilling site.

Candidate Drilling Target on Mars Doesnt Pass Exam

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-08-22

This image from the front Hazcam on NASA Curiosity Mars rover shows the rover drill in place during a test of whether the rock beneath it, Bonanza King, would be an acceptable target for drilling to collect a sample.

Use of spectral gamma ray as a lithology guide for fault rocks: A case study from the Wenchuan Earthquake Fault Scientific Drilling project Borehole 4 (WFSD-4).

PubMed

Amara Konaté, Ahmed; Pan, Heping; Ma, Huolin; Qin, Zhen; Guo, Bo; Yevenyo Ziggah, Yao; Kounga, Claude Ernest Moussounda; Khan, Nasir; Tounkara, Fodé

2017-10-01

The main purpose of the Wenchuan Earthquake Fault Scientific drilling project (WFSD) was to produce an in-depth borehole into the Yingxiu-Beichuan (YBF) and Anxian-Guanxian faults in order to gain a much better understanding of the physical and chemical properties as well as the mechanical faulting involved. Five boreholes, namely WFSD-1, WFSD-2, WFSD-3P, WFSD-3 and WFSD-4, were drilled during the project entirety. This study, therefore, presents first-hand WFSD-4 data on the lithology (original rocks) and fault rocks that have been obtained from the WFSD project. In an attempt to determine the physical properties and the clay minerals of the lithology and fault rocks, this study analyzed the spectral gamma ray logs (Total gamma ray, Potassium, Thorium and Uranium) recorded in WFSD-4 borehole on the Northern segment of the YBF. The obtained results are presented as cross-plots and statistical multi log analysis. Both lithology and fault rocks show a variability of spectral gamma ray (SGR) logs responses and clay minerals. This study has shown the capabilities of the SGR logs for well-logging of earthquake faults and proves that SGR logs together with others logs in combination with drill hole core description is a useful method of lithology and fault rocks characterization. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Geo-navigation system for rotary percussion drilling in rocks of high and low electrical conductivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konurin, AI; Khmelinin, AP; Denisova, EV

2018-03-01

The currently available drill navigation systems, with their benefits and shortcomings are reviewed. A mathematical model is built to describe the inertial navigation system movement in horizontal and inclined drilling. A prototype model of the inertial navigation system for rotary percussion drills has been designed.

Where tunneling equipment is heading

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Singhal, R.K.

1984-02-01

A variety of equipment is being used for roadheading and tunneling in the mining industry. This includes hydraulic/rotary precussive drills for use in conventional drill and blast, drum-type continuous miners, roadheaders, mini-and midi-full facers for small size openings, soft rock shielded tunnel boring machines, and hard rock tunnel boring machines. The availability, performance, and specifications for tunneling equipment are discussed.

Laboratory Investigations for the Role of Flushing Media in Diamond Drilling of Marble

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhatnagar, A.; Khandelwal, Manoj; Rao, K. U. M.

2011-05-01

Marble is used as a natural stone for decorative purposes from ages. Marble is a crystalline rock, composed predominantly of calcite, dolomite or serpentine. The presence of impurities imparts decorative pattern and colors. The diamond-based operations are extensively used in the mining and processing of marble. Marble is mined out in the form of blocks of cuboids shape and has to undergo extensive processing to make it suitable for the end users. The processing operation includes slabbing, sizing, polishing, etc. Diamond drilling is also commonly used for the exploration of different mineral deposits throughout the world. In this paper an attempt has been made to enhance the performance of diamond drilling on marble rocks by adding polyethylene-oxide (PEO) in the flushing water. The effect of PEO added with the drilling water was studied by varying different machine parameters and flushing media concentration in the laboratory. The responses were rate of penetration and torque at bit-rock interface. Different physico-mechanical properties of marble were also determined. It was found that flushing water added with PEO can substantially enhance the penetration rates and reduce the torque developed at the bit-rock interface as compared to plain flushing water.

Preparatory Drilling Test on Martian Target Windjana

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-04-30

NASA Curiosity Mars rover completed a shallow mini drill test April 29, 2014, in preparation for full-depth drilling at a rock target called Windjana. The hole results from the test is 0.63 inch across and about 0.8 inch deep.

Curiosity Drill in Place for Load Testing Before Drilling

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-01-28

The percussion drill in the turret of tools at the end of the robotic arm of NASA Mars rover Curiosity has been positioned in contact with the rock surface in this image from the rover front Hazard-Avoidance Camera Hazcam.

Abnormally high formation pressures, Potwar Plateau, Pakistan

USGS Publications Warehouse

Law, B.E.; Shah, S.H.A.; Malik, M.A.

1998-01-01

Abnormally high formation pressures in the Potwar Plateau of north-central Pakistan are major obstacles to oil and gas exploration. Severe drilling problems associated with high pressures have, in some cases, prevented adequate evaluation of reservoirs and significantly increased drilling costs. Previous investigations of abnormal pressure in the Potwar Plateau have only identified abnormal pressures in Neogene rocks. We have identified two distinct pressure regimes in this Himalayan foreland fold and thrust belt basin: one in Neogene rocks and another in pre-Neogene rocks. Pore pressures in Neogene rocks are as high as lithostatic and are interpreted to be due to tectonic compression and compaction disequilibrium associated with high rates of sedimentation. Pore pressure gradients in pre-Neogene rocks are generally less than those in Neogene rocks, commonly ranging from 0.5 to 0.7 psi/ft (11.3 to 15.8 kPa/m) and are most likely due to a combination of tectonic compression and hydrocarbon generation. The top of abnormally high pressure is highly variable and doesn't appear to be related to any specific lithologic seal. Consequently, attempts to predict the depth to the top of overpressure prior to drilling are precluded.

PDC-bit performance under simulated borehole conditions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Anderson, E.E.; Azar, J.J.

1993-09-01

Laboratory drilling tests were used to investigate the effects of pressure on polycrystalline-diamond-compact (PDC) drill-bit performance. Catoosa shale core samples were drilled with PDC and roller-cone bits at up to 1,750-psi confining pressure. All tests were conducted in a controlled environment with a full-scale laboratory drilling system. Test results indicate, that under similar operating conditions, increases in confining pressure reduce PDC-bit performance as much as or more than conventional-rock-bit performance. Specific energy calculations indicate that a combination of rock strength, chip hold-down, and bit balling may have reduced performance. Quantifying the degree to which pressure reduces PDC-bit performance will helpmore » researchers interpret test results and improve bit designs and will help drilling engineers run PDC bits more effectively in the field.« less

A Universal Rig for Supporting Large Hammer Drills: Reduced Injury Risk and Improved Productivity

PubMed Central

Rempel, David; Barr, Alan

2015-01-01

Drilling holes into concrete with heavy hammer and rock drills is one of the most physically demanding tasks performed in commercial construction and poses risks for musculoskeletal disorders, noise induced hearing loss, hand arm vibration syndrome and silicosis. The aim of this study was to (1) use a participatory process to develop a rig to support pneumatic rock drills or large electric hammer drills in order to reduce the health risks and (2) evaluate the usability of the rig. Seven prototype rigs for supporting large hammer drills were developed and modified with feedback from commercial contractors and construction workers. The final design was evaluated by laborers and electricians (N=29) who performed their usual concrete drilling with the usual method and the new rig. Subjective regional fatigue was significantly less in the neck, shoulders, hands and arms, and lower back) when using the universal rig compared to the usual manual method. Usability ratings for the rig were significantly better than the usual method on stability, control, drilling, accuracy, and vibration. Drilling time was reduced by approximately 50% with the rig. Commercial construction contractors, laborers and electricians who use large hammer drills for drilling many holes should consider using such a rig to prevent musculoskeletal disorders, fatigue, and silicosis. PMID:26005290

Drilled shaft resistance based on diameter, torque and crowd (drilling resistance vs. Rock strength) phase II : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-06-01

The research focused on evaluation of Florida limestones unconfined compressive strength, qu, through : drilling parameters crowd, torque, penetration rate, rotational speed, and bit diameter in both the : laboratory and field for assessin...

Close-Up After Preparatory Test of Drilling on Mars

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-02-07

After an activity called the mini drill test by NASA Mars rover Curiosity, the rover MAHLI camera recorded this view of the results. The test generated a ring of powdered rock for inspection in advance of the rover first full drilling.

The Experiences and Challenges in Drilling into Semi molten or Molten Intrusive in Menengai Geothermal Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mortensen, A. K.; Mibei, G. K.

2017-12-01

Drilling in Menengai has experienced various challenges related to drilling operations and the resource itself i.e. quality discharge fluids vis a vis gas content. The main reason for these challenges is related to the nature of rocks encountered at depths. Intrusives encountered within Menengai geothermal field have been group into three based on their geological characteristics i.e. S1, S2 and S3.Detailed geology and mineralogical characterization have not been done on these intrusive types. However, based on physical appearances, S1 is considered as a diorite dike, S2 is syenite while S3 is molten rock material. This paper summarizes the experiences in drilling into semi molten or molten intrusive (S3).

30 CFR 33.36 - Method of drilling; combination unit or dust-collecting system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Method of drilling; combination unit or dust-collecting system. 33.36 Section 33.36 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF... ROCK DRILLING IN COAL MINES Test Requirements § 33.36 Method of drilling; combination unit or dust...

30 CFR 33.36 - Method of drilling; combination unit or dust-collecting system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Method of drilling; combination unit or dust-collecting system. 33.36 Section 33.36 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF... ROCK DRILLING IN COAL MINES Test Requirements § 33.36 Method of drilling; combination unit or dust...

30 CFR 33.36 - Method of drilling; combination unit or dust-collecting system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Method of drilling; combination unit or dust-collecting system. 33.36 Section 33.36 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF... ROCK DRILLING IN COAL MINES Test Requirements § 33.36 Method of drilling; combination unit or dust...

30 CFR 33.36 - Method of drilling; combination unit or dust-collecting system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Method of drilling; combination unit or dust-collecting system. 33.36 Section 33.36 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF... ROCK DRILLING IN COAL MINES Test Requirements § 33.36 Method of drilling; combination unit or dust...

30 CFR 33.36 - Method of drilling; combination unit or dust-collecting system.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Method of drilling; combination unit or dust-collecting system. 33.36 Section 33.36 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF... ROCK DRILLING IN COAL MINES Test Requirements § 33.36 Method of drilling; combination unit or dust...

Single Piezo-Actuator Rotary-Hammering (SPaRH) Drill

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sherrit, Stewart; Domm, Lukas; Bao, Xiaoqi; Bar-Cohen, Yoseph; Chang, Zensheu; Badescu, Mircea

2012-01-01

The search for present or past life in the Universe is one of the most important objectives of NASA's exploration missions. Drills for subsurface sampling of rocks, ice and permafrost are an essential tool for astrobiology studies on other planets. Increasingly, it is recognized that drilling via a combination of rotation and hammering offers an efficient and effective rapid penetration mechanism. The rotation provides an intrinsic method for removal of cuttings from the borehole while the impact and shear forces aids in the fracturing of the penetrated medium. Conventional drills that use a single actuator are based on a complex mechanism with many parts and their use in future mission involves greater risk of failure and/or may require lubrication that can introduce contamination. In this paper, a compact drill is reported that uses a single piezoelectric actuator to produce hammering and rotation of the bit. A horn with asymmetric grooves was design to impart a longitudinal (hammering) and transverse force (rotation) to a keyed free mass. The drill requires low axial pre-load since the hammering-impacts fracture the rock under the bit kerf and rotate the bit to remove the powdered cuttings while augmenting the rock fracture via shear forces. The vibrations 'fluidize' the powdered cuttings inside the flutes reducing the friction with the auger surface. This action reduces the consumed power and heating of the drilled medium helping to preserve the pristine content of the acquired samples. The drill consists of an actuator that simultaneously impacts and rotates the bit by applying force and torque via a single piezoelectric stack actuator without the need for a gearbox or lever mechanism. This can reduce the development/fabrication cost and complexity. In this paper, the drill mechanism will be described and the test results will be reported and discussed.

Hydromechanical drilling device

DOEpatents

Summers, David A.

1978-01-01

A hydromechanical drilling tool which combines a high pressure water jet drill with a conventional roller cone type of drilling bit. The high pressure jet serves as a tap drill for cutting a relatively small diameter hole in advance of the conventional bit. Auxiliary laterally projecting jets also serve to partially cut rock and to remove debris from in front of the bit teeth thereby reducing significantly the thrust loading for driving the bit.

The subsurface geology of Río Tinto: material examined during a simulated Mars drilling mission for the Mars Astrobiology Research and Technology Experiment (MARTE).

PubMed

Prieto-Ballesteros, Olga; Martínez-Frías, Jesús; Schutt, John; Sutter, Brad; Heldmann, Jennifer L; Bell, Mary Sue; Battler, Melissa; Cannon, Howard; Gómez-Elvira, Javier; Stoker, Carol R

2008-10-01

The 2005 Mars Astrobiology Research and Technology Experiment (MARTE) project conducted a simulated 1-month Mars drilling mission in the Río Tinto district, Spain. Dry robotic drilling, core sampling, and biological and geological analytical technologies were collectively tested for the first time for potential use on Mars. Drilling and subsurface sampling and analytical technologies are being explored for Mars because the subsurface is the most likely place to find life on Mars. The objectives of this work are to describe drilling, sampling, and analytical procedures; present the geological analysis of core and borehole material; and examine lessons learned from the drilling simulation. Drilling occurred at an undisclosed location, causing the science team to rely only on mission data for geological and biological interpretations. Core and borehole imaging was used for micromorphological analysis of rock, targeting rock for biological analysis, and making decisions regarding the next day's drilling operations. Drilling reached 606 cm depth into poorly consolidated gossan that allowed only 35% of core recovery and contributed to borehole wall failure during drilling. Core material containing any indication of biology was sampled and analyzed in more detail for its confirmation. Despite the poorly consolidated nature of the subsurface gossan, dry drilling was able to retrieve useful core material for geological and biological analysis. Lessons learned from this drilling simulation can guide the development of dry drilling and subsurface geological and biological analytical technologies for future Mars drilling missions.

The Subsurface Geology of Río Tinto: Material Examined During a Simulated Mars Drilling Mission for the Mars Astrobiology Research and Technology Experiment (MARTE)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prieto-Ballesteros, Olga; Martínez-Frías, Jesús; Schutt, John; Sutter, Brad; Heldmann, Jennifer L.; Bell Johnson, Mary Sue; Battler, Melissa; Cannon, Howard; Gómez-Elvira, Javier; Stoker, Carol R.

2008-10-01

The 2005 Mars Astrobiology Research and Technology Experiment (MARTE) project conducted a simulated 1-month Mars drilling mission in the Río Tinto district, Spain. Dry robotic drilling, core sampling, and biological and geological analytical technologies were collectively tested for the first time for potential use on Mars. Drilling and subsurface sampling and analytical technologies are being explored for Mars because the subsurface is the most likely place to find life on Mars. The objectives of this work are to describe drilling, sampling, and analytical procedures; present the geological analysis of core and borehole material; and examine lessons learned from the drilling simulation. Drilling occurred at an undis closed location, causing the science team to rely only on mission data for geological and biological interpretations. Core and borehole imaging was used for micromorphological analysis of rock, targeting rock for biological analysis, and making decisions regarding the next day's drilling operations. Drilling reached 606 cm depth into poorly consolidated gossan that allowed only 35% of core recovery and contributed to borehole wall failure during drilling. Core material containing any indication of biology was sampled and analyzed in more detail for its confirmation. Despite the poorly consolidated nature of the subsurface gossan, dry drilling was able to retrieve useful core material for geological and biological analysis. Lessons learned from this drilling simulation can guide the development of dry drilling and subsurface geological and biological analytical technologies for future Mars drilling missions.

Continuation of down-hole geophysical testing for rock sockets : [technical summary].

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-11-01

The rock socket is critical to a drilled shaft : foundation because it lies within a rock stratum : and accounts for much of the capacity of the : foundational unit. Consistency of the rocks : structure and composition must be identifed : because ...

Constructibility Challenges for Perimeter Control Blasting and Slope Development in Shale and Other "Weak" Rocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scarpato, D. J.

2016-02-01

Slope construction in shale can present some interesting challenges for geotechnical design engineers and contractors alike. There are challenges that can be expected and designed for; however, all too frequently, such challenges manifest themselves as "surprises" in the field. Common constructibility challenges can include drill hole deviation during drilling for controlled blasting; and, excavation slope instability arising from inconsistent perimeter control drilling. Drill hole deviation results from the cumulative effects from both drilling mechanics and rock mass conditions. Once a hole has initiated the deviation trajectory, it is difficult to rectify drill steel position. Although such challenges are not necessarily unique to shale, they are often exacerbated by weak, weathered and transversely isotropic nature of bedrock conditions. All too often, the working assumption is that shale is "soft" and easily excavatable; however, this blanket assumption can prove to be costly. This paper is intended to provide design professionals and contractors with the practical considerations needed to avoid the "surprises" associated with drill hole deviation, and minimize the potential for costly claims.

Characteristics of crushed rocks observed in drilled cores in landslide bodies located in accretionary complexes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wakizaka, Yasuhiko

2013-10-01

The recent development of high-quality boring, which uses foam surfactants, has made it possible to examine the detailed geological constitution and structure of landslide bodies. However, geological information related to landslides has not been obtained appropriately even from undisturbed high-quality drilled cores. Moreover, it has been difficult to distinguish between rocks crushed by landslide movement and the fault breccia in accretionary complexes. We examined the detailed geology of high-quality drilled cores of landslide bodies on the Shimanto Belt and the Chichibu Belt. The fault breccia near the landslide bodies was found to exhibit planar fabrics while the crushed breccias in the landslide bodies showed a random fabric. We discovered that classifying the degree of crushing and inspecting the planar fabrics of rocks are effective in the geological determination of landslide bodies.

Mars Science Laboratory Drill

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Okon, Avi B.; Brown, Kyle M.; McGrath, Paul L.; Klein, Kerry J.; Cady, Ian W.; Lin, Justin Y.; Ramirez, Frank E.; Haberland, Matt

2012-01-01

This drill (see Figure 1) is the primary sample acquisition element of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) that collects powdered samples from various types of rock (from clays to massive basalts) at depths up to 50 mm below the surface. A rotary-percussive sample acquisition device was developed with an emphasis on toughness and robustness to handle the harsh environment on Mars. It is the first rover-based sample acquisition device to be flight-qualified (see Figure 2). This drill features an autonomous tool change-out on a mobile robot, and novel voice-coil-based percussion. The drill comprises seven subelements. Starting at the end of the drill, there is a bit assembly that cuts the rock and collects the sample. Supporting the bit is a subassembly comprising a chuck mechanism to engage and release the new and worn bits, respectively, and a spindle mechanism to rotate the bit. Just aft of that is a percussion mechanism, which generates hammer blows to break the rock and create the dynamic environment used to flow the powdered sample. These components are mounted to a translation mechanism, which provides linear motion and senses weight-on-bit with a force sensor. There is a passive-contact sensor/stabilizer mechanism that secures the drill fs position on the rock surface, and flex harness management hardware to provide the power and signals to the translating components. The drill housing serves as the primary structure of the turret, to which the additional tools and instruments are attached. The drill bit assembly (DBA) is a passive device that is rotated and hammered in order to cut rock (i.e. science targets) and collect the cuttings (powder) in a sample chamber until ready for transfer to the CHIMRA (Collection and Handling for Interior Martian Rock Analysis). The DBA consists of a 5/8-in. (.1.6- cm) commercial hammer drill bit whose shank has been turned down and machined with deep flutes designed for aggressive cutting removal. Surrounding the shank of the bit is a thick-walled maraging steel collection tube allowing the powdered sample to be augured up the hole into the sample chamber. For robustness, the wall thickness of the DBA was maximized while still ensuring effective sample collection. There are four recesses in the bit tube that are used to retain the fresh bits in their bit box. The rotating bit is supported by a back-to-back duplex bearing pair within a housing that is connected to the outer DBA housing by two titanium diaphragms. The only bearings on the drill in the sample flow are protected by a spring-energized seal, and an integrated shield that diverts the ingested powdered sample from the moving interface. The DBA diaphragms provide radial constraint of the rotating bit and form the sample chambers. Between the diaphragms there is a sample exit tube from which the sample is transferred to the CHIMRA. To ensure that the entire collected sample is retained, no matter the orientation of the drill with respect to gravity during sampling, the pass-through from the forward to the aft chamber resides opposite to the exit tube.

30 CFR 33.34 - Drilling test.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Drilling test. 33.34 Section 33.34 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR TESTING, EVALUATION, AND APPROVAL OF MINING PRODUCTS DUST COLLECTORS FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH ROCK DRILLING IN COAL MINES Test Requirements...

30 CFR 33.34 - Drilling test.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Drilling test. 33.34 Section 33.34 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR TESTING, EVALUATION, AND APPROVAL OF MINING PRODUCTS DUST COLLECTORS FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH ROCK DRILLING IN COAL MINES Test Requirements...

Cybersonics: Tapping into Technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2001-01-01

With the assistance of Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funding from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Cybersonics, Inc., developed an ultrasonic drill with applications ranging from the medical industry to space exploration. The drill, which has the ability to take a core sample of the hardest granite or perform the most delicate diagnostic medical procedure, is a lightweight, ultrasonic device made to fit in the palm of the hand. Piezoelectric actuators, which have only two moving parts and no gears or motors, drive the components of the device, enabling it to operate in a wide range of temperatures. The most remarkable aspect of the drill is its ability to penetrate even the hardest rock with minimal force application. The ultrasonic device requires 20 to 30 times less force than standard rotating drills, allowing it to be safely guided by hand during operation. Also, the drill is operable at a level as low as three watts of power, where conventional drills require more than three times this level. Potential future applications for the ultrasonic drill include rock and soil sampling, medical procedures that involve core sampling or probing, landmine detection, building and construction, and space exploration. Cybersonics, Inc. developed an ultrasonic drill with applications ranging from the medical industry to space exploration.

Development and testing of a Mudjet-augmented PDC bit.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Black, Alan; Chahine, Georges; Raymond, David Wayne

2006-01-01

This report describes a project to develop technology to integrate passively pulsating, cavitating nozzles within Polycrystalline Diamond Compact (PDC) bits for use with conventional rig pressures to improve the rock-cutting process in geothermal formations. The hydraulic horsepower on a conventional drill rig is significantly greater than that delivered to the rock through bit rotation. This project seeks to leverage this hydraulic resource to extend PDC bits to geothermal drilling.

Drilling the Thuringian Syncline, Germany: core processing during the INFLUINS scientific deep drilling campaign

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abratis, Michael; Methe, Pascal; Aehnelt, Michaela; Kunkel, Cindy; Beyer, Daniel; Kukowski, Nina; Totsche, Kai Uwe

2014-05-01

Deep drilling of the central Thuringian Syncline was carried out in order to gather substantial knowledge of subsurface fluid dynamics and fluid rock interaction within a sedimentary basin. The final depth of the borehole was successfully reached at 1179 m, just a few meters above the Buntsandstein - Zechstein boundary. One of the aspects of the scientific drilling was obtaining sample material from different stratigraphic units for insights in genesis, rock properties and fluid-rock interactions. Parts of the section were cored whereas cuttings provide record of the remaining units. Coring was conducted in aquifers and their surrounding aquitards, i.e. parts of the Upper Muschelkalk (Trochitenkalk), the Middle Muschelkalk, the Upper Buntsandstein (Pelitrot and Salinarrot) and the Middle Buntsandstein. In advance and in cooperation with the GFZ Potsdam team "Scientific Drilling" core handling was discussed and a workflow was developed to ensure efficient and appropriate processing of the valuable core material and related data. Core curation including cleaning, fitting, marking, measuring, cutting, boxing, photographing and unrolled scanning using a DMT core scanner was carried out on the drilling site in Erfurt. Due care was exercised on samples for microbiological analyses. These delicate samples were immediately cut when leaving the core tube and stored within a cooling box at -78°C. Special software for data input was used developed by smartcube GmbH. Advantages of this drilling information system (DIS) are the compatibility with formats of international drilling projects from the IODP and ICDP drilling programs and thus options for exchanges with the international data bases. In a following step, the drill cores were brought to the national core repository of the BGR in Berlin Spandau where the cores were logged for their physical rock properties using a GeoTek multi sensor core logger (MSCL). After splitting the cores into a working and archive half, the cores were scanned for compositional variations using an XRF core scanner at the BGR lab and scan images of the slabbed surfaces were performed. The average core recovery rate was very high at nearly 100%. Altogether, we gained 533 m of excellent core material including sandstones, siltstones and claystones, carbonates, sulfates and chlorides. This provides valuable insight into the stratigraphic column of the Thuringian Syncline.

Real Time Mud Gas Logging During Drilling of DFDP-2B

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mathewson, L. A.; Toy, V.; Menzies, C. D.; Zimmer, M.; Erzinger, J.; Niedermann, S.; Cox, S.

2015-12-01

The Deep Fault Drilling Project (DFDP) aims to improve our understanding of the Alpine Fault Zone, a tectonically active mature fault system in New Zealand known to rupture in large events, by deep scientific drilling. The borehole DFDP-2B approached the Alpine Fault at depth, reaching a final depth of 892 m (820 m true vertical depth). Online gas analysis (OLGA) while drilling tracked changes in the composition of gases extracted from the circulating drill mud. The composition of fluids from fault zones can provide information about their origins, flow rates and -paths, fluid-rock interactions along these paths, and the permeability structure of the faulted rock mass. Apart from an atmospheric input, the gases in drilling mud derive from the pore space of rock, crushed at the drill bit, and from permeable layers intersected by the borehole. The rapid formation of mud wall cake seals the borehole from further fluid inflow, hence formation-derived gases enter mostly at the depth of the drill bit. OLGA analyses N2, O2, Ar, CO2, CH4, He, and H2 on a mass spectrometer, hydrocarbons CH4, C2H6, C3H8, i-C4H10, and n-C4H10 on a gas chromatograph, and Rn using a lucas-cell detector. Gas was sampled for offline analyses on noble gas and stable isotopes to complement the OLGA dataset. The principle formation-derived gases found in drilling mud during drilling of DFDP-2 were CO2 and CH4, with smaller component of H2 and He2. High radon activity is interpreted to reflect intervals of active fluid flow through highly fractured and faulted rock. 3He/4He values in many samples were extremely air-contaminated, i.e. there was almost no excess of non-atmospheric He. The 3He/4He values measured at 236 m and 610 m, which are the only analyses with uncertainties <100%, are very similar to those measured in hot springs along the Alpine Fault, e.g. Fox River (0.64 Ra), Copland (0.42 Ra), Lower Wanganui (0.81 Ra). We will compare these data to those gathered using OLGA and discuss the implications.

Results of hydraulic tests in U.S. Department of Energy's wells DOE-4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9, Salt Valley, Grand County, Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wollitz, Leonard E.; Thordarson, William; Whitfield, Merrick S.; Weir, James E.

1982-01-01

Six exploratory wells were drilled into the cap rock underlying Salt Valley, Utah, for geologic, geophysical, and hydrologic data to augment information obtained from three previous test wells. Drilling of three other test holes was abandoned due to caving and loss of drilling tools, Before reaching the zone of saturation; the upper 100 meters of cap rock is unsaturated. Within the saturated part of the cap rock, hydraulic heads generally decrease with depth and to the northwest in this part of the valley.Hydraulic conductivity of the cap rock, as determined from pumping tests, ranged from 9.3 X 10-5 to 2.06 X 10-1 meters per day; as a result, groundwater flow rates in the cap rock are low. Water ranges from a calcium bicarbonate sulfate type on the western edge of the valley to a calcium magnesium sodium bicarbonate, sulfate, chloride type near the center of the valley. Carbon-14 specific activity for cap-rock water yielded an uncorrected age of about 17,000 to 26,000 years before present near the western edge of the valley and about 41,000 years before present near the center of the valley.

30 CFR 33.37 - Test procedure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Test procedure. 33.37 Section 33.37 Mineral... MINING PRODUCTS DUST COLLECTORS FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH ROCK DRILLING IN COAL MINES Test Requirements § 33.37 Test procedure. (a) Roof drilling: Drilling shall be done in friable strata, similar to the...

30 CFR 33.37 - Test procedure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Test procedure. 33.37 Section 33.37 Mineral... MINING PRODUCTS DUST COLLECTORS FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH ROCK DRILLING IN COAL MINES Test Requirements § 33.37 Test procedure. (a) Roof drilling: Drilling shall be done in friable strata, similar to the...

30 CFR 33.37 - Test procedure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Test procedure. 33.37 Section 33.37 Mineral... MINING PRODUCTS DUST COLLECTORS FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH ROCK DRILLING IN COAL MINES Test Requirements § 33.37 Test procedure. (a) Roof drilling: Drilling shall be done in friable strata, similar to the...

Lateral capacity of rock sockets in limestone under cyclic and repeated loading : technical summary.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-08-01

Drilled shafts are a type of deep foundation that is capable of supporting very large vertical and lateral loads. Drilled shafts are constructed by drilling a hole from the ground surface to the target depth or formation and filling the hole with rei...

Field instrumentation, monitoring of drilled shafts for landslide stabilization and development of pertinent design method.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-11-01

The design method for using a single row, spaced drilled shafts, socketed into a firm rock strata, to stabilize : an unstable slope has been developed in this research. The soil arching due to the presence of spaced : drilled shafts in a slope was ob...

Drilling and Caching Architecture for the Mars2020 Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zacny, K.

2013-12-01

We present a Sample Acquisition and Caching (SAC) architecture for the Mars2020 mission and detail how the architecture meets the sampling requirements described in the Mars2020 Science Definition Team (SDT) report. The architecture uses 'One Bit per Core' approach. Having dedicated bit for each rock core allows a reduction in the number of core transfer steps and actuators and this reduces overall mission risk. It also alleviates the bit life problem, eliminates cross contamination, and aids in hermetic sealing. An added advantage is faster drilling time, lower power, lower energy, and lower Weight on Bit (which reduces Arm preload requirements). To enable replacing of core samples, the drill bits are based on the BigTooth bit design. The BigTooth bit cuts a core diameter slightly smaller than the imaginary hole inscribed by the inner surfaces of the bits. Hence the rock core could be much easier ejected along the gravity vector. The architecture also has three additional types of bits that allow analysis of rocks. Rock Abrasion and Brushing Bit (RABBit) allows brushing and grinding of rocks in the same was as Rock Abrasion Tool does on MER. PreView bit allows viewing and analysis of rock core surfaces. Powder and Regolith Acquisition Bit (PRABit) captures regolith and rock powder either for in situ analysis or sample return. PRABit also allows sieving capabilities. The architecture can be viewed here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-hOO4-zDtE

Elemental Geochemistry of Samples From Fault Segments of the San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD) Drill Hole

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tourscher, S. N.; Schleicher, A. M.; van der Pluijm, B. A.; Warr, L. N.

2006-12-01

Elemental geochemistry of mudrock samples from phase 2 drilling of the San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD) is presented from bore hole depths of 3066 m to 3169 m and from 3292 m to 3368 m, which contain a creeping section and main trace of the fault, respectively. In addition to preparation and analysis of whole rock sample, fault grains with neomineralized, polished surfaces were hand picked from well-washed whole rock samples, minimizing the potential contamination from drilling mud and steel shavings. The separated fractions were washed in deionized water, powdered using a mortar and pestle, and analyzed using an Inductively Coupled Plasma- Optical Emission Spectrometer for major and minor elements. Based on oxide data results, systematic differences in element concentrations are observed between the whole rock and fault rock. Two groupings of data points are distinguishable in the regions containing the main trace of the fault, a shallow part (3292- 3316 m) and a deeper section (3320-3368 m). Applying the isocon method, assuming Zr and Ti to be immobile elements in these samples, indicates a volume loss of more than 30 percent in the shallow part and about 23 percent in the deep part of the main trace. These changes are minimum estimates of fault-related volume loss, because the whole rock from drilling samples contains variable amount of fault rock as well. Minimum estimates for volume loss in the creeping section of the fault are more than 50 percent when using the isocon method, comparing whole rock to plucked fault rock. The majority of the volume loss in the fault rocks is due to the dissolution and loss of silica, potassium, aluminum, sodium and calcium, whereas (based on oxide data) the mineralized surfaces of fractures appear to be enriched in Fe and Mg. The large amount of element mobility within these fault traces suggests extensive circulation of hydrous fluids along fractures that was responsible for progressive dissolution and leaching of the wall rock during faulting.

Geometry and material choices govern hard-rock drilling performance of PDC drag cutters.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wise, Jack LeRoy

2005-06-01

Sandia National Laboratories has partnered with industry on a multifaceted, baseline experimental study that supports the development of improved drag cutters for advanced drill bits. Different nonstandard cutter lots were produced and subjected to laboratory tests that evaluated the influence of selected design and processing parameters on cutter loads, wear, and durability pertinent to the penetration of hard rock with mechanical properties representative of formations encountered in geothermal or deep oil/gas drilling environments. The focus was on cutters incorporating ultrahard PDC (polycrystalline diamond compact) overlays (i.e., diamond tables) on tungsten-carbide substrates. Parameter variations included changes in cutter geometry, material composition,more » and processing conditions. Geometric variables were the diamond-table thickness, the cutting-edge profile, and the PDC/substrate interface configuration. Material and processing variables for the diamond table were, respectively, the diamond particle size and the sintering pressure applied during cutter fabrication. Complementary drop-impact, granite-log abrasion, linear cutting-force, and rotary-drilling tests examined the response of cutters from each lot. Substantial changes in behavior were observed from lot to lot, allowing the identification of features contributing major (factor of 10+) improvements in cutting performance for hard-rock applications. Recent field demonstrations highlight the advantages of employing enhanced cutter technology during challenging drilling operations.« less

Preliminary assessment of in-situ geomechanical characteristics in drill hole USW G-1, Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ellis, William L.; Swolfs, Henri S.

1983-01-01

Observations made during drilling and subsequent testing of the USW G-1 drill hole, Yucca Mountain, Nevada, provide qualitative insights into the in- situ geomechanical characteristics of the layered tuff units penetrated by the hole. Substantial drilling-fluid losses, and the occurrence of drilling-induced fracturing, are understandable in terms of the low, minimum horizontal stress magnitudes interpreted from six hydraulic-fracturing stress measurements conducted between hole depths of 640 and 1,300 meters. Although not confirmed directly by the hydraulic-fracturing data, other observations suggest that the minimum stress magnitudes in the more densely welded and brittle tuff layers may be even smaller than in the less welded and more ductile rocks. Stress-induced borehole ellipticity observed along most of the length of USW G-1 indicates that the horizontal stress components are not equal, and that the concentration of these stresses around the hole is sufficient to locally exceed the yield strength of the rock. The low, minimum horizontal stress magnitudes, perhaps variable with lithology, and the indications from borehole ellipticity of a high in-situ stress/strength ratio, indicate the need for further studies to characterize the structural and geomechanical properties of the rocks at depth in Yucca Mountain.

Characterization of rotary-percussion drilling as a seismic-while-drilling source

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, Yingjian; Hurich, Charles; Butt, Stephen D.

2018-04-01

This paper focuses on an evaluation of rotary-percussion drilling (RPD) as a seismic source. Two field experiments were conducted to characterize seismic sources from different rocks with different strengths, i.e. weak shale and hard arkose. Characterization of RPD sources consist of spectral analysis and mean power measurements, along with field measurements of the source radiation patterns. Spectral analysis shows that increase of rock strength increases peak frequency and widens bandwidth, which makes harder rock more viable for seismic-while-drilling purposes. Mean power analysis infers higher magnitude of body waves in RPD than in conventional drillings. Within the horizontal plane, the observed P-wave energy radiation pattern partially confirms the theoretical radiation pattern under a single vertical bit vibration. However a horizontal lobe of energy is observed close to orthogonal to the axial bit vibration. From analysis, this lobe is attributed to lateral bit vibration, which is not documented elsewhere during RPD. Within the horizontal plane, the observed radiation pattern of P-waves is generally consistent with a spherically-symmetric distribution of energy. In addition, polarization analysis is conducted on P-waves recorded at surface geophones for understanding the particle motions. P-wave particle motions are predominantly in the vertical direction showing the interference of the free-surface.

Curiosity First 16 Rock or Soil Sampling Sites on Mars

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-10-03

This graphic maps locations of the sites where NASA's Curiosity Mars rover collected its first 18 rock or soil samples for analysis by laboratory instruments inside the vehicle. It also presents images of the drilled holes where 14 rock-powder samples were acquired. Curiosity scooped two soil samples at each of the other two sites: Rocknest and Gobabeb. The diameter of each drill hole is about 0.6 inch (1.6 centimeters), slightly smaller than a U.S. dime. The images used here are raw color, as recorded by the rover's Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) camera. Notice the differences in color of the material at different drilling sites. For the map, north is toward upper left corner. The scale bar represents 2 kilometers (1.2 miles). The base map is from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The latest sample site included is "Quela,"where Curiosity drilled into bedrock of the Murray formation on Sept. 18, 2016, during the 1,464th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. Curiosity landed in August 2012 on the plain (named Aeolis Palus) near Mount Sharp (or Aeolis Mons). More drilling samples collected by MSL are available at http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20845

The Isotope Geochemistry of Abyssal Peridotites and Related Rocks

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-06-01

object of several cruises, including a combined geophysics and petrology cruise (R/V Robert Conrad 27-09: Dick, et al., 1991) and an ocean drilling ...al. (1991) Proceed- ings of the Ocean Drilling Program, Scientific Results Vol. 118. Snow, J., Hart, S.R. and Dick, H.J.B. (1991) "Os isotopic...the geology, petrology , and geochemistry of mantle rocks, as well as their physical and acoustic properties. The first indications that the oceanic

Preliminary map showing freshwater heads for the Red River Formation, Bighorn Dolomite, and equivalent rocks of Ordovician age in the Northern Great Plains of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miller, W. Roger; Strausz, S.A.

1980-01-01

A map showing freshwater heads for the Ordovician Red River Formation, Bighorn Dolomite, and equivalent rocks has been prepared as part of a study to determine the water-resources potential of the Mississippian Madison Limestone and associated rocks in the Northern Great Plains of Montana, North and South Dakota, and Wyoming. Most of the data used to prepare the map are from drill-stem tests of exploration and development wells drilled by the petroleum industry from 1964 to 1978. A short explanation describes the seven categories of reliability used to evaluate the drill-stem-test data and identifies several factors that might explain the apparent anomalous highs and lows on the potentiometric surface. The map is at a scale of 1:1,000 ,000 and the potentiometric contour interval is 100 feet. (USGS)

30 CFR 250.1601 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... means a well drilled through cap rock into the core at a salt dome for the purpose of producing brine. Cap rock means the rock formation, a body of limestone, anhydride, and/or gypsum, overlying a salt dome. Sulphur deposit means a formation of rock that contains elemental sulphur. Sulphur production...

30 CFR 250.1601 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... means a well drilled through cap rock into the core at a salt dome for the purpose of producing brine. Cap rock means the rock formation, a body of limestone, anhydride, and/or gypsum, overlying a salt dome. Sulphur deposit means a formation of rock that contains elemental sulphur. Sulphur production...

6. Photograph of a photograph in possession of Rock Island ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

6. Photograph of a photograph in possession of Rock Island Arsenal Historical Office. FIRST FLOOR, EAST WING, SHOWING BELT-DRIVEN EQUIPMENT (LATHES, DRILLS, SCREW MACHINES) USED IN MACHINING COMPONENTS FOR ARTILLERY GUN CARRIAGES. DATED MAY 12, 1904. - Rock Island Arsenal, Building No. 108, Rodman Avenue between Third & Fourth Streets, Rock Island, Rock Island County, IL

Drilling into Mars

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-02-20

This frame from an animation of NASA Curiosity rover shows the complicated suite of operations involved in conducting the rover first rock sample drilling on Mars and transferring the sample to the rover scoop for inspection.

Publications - SR 59 | Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys

Science.gov Websites

Peninsula; Alaska, State of; Antimony; Arsenic; Arsenopyrite; Barite; Base Metals; Big Delta; Bismuth Materials; Copper; Core Drilling; Council; Crushed Gravel; Crushed Rock; Delta Junction; Diamond Drilling

Improving the groundwater-well siting approach in consolidated rock in Nampula Province, Mozambique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chirindja, F. J.; Dahlin, T.; Juizo, D.

2017-08-01

Vertical electrical sounding was used for assessing the suitability of the drill sites in crystalline areas within a water supply project in Nampula Province in Mozambique. Many boreholes have insufficient yield (<600 L/h). Electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) was carried out over seven boreholes with sufficient yield, and five boreholes with insufficient yield, in Rapale District, in an attempt to understand the reason for the failed boreholes. Two significant hydrogeological units were identified: the altered zone (19-220 ohm-m) with disintegrated rock fragments characterized by intermediate porosity and permeability, and the fractured zone (>420 ohm-m) with low porosity and high permeability. In addition to this, there is unfractured nonpermeable intact rock with resistivity of thousands of ohm-m. The unsuccessful boreholes were drilled over a highly resistive zone corresponding to fresh crystalline rock and a narrow altered layer with lower resistivity. Successful boreholes were drilled in places where the upper layers with lower resistivity correspond to a well-developed altered layer or a well-fractured basement. There are a few exceptions with boreholes drilled in seemingly favourable locations but they were nevertheless unsuccessful boreholes for unknown reasons. Furthermore, there were boreholes drilled into very resistive zones that produced successful water wells, which may be due to narrow permeable fracture zones that are not resolved by ERT. Community involvement is proposed, in choosing between alternative borehole locations based on information acquired with a scientifically based approach, including conceptual geological models and ERT. This approach could probably lower the borehole failure rate.

Curiosity First 14 Rock or Soil Sampling Sites on Mars

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-06-13

This graphic maps locations of the first 14 sites where NASA's Curiosity Mars rover collected rock or soil samples for analysis by laboratory instruments inside the vehicle. It also presents images of the drilled holes where 12 rock-powder samples were acquired. At the other two sites -- Rocknest and Gobabeb -- Curiosity scooped soil samples. The diameter of each drill hole is about 0.6 inch (1.6 centimeters), slightly smaller than a U.S. dime. The images used here are raw color, as recorded by the rover's Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) camera. Notice the differences in color of the material at different drilling sites. The latest sample site included is "Oudam," where Curiosity drilled into mudstone of the "Murray formation" on June 4, during the 1,361th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. Curiosity landed in August 2012 on the plain (named Aeolis Palus) near Mount Sharp (or Aeolis Mons). Dates when the first 11 drilled-rock samples were collected are: "John Klein" on Feb. 8, 2013 (Sol 182); "Cumberland" on May 19, 2013 (Sol 279); "Windjana" on May 5, 2014 (Sol 621); "Confidence Hills" on Sept. 24, 2014 (Sol 759); "Mojave" on Jan. 29, 2015 (Sol 882); "Telegraph Peak" on Feb. 24, 2015 (Sol 908); "Buckskin" on July 30, 2015 (Sol 1060); "Big Sky" on Sept. 29, 2015 (Sol 1119); "Greenhorn" on Oct. 18, 2015 (Sol 1137); "Lubango" on April 23, 2016 (Sol 1320); and "Okoruso" on May 5, 2016 (Sol 1332). http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20748

30 CFR 72.630 - Drill dust control at underground areas of underground mines.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Drill dust control at underground areas of underground mines. 72.630 Section 72.630 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT... dust control at underground areas of underground mines. (a) Dust resulting from drilling in rock shall...

30 CFR 33.35 - Methods of drilling; dust-collector unit.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Methods of drilling; dust-collector unit. 33.35 Section 33.35 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR TESTING, EVALUATION, AND APPROVAL OF MINING PRODUCTS DUST COLLECTORS FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH ROCK DRILLING IN COAL...

30 CFR 33.35 - Methods of drilling; dust-collector unit.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Methods of drilling; dust-collector unit. 33.35 Section 33.35 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR TESTING, EVALUATION, AND APPROVAL OF MINING PRODUCTS DUST COLLECTORS FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH ROCK DRILLING IN COAL...

30 CFR 33.35 - Methods of drilling; dust-collector unit.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Methods of drilling; dust-collector unit. 33.35 Section 33.35 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR TESTING, EVALUATION, AND APPROVAL OF MINING PRODUCTS DUST COLLECTORS FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH ROCK DRILLING IN COAL...

30 CFR 33.35 - Methods of drilling; dust-collector unit.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Methods of drilling; dust-collector unit. 33.35 Section 33.35 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR TESTING, EVALUATION, AND APPROVAL OF MINING PRODUCTS DUST COLLECTORS FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH ROCK DRILLING IN COAL...

30 CFR 33.35 - Methods of drilling; dust-collector unit.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Methods of drilling; dust-collector unit. 33.35 Section 33.35 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR TESTING, EVALUATION, AND APPROVAL OF MINING PRODUCTS DUST COLLECTORS FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH ROCK DRILLING IN COAL...

Chemical analyses and K-Ar ages of samples from 13 drill holes, Medicine Lake volcano, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Donnelly-Nolan, Julie M.

2006-01-01

Chemical analyses and K-Ar ages are presented for rocks sampled from drill holes at Medicine Lake volcano, northern California. A location map and a cross-section are included, as are separate tables for drill hole information, major and trace element data, and for K-Ar dates.

Position of Curiosity for Drilling at Cumberland

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-06-05

This image produced from software used for planning drives of NASA Mars rover Curiosity depicts the location and size of the rover when it was driven into position for drilling into rock target Cumberland.

Drill-hole data, drill-site geology, and geochemical data from the study of Precambrian uraniferous conglomerates of the Medicine Bow Mountains and Sierra Madre of southeastern Wyoming

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Karlstrom, K.E.; Houston, R.S.; Schmidt, T.G.

1981-02-01

This volume is presented as a companion to Volume 1: The Geology and Uranium Potential of Precambrian Conglomerates in the Medicine Bow Mountains and Sierra Madre of Southeastern Wyoming; and to Volume 3: Uranium Assessment for Precambrian Pebble Conglomerates in Southeastern Wyoming. Volume 1 summarized the geologic setting and geologic and geochemical characteristics of uranium-bearing conglomerates in Precambrian metasedimentary rocks of southeastern Wyoming. Volume 3 is a geostatistical resource estimate of U and Th in quartz-pebble conglomerates. This volume contains supporting geochemical data, lithologic logs from 48 drill holes in Precambrian rocks of the Medicine Bow Mountains and Sierra Madre,more » and drill site geologic maps and cross-sections from most of the holes.« less

Rock Dusting Leaves 'Mickey Mouse' Mark

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

This image taken by the navigation camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit shows the rock dubbed 'Humphrey' and the circular areas on the rock that were wiped off by the rover. The rover used a brush on its rock abrasion tool to clean these spots before examining them with its miniature thermal emission spectrometer. Later, the rover drilled into the rock with its rock abrasion tool, exposing fresh rock underneath.

Mechanical behaviour of the Krafla geothermal reservoir: Insight into an active magmatic hydrothermal system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eggertsson, Guðjón H.; Lavallée, Yan; Kendrick, Jackie E.

2017-04-01

Krafla volcano, located in North-East Iceland, holds an active magmatic hydrothermal system. Since 1978, this system has been exploited for geothermal energy. Today it is exploited by Landsvirkjun National Power of Iceland and the system is generating 60 MWg from 18 wells, tapping into fluids at 200-300°C. In order to meet further demands of environmentally sustainable energy, Landsvirkjun aims to drill deeper and source fluids in the super-heated, super high-enthalpy system which resides deeper (at 400-600°C). In relation to this, the first well of the Icelandic Deep Drilling Project (IDDP) was drilled in Krafla in 2009. Drilling stopped at a depth of 2.1 km, when the drill string penetrated a rhyolitic magma body, which could not be bypassed despite attempts to side-track the well. This pioneering effort demonstrated that the area close to magma had great energy potential. Here we seek a constraint on the mechanical properties of reservoir rocks overlying the magmatic systems to gain knowledge on these systems to improve energy extraction. During two field surveys in 2015 and 2016, and through information gathered from drilling of geothermal wells, five main rock types were identified and sampled [and their porosities (i.e., storage capacities) where determined with a helium-pycnometer]: basalts (5-60% porosity), hyaloclastites (<35-45% porosity), obsidians (0.25-5% porosity), ignimbrites (13-18% porosity), and intrusive felsites and microgabbros (9-16% porosity). Samples are primarily from surface exposures, but selected samples were taken from cores drilled within the Krafla caldera, outside of the geothermal reservoir. Uniaxial and triaxial compressive strength tests have been carried out, as well as indirect tensile strength tests using the Brazilian disc method, to measure the rock strengths. The results show that the rock strength is inversely proportional to the porosity and strongly affected by the abundance of microcracks; some of the rocks are unusually weak considering their porosities, especially at low effective pressure as constrained at Krafla. The results also show that the porous lithologies may undergo significant compaction at relatively low loads (i.e., depth). Integration of the observed mechanical behaviour and associated permeability into future fluid flow simulations will aim to increase our understanding and exploitation of geothermal reservoirs.

Attitude, movement history, and structure of cataclastic rocks of the Flemington Fault results of core drilling near Oldwick, New Jersey

USGS Publications Warehouse

Burton, W.C.; Ratcliffe, N.M.

1985-01-01

In the summer of 1983, two holes were drilled through the border fault of the Newark basin near Oldwick, New Jersey, in the Gladstone 7.5minute quadrangle. Figure 1A shows the location of the drill site in relation to regional geology and the major faults. The fault drilled in this study connects to the south with the Flemington fault, which trends southwestward across the Newark basin, as shown. To the north, the fault can be traced along the valley that extends towards Mendham, N. J., beyond the limits of exposed Mesozoic rocks, to connect with the Ramapo fault near Morristown N. J. (fig. 1A; Ratcliffe, 1980). For this reason, we use the name "Flemington" for the border fault in the region of the drill site. A detailed map (fig. 1B) shows the local geology along the border fault from Pottersville, N. J. southward to the axis of the Oldwick syncline.

Single Piezo-Actuator Rotary-Hammering Drill

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sherrit, Stewart; Bao, Xiaoqi; Badescu, Mircea; Bar-Cohen, Yoseph

2011-01-01

This innovation comprises a compact drill that uses low-axial preload, via vibrations, that fractures the rock under the bit kerf, and rotates the bit to remove the powdered cuttings while augmenting the rock fracture via shear forces. The vibrations fluidize the powered cuttings inside the flutes around the bit, reducing the friction with the auger surface. These combined actions reduce the consumed power and the heating of the drilled medium, helping to preserve the pristine content of the produced samples. The drill consists of an actuator that simultaneously impacts and rotates the bit by applying force and torque via a single piezoelectric stack actuator without the need for a gearbox or lever mechanism. This reduces the development/fabrication cost and complexity. The piezoelectric actuator impacts the surface and generates shear forces, fragmenting the drilled medium directly under the bit kerf by exceeding the tensile and/or shear strength of the struck surface. The percussive impact action of the actuator leads to penetration of the medium by producing a zone of finely crushed rock directly underneath the struck location. This fracturing process is highly enhanced by the shear forces from the rotation and twisting action. To remove the formed cuttings, the bit is constructed with an auger on its internal or external surface. One of the problems with pure hammering is that, as the teeth become embedded in the sample, the drilling efficiency drops unless the teeth are moved away from the specific footprint location. By rotating the teeth, they are moved to areas that were not fragmented, and thus the rock fracturing is enhanced via shear forces. The shear motion creates ripping or chiseling action to produce larger fragments to increase the drilling efficiency, and to reduce the required power. The actuator of the drill consists of a piezoelectric stack that vibrates the horn. The stack is compressed by a bolt between the backing and the horn in order to prevent it from being subjected to tensile stress that will cause it to fail. The backing is intended to transfer the generated mechanical vibrations towards the horn. In order to cause rotation, the horn is configured asymmetrically with helical segments and, upon impacting the bit, it introduces longitudinal along the axis of the actuator and tangential force causing twisting action that rotates the bit. The longitudinal component of the vibrations of the stack introduces percussion impulses between the bit and the rock to fracture it when the ultimate strain is exceeded under the bit.

Exploration geothermal gradient drilling, Platanares, Honduras, Central America

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Goff, S.J.; Laughlin, A.W.; Ruefenacht, H.D.

1988-01-01

This paper is a review and summary of the core drilling operations component of the Honduras Geothermal Resource Development Project at the Platanares geothermal prospect in Honduras, Central America. Three intermediate depth (428 to 679 m) coreholes are the first continuously cored geothermal exploration boreholes in Honduras. These coring operations are part of the Central America Energy Resource Project (CAERP) effort funded by the Agency for International Development (AID) and implemented by the Los Alamos National Laboratory (Los Alamos) in cooperation with the Empresa Nacional de Energia Electrica (ENEE) and the United States Geological Survey (USGS). This report emphasizes coringmore » operations with reference to the stratigraphy, thermal gradient, and flow test data of the boreholes. The primary objectives of this coring effort were (1) to obtain quantitative information on the temperature distribution as a function of depth, (2) to recover fluids associated with the geothermal reservoir, (3) to recover 75% or better core from the subsurface rock units, and (4) to drill into the subsurface rock as deeply as possible in order to get information on potential reservoir rocks, fracture density, permeabilities, and alteration histories of the rock units beneath the site. The three exploration coreholes drilled to depths of 650, 428 and 679 m, respectively, encountered several hot water entries. Coring operations and associated testing began in mid-October 1986 and were completed at the end of June 1987.« less

Whole-body Vibration Exposure of Drill Operators in Iron Ore Mines and Role of Machine-Related, Individual, and Rock-Related Factors.

PubMed

Chaudhary, Dhanjee Kumar; Bhattacherjee, Ashis; Patra, Aditya Kumar; Chau, Nearkasen

2015-12-01

This study aimed to assess the whole-body vibration (WBV) exposure among large blast hole drill machine operators with regard to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) recommended threshold values and its association with machine- and rock-related factors and workers' individual characteristics. The study population included 28 drill machine operators who had worked in four opencast iron ore mines in eastern India. The study protocol comprised the following: measurements of WBV exposure [frequency weighted root mean square (RMS) acceleration (m/s(2))], machine-related data (manufacturer of machine, age of machine, seat height, thickness, and rest height) collected from mine management offices, measurements of rock hardness, uniaxial compressive strength and density, and workers' characteristics via face-to-face interviews. More than 90% of the operators were exposed to a higher level WBV than the ISO upper limit and only 3.6% between the lower and upper limits, mainly in the vertical axis. Bivariate correlations revealed that potential predictors of total WBV exposure were: machine manufacturer (r = 0.453, p = 0.015), age of drill (r = 0.533, p = 0.003), and hardness of rock (r = 0.561, p = 0.002). The stepwise multiple regression model revealed that the potential predictors are age of operator (regression coefficient β = -0.052, standard error SE = 0.023), manufacturer (β = 1.093, SE = 0.227), rock hardness (β = 0.045, SE = 0.018), uniaxial compressive strength (β = 0.027, SE = 0.009), and density (β = -1.135, SE = 0.235). Prevention should include using appropriate machines to handle rock hardness, rock uniaxial compressive strength and density, and seat improvement using ergonomic approaches such as including a suspension system.

Whole-body Vibration Exposure of Drill Operators in Iron Ore Mines and Role of Machine-Related, Individual, and Rock-Related Factors

PubMed Central

Chaudhary, Dhanjee Kumar; Bhattacherjee, Ashis; Patra, Aditya Kumar; Chau, Nearkasen

2015-01-01

Background This study aimed to assess the whole-body vibration (WBV) exposure among large blast hole drill machine operators with regard to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) recommended threshold values and its association with machine- and rock-related factors and workers' individual characteristics. Methods The study population included 28 drill machine operators who had worked in four opencast iron ore mines in eastern India. The study protocol comprised the following: measurements of WBV exposure [frequency weighted root mean square (RMS) acceleration (m/s2)], machine-related data (manufacturer of machine, age of machine, seat height, thickness, and rest height) collected from mine management offices, measurements of rock hardness, uniaxial compressive strength and density, and workers' characteristics via face-to-face interviews. Results More than 90% of the operators were exposed to a higher level WBV than the ISO upper limit and only 3.6% between the lower and upper limits, mainly in the vertical axis. Bivariate correlations revealed that potential predictors of total WBV exposure were: machine manufacturer (r = 0.453, p = 0.015), age of drill (r = 0.533, p = 0.003), and hardness of rock (r = 0.561, p = 0.002). The stepwise multiple regression model revealed that the potential predictors are age of operator (regression coefficient β = −0.052, standard error SE = 0.023), manufacturer (β = 1.093, SE = 0.227), rock hardness (β = 0.045, SE = 0.018), uniaxial compressive strength (β = 0.027, SE = 0.009), and density (β = –1.135, SE = 0.235). Conclusion Prevention should include using appropriate machines to handle rock hardness, rock uniaxial compressive strength and density, and seat improvement using ergonomic approaches such as including a suspension system. PMID:26929838

Fire effects on rock images and similar cultural resources [Chapter 5

Treesearch

Roger E. Kelly; Daniel F. McCarthy

2012-01-01

Throughout human global history, people have purposely altered natural rock surfaces by drilling, drawing, painting, incising, pecking, abrading and chiseling images into stone. Some rock types that present suitable media surfaces for these activities are fine-grained sandstones and granites, basalts, volcanic tuff, dolomites, and limestones. Commonly called rock...

Selected data fron continental scientific drilling core holes VC-1 and VC-2a, Valles Caldera, New Mexico

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Musgrave, J.A.; Goff, F.; Shevenell, L.

1989-02-01

This report presents geochemical and isotopic data on rocks and water and wellbore geophysical data from the Continental Scientific Drilling Program core holes VC-1 and VC-2a, Valles Caldera, New Mexico. These core holes were drilled as a portion of a broader program that seeks to answer fundamental questions about magma, water/rock interactions, ore deposits, and volcanology. The data in this report will assist the interpretation of the hydrothermal system in the Jemez Mountains and will stimulate further research in magmatic processes, hydrothermal alteration, ore deposits, hydrology, structural geology, and hydrothermal solution chemistry. 37 refs., 36 figs., 28 tabs.

28. MODIFIED CHAIN SAW FOR CUTTING ROCK CORES; BRUNTON COMPASS ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

28. MODIFIED CHAIN SAW FOR CUTTING ROCK CORES; BRUNTON COMPASS STAND FOR DETERMINING CORE'S FIELD ORIENTATION; INSECTICIDE DISPENSER MODIFIED TO LUBRICATE CORE DRILLING PROCESS. - U.S. Geological Survey, Rock Magnetics Laboratory, 345 Middlefield Road, Menlo Park, San Mateo County, CA

Comparative study of two active faults in different stages of the earthquake cycle in central Japan -The Atera fault (with 1586 Tensho earthquake) and the Nojima fault (with 1995 Kobe earthquake)-

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matsuda, T.; Omura, K.; Ikeda, R.

2003-12-01

National Research Institute for Earth Science and Disaster Prevention (NIED) has been conducting _gFault zone drilling_h. Fault zone drilling is especially important in understanding the structure, composition, and physical properties of an active fault. In the Chubu district of central Japan, large active faults such as the Atotsugawa (with 1858 Hietsu earthquake) and the Atera (with 1586 Tensho earthquake) faults exist. After the occurrence of the 1995 Kobe earthquake, it has been widely recognized that direct measurements in fault zones by drilling. This time, we describe about the Atera fault and the Nojima fault. Because, these two faults are similar in geological situation (mostly composed of granitic rocks), so it is easy to do comparative study of drilling investigation. The features of the Atera fault, which have been dislocated by the 1586 Tensho earthquake, are as follows. Total length is about 70 km. That general trend is NW45 degree with a left-lateral strike slip. Slip rate is estimated as 3-5 m / 1000 years. Seismicity is very low at present and lithologies around the fault are basically granitic rocks and rhyolite. Six boreholes have been drilled from the depth of 400 m to 630 m. Four of these boreholes (Hatajiri, Fukuoka, Ueno and Kawaue) are located on a line crossing in a direction perpendicular to the Atera fault. In the Kawaue well, mostly fractured and alternating granitic rock continued from the surface to the bottom at 630 m. X-ray fluorescence analysis (XRF) is conducted to estimate the amount of major chemical elements using the glass bead method for core samples. The amounts of H20+ are about from 0.5 to 2.5 weight percent. This fractured zone is also characterized by the logging data such as low resistivity, low P-wave velocity, low density and high neutron porosity. The 1995 Kobe (Hyogo-ken Nanbu) earthquake occurred along the NE-SW-trending Rokko-Awaji fault system, and the Nojima fault appeared on the surface on Awaji Island when this rupture occurred. It is more than 10 km long with 1-2 m offset along the Nojima fault. About one year after the earthquake, NIED drilled a borehole (the Hirabayashi NIED borehole) and penetrated the Nojima fault. The Hirabayashi NIED borehole was drilled to a depth of 1838 m and recovered the drill core. The main types of rock intersected by the borehole are granodiorite and cataclastic fault rocks. Three fracture zones were recognized in cores at approximate depth of 1140 m, 1300 m and 1800 m. There is remarkable foliated blue-gray gouge at a depth of 1140 m. We investigate chemical compositions by XRF analysis in the fracture zone. The amounts of H20+ are about from 1.0 to 15.0 weight percent. We investigate mineral assemblage in both drilling cores by X-ray powder diffraction analysis. From the results, we can_ft recognize so difference between the two faults. But the amount of H2O+ is very different. In the Hirabayashi NIED core at a depth of 1140 m, there is about ten times as much as the average of the Kawaue core. This is probably due to the greater degree of wall-rock fracturing in the fracture zone. We suggest that this characteristic is associated with the fault activity at the time of the 1995 Kobe earthquake and the nature of fluid-rock interactions in the fracture zone.

Determination of In-situ Rock Thermal Properties from Geophysical Log Data of SK-2 East Borehole, Continental Scientific Drilling Project of Songliao Basin, NE China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zou, C.; Zhao, J.; Zhang, X.; Peng, C.; Zhang, S.

2017-12-01

Continental Scientific Drilling Project of Songliao Basin is a drilling project under the framework of ICDP. It aims at detecting Cretaceous environmental/climate changes and exploring potential resources near or beneath the base of the basin. The main hole, SK-2 East Borehole, has been drilled to penetrate through the Cretaceous formation. A variety of geophysical log data were collected from the borehole, which provide a great opportunity to analyze thermal properties of in-situ rock surrounding the borehole.The geothermal gradients were derived directly from temperature logs recorded 41 days after shut-in. The matrix and bulk thermal conductivity of rock were calculated with the geometric-mean model, in which mineral/rock contents and porosity were required as inputs (Fuchs et. al., 2014). Accurate mineral contents were available from the elemental capture spectroscopy logs and porosity data were derived from conventional logs (density, neutron and sonic). The heat production data were calculated by means of the concentrations of uranium, thorium and potassium determined from natural gamma-ray spectroscopy logs. Then, the heat flow was determined by using the values of geothermal gradients and thermal conductivity.The thermal parameters of in-situ rock over the depth interval of 0 4500m in the borehole were derived from geophysical logs. Statistically, the numerical ranges of thermal parameters are in good agreement with the measured values from both laboratory and field in this area. The results show that high geothermal gradient and heat flow exist over the whole Cretaceous formation, with anomalously high values in the Qingshankou formation (1372.0 1671.7m) and the Quantou formation (1671.7 2533.5m). It is meaningful for characterization of geothermal regime and exploration of geothermal resources in the basin. Acknowledgment: This work was supported by the "China Continental Scientific Drilling Program of Cretaceous Songliao Basin (CCSD-SK)" of China Geological Survey Projects (NO. 12120113017600).

Geochemical monitoring of drilling fluids; A powerful tool to forecast and detect formation waters

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vuataz, F.D.; Brach, M.; Criaud, A.

1990-06-01

This paper describes a method based on the difference between the chemical compositions of formation and drilling fluids for analyzing drilling mud to forecast fluid-producing zones. The method was successfully applied in three boreholes in crystalline rocks in France. Subsequent geophysical logs and hydraulic tests confirmed the occurrence of flowing fractures.

THE NEAR SURFACE GEOLOGY AT ENIWETOK AND BIKINI ATOLLS.

DTIC Science & Technology

ROCK, *NUCLEAR EXPLOSIONS, BIKINI ATOLL, CRATERING, SURFACE PROPERTIES, PARTICLE SIZE, GEOPHYSICAL PROSPECTING, LIMESTONE, GEOLOGICAL SURVEYS, SAND, GRAVEL, CORAL REEFS, DRILLING, ROCK, MARSHALL ISLANDS , SANDSTONE, FRICTION, COMPRESSIVE PROPERTIES, SOILS.

Reaching 1 m deep on Mars: the Icebreaker drill.

PubMed

Zacny, K; Paulsen, G; McKay, C P; Glass, B; Davé, A; Davila, A F; Marinova, M; Mellerowicz, B; Heldmann, J; Stoker, C; Cabrol, N; Hedlund, M; Craft, J

2013-12-01

The future exploration of Mars will require access to the subsurface, along with acquisition of samples for scientific analysis and ground-truthing of water ice and mineral reserves for in situ resource utilization. The Icebreaker drill is an integral part of the Icebreaker mission concept to search for life in ice-rich regions on Mars. Since the mission targets Mars Special Regions as defined by the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR), the drill has to meet the appropriate cleanliness standards as requested by NASA's Planetary Protection Office. In addition, the Icebreaker mission carries life-detection instruments; and in turn, the drill and sample delivery system have to meet stringent contamination requirements to prevent false positives. This paper reports on the development and testing of the Icebreaker drill, a 1 m class rotary-percussive drill and triple redundant sample delivery system. The drill acquires subsurface samples in short, approximately 10 cm bites, which makes the sampling system robust and prevents thawing and phase changes in the target materials. Autonomous drilling, sample acquisition, and sample transfer have been successfully demonstrated in Mars analog environments in the Arctic and the Antarctic Dry Valleys, as well as in a Mars environmental chamber. In all environments, the drill has been shown to perform at the "1-1-100-100" level; that is, it drilled to 1 m depth in approximately 1 hour with less than 100 N weight on bit and approximately 100 W of power. The drilled substrate varied and included pure ice, ice-rich regolith with and without rocks and with and without 2% perchlorate, and whole rocks. The drill is currently at a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) of 5. The next-generation Icebreaker drill weighs 10 kg, which is representative of the flightlike model at TRL 5/6.

Design of rock socketed drilled shafts

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-09-01

Three field load tests of drilled shafts socketed in Burlington limestone were conducted using the Osterberg load cell. The objective of these tests was to compare the shaft capacities obtained from the field load tests with capacities predicted usin...

Cumberland Target for Drilling by Curiosity Mars Rover

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-05-09

Cumberland has been selected as the second target for drilling by NASA Mars rover Curiosity. The rover has the capability to collect powdered material from inside the target rock and analyze that powder with laboratory instruments.

Drilled Hole and ChemCam Marks at Cumberland

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-06-05

The Chemistry and Camera ChemCam instrument on NASA Mars rover Curiosity was used to check the composition of gray tailings from the hole in rock target Cumberland that the rover drilled on May 19, 2013.

Stability analysis of Hawaiian Island flanks using insight gained from strength testing of the HSDP core

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson, Nick; Watters, Robert J.; Schiffman, Peter

2008-04-01

Hawaiian Island flank failures are recognized as the largest landslide events on Earth, reaching volumes of several thousand cubic kilometers and lengths of over 200 km and occurring on an average of once every 100 000 years. The 3.1 km deep Hawaii Scientific Drilling Project (HSDP) enabled an investigation of the rock mass strength variations on the island of Hawaii [Schiffman, P., Watters, R.J., Thompson, N., Walton, A.W., 2006. Hyaloclastites and the slope stability of Hawaiian volcanoes: insights from the Hawaiian Scientific Drilling Project's 3-km drill core. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 151 (1-3): 217-228]. This study builds on that of Schiffman et al. [Schiffman, P., Watters, R.J., Thompson, N., Walton, A.W., 2006. Hyaloclastites and the slope stability of Hawaiian volcanoes: Insights from the Hawaiian Scientific Drilling Project's 3-km drill core. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 151 (1-3): 217-228] by considering more in-depth rock mass classification and strength testing methods of the HSDP core. Geotechnical core logging techniques combined with laboratory strength testing methods show that rock strength differences exist within the edifice. Comparing the rock strength parameters obtained from the various volcano lithologies identified weak zones, suggesting the possible location of future slip surfaces for large flank failures. Relatively weak rock layers were recognized within poorly consolidated hyaloclastite zones, with increases in strength based on degree of alteration. Subaerial and submarine basalt flows are found to be significantly stronger. With the aid of digital elevation models, cross-sections have been developed of key flank areas on the island of Hawaii. Limit equilibrium slope stability analyses are performed on each cross-section using various failure criteria for the rock mass strength calculations. Based on the stability analyses the majority of the slopes analyzed are considered stable. In cases where instability (i.e. failure) is predicted, decreased rock mass quality (strength) of the altered and highly poorly consolidated lithologies is found to have a significant influence. These lithologies are present throughout the Hawaiian Islands, representing potential failure surfaces for large flank collapses. Failure criterion input parameters are considered in sensitivity analyses as are the influences of certain external stability factors such as sea level variation and seismic loading.

Mechanical specific energy versus depth of cut in rock cutting and drilling

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhou, Yaneng; Zhang, Wu; Gamwo, Isaac

The relationship between Mechanical Specific Energy (MSE) and the Rate of Penetration (ROP), or equivalently the depth of cut per revolution, provides an important measure for strategizing a drilling operation. This study explores how MSE evolves with depth of cut, and presents a concerted effort that encompasses analytical, computational and experimental approaches. A simple model for the relationship between MSE and cutting depth is first derived with consideration of the wear progression of a circular cutter. This is an extension of Detournay and Defourny's phenomenological cutting model. Wear is modeled as a flat contact area at the bottom of amore » cutter referred to as a wear flat, and that wear flat in the past is often considered to be fixed during cutting. But during a drilling operation by a full bit that consists of multiple circular cutters, the wear flat length may increase because of various wear mechanisms involved. The wear progression of cutters generally results in reduced efficiency with either increased MSE or decreased ROP. Also, an accurate estimate of removed rock volume is found important for the evaluation of MSE. The derived model is compared with experiment results from a single circular cutter, for cutting soft rock under ambient pressure with actual depth measured through a micrometer, and for cutting high strength rock under high pressure with actual cutting area measured by a confocal microscope. Lastly, the model is employed to interpret the evolution of MSE with depth of cut for a full drilling bit under confining pressure. The general form of equation of the developed model is found to describe well the experiment data and can be applied to interpret the drilling data for a full bit.« less

Mechanical specific energy versus depth of cut in rock cutting and drilling

DOE PAGES

Zhou, Yaneng; Zhang, Wu; Gamwo, Isaac; ...

2017-12-07

The relationship between Mechanical Specific Energy (MSE) and the Rate of Penetration (ROP), or equivalently the depth of cut per revolution, provides an important measure for strategizing a drilling operation. This study explores how MSE evolves with depth of cut, and presents a concerted effort that encompasses analytical, computational and experimental approaches. A simple model for the relationship between MSE and cutting depth is first derived with consideration of the wear progression of a circular cutter. This is an extension of Detournay and Defourny's phenomenological cutting model. Wear is modeled as a flat contact area at the bottom of amore » cutter referred to as a wear flat, and that wear flat in the past is often considered to be fixed during cutting. But during a drilling operation by a full bit that consists of multiple circular cutters, the wear flat length may increase because of various wear mechanisms involved. The wear progression of cutters generally results in reduced efficiency with either increased MSE or decreased ROP. Also, an accurate estimate of removed rock volume is found important for the evaluation of MSE. The derived model is compared with experiment results from a single circular cutter, for cutting soft rock under ambient pressure with actual depth measured through a micrometer, and for cutting high strength rock under high pressure with actual cutting area measured by a confocal microscope. Lastly, the model is employed to interpret the evolution of MSE with depth of cut for a full drilling bit under confining pressure. The general form of equation of the developed model is found to describe well the experiment data and can be applied to interpret the drilling data for a full bit.« less

Detailed lithologic log of the Dow Chemical #1 B.L. Garrigan Drill Hole, Mississippi County, Arkansas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Collins, Donley S.; Skipp, Gary L.

1995-01-01

The geology and tectonic setting of the New Madrid region in southeastern Missouri has received considerable attention because of the area's high seismic activity. The largest recorded earthquakes in this area occurred in the winter of 1811-1812. These earthquakes has estimated magnitudes as large as 8.0 on the Richter scale (Johnsonton and Kanter, 1990) and affected an area of about 1 million square miles (Fuller, 1912). Today, an area of continuously high seismic activity defines the New Madrid seismic zone, which extends from northeastern Arkansas into southeastern Missouri and northwestern Tennessee. Seismicity is locally concentrated along two subsurface archers--the Blytheville and Pascola (Hildenbrand and others, 1977; Crone and others, 1985; Hildenbrand, 1985; McKeown, 1988). The Padcola arch is not pertinent to this study and, therefore will not be discusses further. The Blytheville arch is located in and is subparallel to the axis of the northeast-southwest-trending Reelfoot structural basin, which formed during early Paleozoic rifting (Ervin and McGinnis, 1975; fig. 1). The Reelfoot basin is filled with Cambrian and Ordovician sedimentary rocks (Grohskopf, 1955; Howe, 1984; Houseknevht, 1989; Collins and others, 1992) that are uncomfortably overlain by Cretacaous and Tertiary sedimentary rocks and underlain by crystalline rocks of the eastern granite-rhyolite province (see Bickford and others, 1986). The presence of some Late Proterozoic sedimentary rocks in the Reelfoot basin currently cannot be ruled out. The Dow Chemical #1 B.L. Garrigan drill hole (hereafter, Garrigan) penetrated Paleozoic rocks on the Blytheville arch. The Garrigan is locted in the Reelfoot basin in the NW1/4, NW1/4 sec. 28, T. 15 N., R. 10 E., Mississippi County, Arkansas (fig. 1) and was completed to a total depth of 12,038 ft from a ground elevation of 239 ft on April 11, 1982 (Swolfs, 1991). The Garrigan is the only reported drill hole that penetrates the subsurface Blytheville arch and is an important source of core from the Reelfoot basin (Collins and others, 1992). Therefore, this drill hole is important for understanding structure and Paleozoic stratigraphy in a basin where stratigraphic and structural data are sparse. Rocks in the Garrigan were originally logged and described by J.R. Howe (personal communication to D.S. Collins, 1990) and published as a composite stratigraphic section along with the rock description for the Dow Chemical #1 Wilson drill hole (Howe, 1984). F.A. McKeown later relogged the rocks in the Garrigan and presented a generalized log in McKeown and others (1990). Swolfs (1991) presented another version of the Garrigan drill-hole geologic section (fig. 2). Aided by new biostratigraphic information, Taylor and others (1991) corrected major errors in the characterization and correlation of rocks in the Garrigan (fig. 2). Collins (1991) described the insoluble residues from the cuttings of the Garrigan, but could not correlate them with the insoluble resides from rocks of the carbonate platform west of the basin. However Taylor and others (1991), Collins and others (1992), and Collins and Bohm (1993) did correlate fossils from the Garrigan to other drill holes in the Reelfoot basin and adjacent areas. Using these correlated data, Collins and Bohm (1993) provided information on the structural relief across a part of the Reelfoot basin. Collins and others (1992) also interpreted the depositional setting for the Paleozoic rocks of the Garrigan. This report presents a detailed lithologic log of the Paleozoic rocks penetrated by the Garrigan that differs from the lithologic logs of previous workers (Howe, 1984; McKeown and others, 1990; see also Dart, 1992, p. 18-19). The lithologic descriptions of the Garrigan are derived from observations of well cuttings and core. Cored intervals used were 11,426-11,402 ft, 10,229-10,200 ft, and 8,002-7,979 ft. These intervals were the only intervals cored during the Garrigan drill project. Detailed analyses of the core will be described in a subsequent report.

Strontium and neodymium isotope systematics of target rocks and impactites from the El'gygytgyn impact structure: Linking impactites and target rocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wegner, Wencke; Koeberl, Christian

2016-12-01

The 3.6 Ma El'gygytgyn structure, located in northeastern Russia on the Chukotka Peninsula, is an 18 km diameter complex impact structure. The bedrock is formed by mostly high-silica volcanic rocks of the 87 Ma old Okhotsk-Chukotka Volcanic Belt (OCVB). Volcanic target rocks and impact glasses collected on the surface, as well as drill core samples of bedrock and impact breccias have been investigated by thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) to obtain new insights into the relationships between these lithologies in terms of Nd and Sr isotope systematics. Major and trace element data for impact glasses are added to compare with the composition of target rocks and drill core samples. Sr isotope data are useful tracers of alteration processes and Nd isotopes reveal characteristics of the magmatic sources of the target rocks, impact breccias, and impact glasses. There are three types of target rocks mapped on the surface: mafic volcanics, dacitic tuff and lava of the Koekvun' Formation, and dacitic to rhyolitic ignimbrite of the Pykarvaam Formation. The latter represents the main contributor to the impact rocks. The drill core is divided into a suevite and a bedrock section by the Sr isotope data, for which different postimpact alteration regimes have been detected. Impact glasses from the present-day surface did not suffer postimpact hydrothermal alteration and their data indicate a coherent alteration trend in terms of Sr isotopes with the target rocks from the surface. Surprisingly, the target rocks do not show isotopic coherence with the Central Chukotka segment of the OCVB or with the Berlozhya magmatic assemblage (BMA), a late Jurassic felsic volcanic suite that crops out in the eastern part of the central Chukotka segment of the OCVB. However, concordance for these rocks exists with the Okhotsk segment of the OCVB. This finding argues for variable source magmas having contributed to the build-up of the OCVB.

Ultrasonic/Sonic Mechanisms for Drilling and Coring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bar-Cohen, Yoseph; Sherrit, Stewart; Dolgin, Benjamin; Askin, Steve; Peterson, Thomas M.; Bell, Bill; Kroh, Jason; Pal, Dharmendra; Krahe, Ron; Du, Shu

2003-01-01

Two apparatuses now under development are intended to perform a variety of deep-drilling, coring, and sensing functions for subsurface exploration of rock and soil. These are modified versions of the apparatuses described in Ultrasonic/Sonic Drill/Corers With Integrated Sensors (NPO-20856), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 25, No. 1 (January 2001), page 38. In comparison with the drilling equipment traditionally used in such exploration, these apparatuses weigh less and consume less power. Moreover, unlike traditional drills and corers, these apparatuses function without need for large externally applied axial forces.

Curiosity Successfully Drills "Duluth"

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-05-23

A close-up image of a 2-inch-deep hole produced using a new drilling technique for NASA's Curiosity rover. The hole is about 0.6 inches (1.6 centimeters) in diameter. This image was taken by Curiosity's Mast Camera (Mastcam) on Sol 2057. It has been white balanced and contrast-enhanced. Curiosity drilled this hole in a target called "Duluth" on May 20, 2018. It was the first rock sample captured by the drill since October 2016. A mechanical issue took the drill offline in December 2016. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22326

Location of John Klein Drill Site

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-03-12

This false-color map shows the area within Gale Crater on Mars, where NASA Curiosity rover landed on Aug. 5, 2012 PDT Aug. 6, 2012 EDT and the location where Curiosity collected its first drilled sample at the John Klein rock.

Leak-off mechanism and pressure prediction for shallow sediments in deepwater drilling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, Qiang; Deng, Jingen; Sun, Jin; Liu, Wei; Yu, Baohua

2018-02-01

Deepwater sediments are prone to loss circulation in drilling due to a low overburden gradient. How to predict the magnitude of leak-off pressure more accurately is an important issue in the protection of drilling safety and the reduction of drilling cost in deep water. Starting from the mechanical properties of a shallow formation and based on the basic theory of rock-soil mechanics, the stress distribution around a borehole was analyzed. It was found that the rock or soil on a borehole is in the plastic yield state before the effective tensile stress is generated, and the effective tangential and vertical stresses increase as the drilling fluid density increases; thus, tensile failure will not occur on the borehole wall. Based on the results of stress calculation, two mechanisms and leak-off pressure prediction models for shallow sediments in deepwater drilling were put forward, and the calculated values of these models were compared with the measured value of shallow leak-off pressure in actual drilling. The results show that the MHPS (minimum horizontal principle stress) model and the FIF (fracturing in formation) model can predict the lower and upper limits of leak-off pressure. The PLC (permeable lost circulation) model can comprehensively analyze the factors influencing permeable leakage and provide a theoretical basis for leak-off prevention and plugging in deepwater drilling.

Deep Bore Storage of Nuclear Waste Using MMW (Millimeter Wave) Technology. Full Project Final Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Oglesby, Kenneth D.; Woskov, Paul; Einstein, Herbert

This DOE Nuclear STTR project DE-SC001238 investigated the use of MMW directed energy to form rock melt and steel plugs in deep wellbores to further isolate highly radioactive nuclear waste in ultra-deep basement rocks for long term storage. This current project builds upon a prior DOE project, DE-EE0005504, which developed the basic low power, low 28 GHz frequency waveguide setup, process and instruments. This research adds to our understanding of using MMW power to melt and vaporize rocks and steel/ metals and laid plans for future higher power field prototype testing. This technology also has potential for deep well drillingmore » for nuclear storage, geothermal and oil and gas industries. It also has the potential for simultaneously sealing and securing the wellbore with a thick rock melt liner as the wellbore is drilled, called 'mono-bore drilling'. This allows for higher levels of safety and protection of the environment during deep drilling operations while providing vast cost savings. The larger purpose of this project was to find answers to key questions in developing MMW technology for its many subsurface applications.« less

Experimental and numerical study of drill bit drop tests on Kuru granite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fourmeau, Marion; Kane, Alexandre; Hokka, Mikko

2017-01-01

This paper presents an experimental and numerical study of Kuru grey granite impacted with a seven-buttons drill bit mounted on an instrumented drop test machine. The force versus displacement curves during the impact, so-called bit-rock interaction (BRI) curves, were obtained using strain gauge measurements for two levels of impact energy. Moreover, the volume of removed rock after each drop test was evaluated by stereo-lithography (three-dimensional surface reconstruction). A modified version of the Holmquist-Johnson-Cook (MHJC) material model was calibrated using Kuru granite test results available from the literature. Numerical simulations of the single drop tests were carried out using the MHJC model available in the LS-DYNA explicit finite-element solver. The influence of the impact energy and additional confining pressure on the BRI curves and the volume of the removed rock is discussed. In addition, the influence of the rock surface shape before impact was evaluated using two different mesh geometries: a flat surface and a hyperbolic surface. The experimental and numerical results are compared and discussed in terms of drilling efficiency through the mechanical specific energy. This article is part of the themed issue 'Experimental testing and modelling of brittle materials at high strain rates'.

Numerical Simulation of Rock Mass Damage Evolution During Deep-Buried Tunnel Excavation by Drill and Blast

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Jianhua; Lu, Wenbo; Hu, Yingguo; Chen, Ming; Yan, Peng

2015-09-01

Presence of an excavation damage zone (EDZ) around a tunnel perimeter is of significant concern with regard to safety, stability, costs and overall performance of the tunnel. For deep-buried tunnel excavation by drill and blast, it is generally accepted that a combination of effects of stress redistribution and blasting is mainly responsible for development of the EDZ. However, few open literatures can be found to use numerical methods to investigate the behavior of rock damage induced by the combined effects, and it is still far from full understanding how, when and to what degree the blasting affects the behavior of the EDZ during excavation. By implementing a statistical damage evolution law based on stress criterion into the commercial software LS-DYNA through its user-subroutines, this paper presents a 3D numerical simulation of the rock damage evolution of a deep-buried tunnel excavation, with a special emphasis on the combined effects of the stress redistribution of surrounding rock masses and the blasting-induced damage. Influence of repeated blast loadings on the damage extension for practical millisecond delay blasting is investigated in the present analysis. Accompanying explosive detonation and secession of rock fragments from their initial locations, in situ stress in the immediate vicinity of the excavation face is suddenly released. The transient characteristics of the in situ stress release and induced dynamic responses in the surrounding rock masses are also highlighted. From the simulation results, some instructive conclusions are drawn with respect to the rock damage mechanism and evolution during deep-buried tunnel excavation by drill and blast.

Outokumpu Deep Drill Hole: Window to the Precambrian bedrock

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heinonen, Suvi; Kietäväinen, Riikka; Ahonen, Lasse; Kukkonen, Ilmo

2017-04-01

Outokumpu Deep Drill Hole is located in eastern Finland, at latitude 62°43'4'' N and longitude 29°3'43'' E. This 2516 m long and fully cored deep hole has been utilized as a geolaboratory open for researchers worldwide since it was drilled in 2004-2005. The 220 mm diameter drill hole is open without a casing (excluding the uppermost 40 m) and thus provides a direct access to in situ conditions to 2.5 km depth. There is a wide range of wire-line logs carried out by the drilling contractor and later by ICDP (International Continental Scientific Drilling Program) in several logging sessions for geothermal, hydrogeological and deep biosphere studies. Lithology, metamorphism, fluid inclusions, density, magnetic properties, seismic velocities and thermal properties of the drill core have been studied by several international groups. The hole has kept open since the end of drilling enabling future studies to be conducted in it. The drill hole is situated in the southwestern part of the Outokumpu historical mining district famous for its Cu-Co-Zn sulfide deposits. These sulfide deposits are hosted by 1.96 Ga old ophiolitic rock types, known as the Outokumpu assemblage, also penetrated by the deep drill hole at 1314-1515 m depth. Laboratory and in situ petrophysical measurements have provided valuable information about physical properties of the typical rocks of the area that can be utilized in the mineral exploration efforts. The drill site of Outokumpu was chosen based on strong reflectivity observed in the high resolution seismic profiles acquired earlier in the area. Outokumpu Deep Drill Hole revealed that these reflections originate from the acoustic impedance variations caused by the ore hosting Outokumpu assemblage. In 2006, surface seismic reflection and vertical seismic profiling (VSP) data were measured in the drill site, and these data show that not only is Outokumpu assemblage rocks reflective but also water bearing fracture at 965 m depth is observed as a strong reflector. This fracture, as well as other fractures penetrated by the drill hole, contains saline water and gases, mainly methane, nitrogen, hydrogen and helium. Salinity of water in the deeper part (>1000 m) of the drill hole has continuously increased since the drilling. Gas-rich water slowly seeps upward and bubble out at the water table. In total, five different water types have been discerned along the drill hole by geochemical and isotopic methods and residence times up to 58 Ma indicated by the accumulation of noble gases. Microbiological studies in the Outokumpu Deep Drill Hole show that not only do different fracture zones act as places for shift in groundwater chemistry but also in the microbial communities. After a decade of research, Outokumpu drill hole site is geologically well known and thus provides a good environment to test new tools developed for exploration, microbiological or hydrogeological purposes, for example. Geological Survey of Finland is open for new research collaboration projects related to the drill site.

Magnetic insights on seismogenic processes from scientific drilling of fault

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferre, E. C.; Chou, Y. M.; Aubourg, C. T.; Li, H.; Doan, M. L.; Townend, J.; Sutherland, R.; Toy, V.

2017-12-01

Modern investigations through scientific drilling of recently seismogenic faults have provided remarkable insights on the physics of rupture processes. Following devastating earthquakes, several drilling programs focused since 1995 on the Nojima, Chelungpu, San Andreas, Wenchuan, Nankai Trough, Japan Trench and New Zealand Alpine faults. While these efforts were all crowned with success largely due to the multidisciplinarity of investigations, valuable insights were gained from rock magnetism and paleomagnetism and deserve to be highlighted. Continuous logging of magnetic properties allows detection of mineralogical and chemical changes in the host rock and fault zone particularly in slip zones, whether these are caused by frictional melting, elevation of temperature, ultracataclasis, or post-seismic fluid rock interaction. Further magnetic experiments on discrete samples including magnetic susceptibility, natural remanent magnetization, hysteresis properties, isothermal remanent magnetization acquisition and first order reversal curves, provide additional constrains on the nature, concentration and grain size of magnetic carriers. These experiments typically also inform on magnetization processes by thermal, chemical, or electrical mechanisms. Magnetic fabrics are generally not investigated on fault rocks from drill cores primarily in an effort to conserve the recovered core. However, recent methodological developments now would allow chemically non-destructive anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) measurements to be performed on small 3.5 mm cubes. The mini-AMS method could provide crucial information on the kinematics of frictional melts produced during recent or ancient earthquakes and therefore would constrain the corresponding focal mechanisms. Finally, demagnetization experiments of the natural remanent magnetization (NRM) are one of the most powerful items in the magnetic toolkit because they provide chronological constrains on magnetization processes. Hence paleomagnetic experiments on fault rocks offer a unique opportunity to distinguish between recently active and ancient slip zones.

MSL Animation EDL and Sky Crane

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-11-07

Animation of Mars Science Laboratory (MSL), also known as the Curiosity rover, from cruise stage to EDL (entry, descent and landing), roving around the planet, zapping rocks with its laser and drilling into rocks.

Heterogeneities of mechanical properties in potential geothermal reservoir rocks of the North German Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reyer, D.; Philipp, S. L.

2012-04-01

Heterogeneous rock properties in terms of layering and complex infrastructure of fault zones are typical phenomena in sedimentary basins such as the North German Basin. To be able to model reservoir stimulation in layered stratifications and to better adapt the drilling strategy to the rock mechanical conditions it is important to have knowledge about the effects of heterogeneous rock properties on fracture propagation and fault zone infrastructure for typical sedimentary reservoir rocks in the North German Basin. Therefore we aim at quantifying these properties by performing structural geological field studies in outcrop analogues combined with laboratory analyses. The field studies in Rotliegend sandstones (Lower Permian), the sandstones of the Middle Bunter (Lower Triassic) and the sandstones of the Upper Keuper (Upper Triassic) focus on 1) host rock fracture systems and 2) fault zone infrastructure. We analyse quantitatively the dimension, geometry, persistence and connectivity of fracture systems separately for host rocks and fault damage zones. The results show that in rocks with distinctive layering (sandstones and shales) natural fractures are often restricted to individual layers, that is, they are stratabound. The probability of fracture arrest seems to depend on the stiffness contrast between the two layers and on the thickness of the softer layer. The field studies are complemented by systematic sampling to obtain mechanical property variations caused by the layering. For the samples we measure the parameters Young's modulus, compressive and tensile strengths, elastic strain energy, density and porosity. The results show that the mechanical properties vary considerably and many samples are clearly anisotropic. That is, samples taken perpendicular to layering commonly have higher strengths but lower stiffnesses than those taken parallel to layering. We combine the results of laboratory analyses and field measurements to specify the mechanical heterogeneities of the sedimentary reservoir rocks of the North German Basin and of the mechanical units of fault zones therein. To estimate the in situ rock properties at different depths it is further important to understand how rocks from outcrops differ from rocks at depth (for example due to alteration and removal of the overburden load). To answer these questions we analyse samples from drill cores from depths relevant for the use as geothermal reservoirs which are stratigraphically and lithologically equivalent to those taken in outcrop analogues. The results from drill-core sample analyses are then compared with the results from the outcrop samples. Another approach is to analyse how rock mechanical properties correlate with petrographic properties (e.g., mineral content, cementation, fabric, porosity) to use this knowledge to extrapolate the data to depth. Altogether these results will be very useful to make better assumptions on natural reservoir permeabilities and to better adapt the drilling and reservoir stimulation strategy to the rock mechanical conditions.

WETTABILITY AND PREDICTION OF OIL RECOVERY FROM RESERVOIRS DEVELOPED WITH MODERN DRILLING AND COMPLETION FLUIDS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jill S. Buckley; Norman r. Morrow

2002-06-01

This first semiannual report covers efforts to select the materials that will be used in this project. Discussions of crude oils, rocks, smooth mineral surfaces, and drilling mud additives are included in this report.

Subsurface stratigraphy and oil fields in the Salem Limestone and associated rocks in Indiana

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Keller, S.J.; Becker, L.E.

An area of 11 counties in southwestern Indiana was studied because (1) the subsurface geology of the Salem Limestone and associated rocks in the area contained numerous correlation discrepancies; (2) it was the locus of recent oil exploration and oil discoveries in these rocks; (3) the last subsurface study of this rock section was made in 1957; and (4) since that time, subsurface data from newly drilled petroleum-test wells have increased a hundredfold. Because of their abundance, geophysical logs were used extensively for correlation. Drill cuttings, where available, were also used in studying the rock units. The upper boundary ofmore » the Salem was based on geophysical-log correlations as supported by available drill cuttings. The lower boundary of the Salem was based on drill cuttings. Commercial oil is produced from porous calcarenite zones in the St. Louis and Salem Limestones and from coarsely crystalline limestone in the Harrodsburg Limestone. The lower part of the St. Louis Limestone yields oil from a porous carbonate rock that resembles Salem calcarenite and that we have formally named the Sission Member in the St. Louis. The Salem calcarenite facies ranges in thickness from a low of 10 percent of the total Salem in the southern part of the study area to a high of 80 percent in the northern part. Oil is produced from porous zones in the calcarenite. Oil production from the St. Louis, Salem, and Harrodsburg Limestones in Indiana amounted to 8,880,078 barrels as of December 31, 1978. Production in 1977 was 1,534,320 barrels, and production in 1978 was 1,157,450 barrels. About 80 percent of the 1977 and 1978 production came from Union-Bowman Consolidated and Sisson Fields in Gibson, Knox, and Pike counties and the Owensville North Consolidated and Mt. Carmel Consolidated Fields in Gibson County. 15 figures, 3 tables.« less

Rock Mass Grouting in the Løren Tunnel: Case Study with the Main Focus on the Groutability and Feasibility of Drill Parameter Interpretation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Høien, Are Håvard; Nilsen, Bjørn

2014-05-01

The Løren road tunnel is a part of a major project at Ring road 3 in Oslo, Norway. The rock part of the tunnel is 915 m long and has two tubes with three lanes and breakdown lanes. Strict water ingress restriction was specified and continuous rock mass grouting was, therefore, carried out for the entire tunnel, which was excavated in folded Cambro-Silurian shales intruded by numerous dykes. This paper describes the rock mass grouting that was carried out for the Løren tunnel. Particular emphasis is placed on discussing grout consumption and the challenges that were encountered when passing under a distinct rock depression. Measurement while drilling (MWD) technology was used for this project, and, in this paper, the relationships between the drill parameter interpretation (DPI) factors water and fracturing are examined in relation to grout volumes. A lowering of the groundwater table was experienced during excavation under the rock depression, but the groundwater was nearly re-established after completion of the main construction work. A planned 80-m watertight concrete lining was not required to be built due to the excellent results from grouting in the rock depression area. A relationship was found between leakages mapped in the tunnel and the DPI water factor, indicating that water is actually present where the DPI water factor shows water in the rock. It is concluded that, for the Løren tunnel, careful planning and high-quality execution of the rock mass grouting made the measured water ingress meet the restrictions. For future projects, the DPI water factor may be used to give a better understanding of the material in which the rock mass grouting is performed and may also be used to reduce the time spent and volumes used when grouting.

Geological and geophysical analysis of Coso Geothermal Exploration Hole No. 1 (CGEH-1), Coso Hot Springs KGRA, California

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Galbraith, R.M.

1978-05-01

The Coso Geothermal Exploration Hole number one (CGEH-1) was drilled in the Coso Hot Springs KGRA, California, from September 2 to December 2, 1977. Chip samples were collected at ten foot intervals and extensive geophysical logging surveys were conducted to document the geologic character of the geothermal system as penetrated by CGEH-1. The major rock units encountered include a mafic metamorphic sequence and a leucogranite which intruded the metamorphic rocks. Only weak hydrothermal alteration was noted in these rocks. Drillhole surveys and drilling rate data indicate that the geothermal system is structurally controlled and that the drillhole itself was stronglymore » influenced by structural zones. Water chemistry indicates that this geothermal resource is a hot-water rather than a vapor-dominated system. Several geophysical logs were employed to characcterize the drillhole geology. The natural gamma and neutron porosity logs indicate gross rock type and the accoustic logs indicate fractured rock and potentially permeable zones. A series of temperature logs run as a function of time during and after the completion of drilling were most useful in delineating the zones of maximum heat flux. Convective heat flow and temperatures greater than 350/sup 0/F appear to occur only along an open fracture system encountered between depths of 1850 and 2775 feet. Temperature logs indicate a negative thermal gradient below 3000 feet.« less

Geological and geophysical analysis of Coso Geothermal Exploration Hole No. 1 (CGEH-1), Coso Hot Springs KGRA, California

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Galbraith, R.M.

1978-05-01

The Coso Geothermal Exploration Hole number one (CGEH-1) was drilled in the Coso Hot Springs KGRA, California from September 2 to December 2, 1977. Chip samples were collected at ten foot intervals and extensive geophysical logging surveys were conducted to document the geologic character of the geothermal system as penetrated by CGEH-1. The major rock units encountered include a mafic metamorphic sequence and a leucogranite which intruded the metamorphic rocks. Only weak hydrothermal alteration was noted in these rocks. Drillhole surveys and drilling rate data indicate that the geothermal system is structurally controlled and that the drillhole itself was stronglymore » influenced by structural zones. Water chemistry indicates that this geothermal resource is a hot-water rather than a vapor-dominated system. Several geophysical logs were employed to characterize the drillhole geology. The natural gamma and neutron porosity logs indicate gross rock type and the acoustic logs indicate fractured rock and potentially permeable zones. A series of temperature logs run as a function of time during and after the completion of drilling were most useful in delineating the zones of maximum heat flux. Convective heat flow and temperatures greater than 350/sup 0/F appear to occur only along an open fracture system encountered between depths of 1850 and 2775 feet. Temperature logs indicate a negative thermal gradient below 3000 feet.« less

Geothermal Energy in the Pacific Region. Appendix A: Exploration for a Geothermal System in the Lualualei Valley, Oahu, Hawaii. Appendix B: Exploration on Adak Island Alaska

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-05-01

point (Macdonald and Abbott, 1970). A borehole was drilled at the summit of Kilauea Volcano during the summer of 1973 (Keller, 1974). This study...under the Waianae Cal- jj dera is believed to be made up of rocks similar to the rocks found undsr the Kilauea Volcano . Low permeability probably...Colorado: Thesis 1478, Colo. School of Mines, Golden, Colo. Keller, G. V., 1974, Drilling at the summit of Kilauea Volcano : Prepared for National

Chemical data and statistical interpretations for rocks and ores from the Ranger uranium mine, Northern Territory, Australia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nash, J. Thomas; Frishman, David

1983-01-01

Analytical results for 61 elements in 370 samples from the Ranger Mine area are reported. Most of the rocks come from drill core in the Ranger No. 1 and Ranger No. 3 deposits, but 20 samples are from unmineralized drill core more than 1 km from ore. Statistical tests show that the elements Mg, Fe, F, Be, Co, Li, Ni, Pb, Sc, Th, Ti, V, CI, As, Br, Au, Ce, Dy, La Sc, Eu, Tb, Yb, and Tb have positive association with uranium, and Si, Ca, Na, K, Sr, Ba, Ce, and Cs have negative association. For most lithologic subsets Mg, Fe, Li, Cr, Ni, Pb, V, Y, Sm, Sc, Eu, and Yb are significantly enriched in ore-bearing rocks, whereas Ca, Na, K, Sr, Ba, Mn, Ce, and Cs are significantly depleted. These results are consistent with petrographic observations on altered rocks. Lithogeochemistry can aid exploration, but for these rocks requires methods that are expensive and not amenable to routine use.

Loaded Transducer Fpr Downhole Drilling Component

DOEpatents

Hall, David R.; Hall, H. Tracy; Pixton, David; Dahlgren, Scott; Sneddon, Cameron; Briscoe, Michael; Fox, Joe

2005-07-05

A robust transmission element for transmitting information between downhole tools, such as sections of drill pipe, in the presence of hostile environmental conditions, such as heat, dirt, rocks, mud, fluids, lubricants, and the like. The transmission element maintains reliable connectivity between transmission elements, thereby providing an uninterrupted flow of information between drill string components. A transmission element is mounted within a recess proximate a mating surface of a downhole drilling component, such as a section of drill pipe. To close gaps present between transmission elements, transmission elements may be biased with a "spring force," urging them closer together.

Loaded transducer for downhole drilling components

DOEpatents

Hall, David R.; Hall, Jr., H. Tracy; Pixton, David S.; Briscoe, Michael A.; Dahlgren, Scott Steven; Fox, Joe; Sneddon, Cameron

2006-02-21

A robust transmission element for transmitting information between downhole tools, such as sections of drill pipe, in the presence of hostile environmental conditions, such as heat, dirt, rocks, mud, fluids, lubricants, and the like. The transmission element maintains reliable connectivity between transmission elements, thereby providing an uninterrupted flow of information between drill string components. A transmission element is mounted within a recess proximate a mating surface of a downhole drilling component, such as a section of drill pipe. To close gaps present between transmission elements, transmission elements may be biased with a "spring force, urging them closer together."

Optimization of Operating Parameters for Minimum Mechanical Specific Energy in Drilling

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hamrick, Todd

2011-01-01

Efficiency in drilling is measured by Mechanical Specific Energy (MSE). MSE is the measure of the amount of energy input required to remove a unit volume of rock, expressed in units of energy input divided by volume removed. It can be expressed mathematically in terms of controllable parameters; Weight on Bit, Torque, Rate of Penetration, and RPM. It is well documented that minimizing MSE by optimizing controllable factors results in maximum Rate of Penetration. Current methods for computing MSE make it possible to minimize MSE in the field only through a trial-and-error process. This work makes it possible to computemore » the optimum drilling parameters that result in minimum MSE. The parameters that have been traditionally used to compute MSE are interdependent. Mathematical relationships between the parameters were established, and the conventional MSE equation was rewritten in terms of a single parameter, Weight on Bit, establishing a form that can be minimized mathematically. Once the optimum Weight on Bit was determined, the interdependent relationship that Weight on Bit has with Torque and Penetration per Revolution was used to determine optimum values for those parameters for a given drilling situation. The improved method was validated through laboratory experimentation and analysis of published data. Two rock types were subjected to four treatments each, and drilled in a controlled laboratory environment. The method was applied in each case, and the optimum parameters for minimum MSE were computed. The method demonstrated an accurate means to determine optimum drilling parameters of Weight on Bit, Torque, and Penetration per Revolution. A unique application of micro-cracking is also presented, which demonstrates that rock failure ahead of the bit is related to axial force more than to rotation speed.« less

A Proposed Borehole Scientific Laboratory in Quay County, New Mexico, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nielson, Dennis; Eckels, Marc; Mast, Peter; Zellman, Mark; Creed, Robert

2017-04-01

Our team has received funding from the US Department of Energy to initiate a Deep Borehole Field Test that will develop a subsurface test site to evaluate the drilling and scientific aspects of deep borehole disposal of nuclear waste in crystalline rock. Phase 1 of the project will focus on Public Outreach and land acquisition whereas Phase 2 will generate a drilling and testing plan and secure regulatory approvals. Phase 3 will complete the Drilling and Testing Plan and Phase 4 will include the drilling and testing. Phase 5 will be devoted to borehole science and experiments with emplacement technology. Although we are specifically considering issues associated with the disposal of waste, this project is a proof of concept, and no waste will be emplaced at our site. In brief, the concept envisions an 8-1/2 inch open-hole completion at a depth of 5000 m in crystalline rock. There will be an extensive program of sample collection (including core) and analysis as well as geophysical logging and borehole testing. Critical issues will be low permeability in the crystalline rock as well as the ability to manage borehole quality. Our team has proposed a site in Quay County, New Mexico that has an 850 meter thick Paleozoic section overlying homogeneous Precambrian granite. A subsequent phase of the project may drill a second hole with a 17-1/2 inch completion located about 200 m from the first. Our long-term plan is that this site will be managed as a deep scientific observatory that also provides a facility for scientific experiments and testing of borehole infrastructure and drilling equipment.

30 CFR 250.1601 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Definitions. 250.1601 Section 250.1601 Mineral... means a well drilled through cap rock into the core at a salt dome for the purpose of producing brine. Cap rock means the rock formation, a body of limestone, anhydride, and/or gypsum, overlying a salt...

30 CFR 250.1601 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Definitions. 250.1601 Section 250.1601 Mineral... means a well drilled through cap rock into the core at a salt dome for the purpose of producing brine. Cap rock means the rock formation, a body of limestone, anhydride, and/or gypsum, overlying a salt...

Summary: High Temperature Downhole Motor

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Raymond, David W.

2017-10-01

Directional drilling can be used to enable multi-lateral completions from a single well pad to improve well productivity and decrease environmental impact. Downhole rotation is typically developed with a motor in the Bottom Hole Assembly (BHA) that develops drilling power (speed and torque) necessary to drive rock reduction mechanisms (i.e., the bit) apart from the rotation developed by the surface rig. Historically, wellbore deviation has been introduced by a “bent-sub,” located in the BHA, that introduces a small angular deviation, typically less than 3 degrees, to allow the bit to drill off-axis with orientation of the BHA controlled at themore » surface. The development of a high temperature downhole motor would allow reliable use of bent subs for geothermal directional drilling. Sandia National Laboratories is pursuing the development of a high temperature motor that will operate on either drilling fluid (water-based mud) or compressed air to enable drilling high temperature, high strength, fractured rock. The project consists of designing a power section based upon geothermal drilling requirements; modeling and analysis of potential solutions; and design, development and testing of prototype hardware to validate the concept. Drilling costs contribute substantially to geothermal electricity production costs. The present development will result in more reliable access to deep, hot geothermal resources and allow preferential wellbore trajectories to be achieved. This will enable development of geothermal wells with multi-lateral completions resulting in improved geothermal resource recovery, decreased environmental impact and enhanced well construction economics.« less

Critical Elements in Reservoir Rocks of Produced Fluids Nevada and Utah August 2017

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Simmons, Stuart

Critical and trace element data for drill cuttings from Beowawe, Dixie Valley, and Roosevelt Hot Springs-Blundell geothermal production fields, for drill cuttings from Uinta basin producing oil-gas wells, and from outcrops in the Sevier Thermal Anomaly-Utah.

An Ultrasonic Sampler and Sensor Platform for In-Situ Astrobiological Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bar-Cohen, Yoaz E.; Bao, X.; Chang, Z.; Sherrit, S.

2003-01-01

The search for existing or past life in the Universe is one of the most important objectives of NASA's mission. In support of this objective, ultrasonic based mechanisms are currently being developed at JPL to allow probing and sampling rocks as well as perform as a sensor platform for in-situ astrobiological analysis. The technology is based on the novel Ultrasonic/Sonic Driller/Corer (USDC), which requires low axial force, thereby overcoming one of the major limitations of planetary sampling in low gravity using conventional drills. The USDC was demonstrated to: 1) drill ice and various rocks including granite, diorite, basalt and limestone, 2) not require bit sharpening, and 3) operate at high and low temperatures. The capabilities that are being investigated including probing the ground to select sampling sites, collecting various forms of samples, and hosting sensors for measuring chemical/physical properties. A series of modifications of the USDC basic configuration were implemented leading an ultrasonic abrasion tool (URAT), Ultrasonic Gopher for deep Drilling, and the lab-on-a-drill.

Melt in the impact breccias from the Eyreville drill cores, Chesapeake Bay impact structure, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bartosova, Katerina; Hecht, Lutz; Koeberl, Christian; Libowitzky, Eugen; Reimold, Wolf Uwe

2011-03-01

The center of the 35.3 Ma Chesapeake Bay impact structure (85 km diameter) was drilled during 2005/2006 in an ICDP-0USGS drilling project. The Eyreville drill cores include polymict impact breccias and associated rocks (1397-01551 m depth). Tens of melt particles from these impactites were studied by optical and electron microscopy, electron microprobe, and microRaman spectroscopy, and classified into six groups: m1—clear or brownish melt, m2—brownish melt altered to phyllosilicates, m3—colorless silica melt, m4—melt with pyroxene and plagioclase crystallites, m5—dark brown melt, and m6—melt with globular texture. These melt types have partly overlapping major element abundances, and large compositional variations due to the presence of schlieren, poorly mixed melt phases, partly digested clasts, and variable crystallization and alteration. The different melt types also vary in their abundance with depth in the drill core. Based on the chemical data, mixing calculations were performed to determine possible precursors of these melt particles. The calculations suggest that most melt types formed mainly from the thick sedimentary section of the target sequence (mainly the Potomac Formation), but an additional crystalline basement (schist/gneiss) precursor is likely for the most abundant melt types m2 and m5. Sedimentary rocks with compositions similar to those of the melt particles are present among the Eyreville core samples. Therefore, sedimentary target rocks were the main precursor of the Eyreville melt particles. However, the composition of the melt particles is not only the result of the precursor composition but also the result of changes during melting and solidification, as well as postimpact alteration, which must also be considered. The variability of the melt particle compositions reflects the variety of target rocks and indicates that there was no uniform melt source. Original heterogeneities, resulting from melting of different target rocks, may be preserved in impactites of some large impact structures that formed in volatile-rich targets, because no large melt body exists, in which homogenization would have taken place.

Evaluating the Relationships Between NTNU/SINTEF Drillability Indices with Index Properties and Petrographic Data of Hard Igneous Rocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aligholi, Saeed; Lashkaripour, Gholam Reza; Ghafoori, Mohammad; Azali, Sadegh Tarigh

2017-11-01

Thorough and realistic performance predictions are among the main requisites for estimating excavation costs and time of the tunneling projects. Also, NTNU/SINTEF rock drillability indices, including the Drilling Rate Index™ (DRI), Bit Wear Index™ (BWI), and Cutter Life Index™ (CLI), are among the most effective indices for determining rock drillability. In this study, brittleness value (S20), Sievers' J-Value (SJ), abrasion value (AV), and Abrasion Value Cutter Steel (AVS) tests are conducted to determine these indices for a wide range of Iranian hard igneous rocks. In addition, relationships between such drillability parameters with petrographic features and index properties of the tested rocks are investigated. The results from multiple regression analysis revealed that the multiple regression models prepared using petrographic features provide a better estimation of drillability compared to those prepared using index properties. Also, it was found that the semiautomatic petrography and multiple regression analyses provide a suitable complement to determine drillability properties of igneous rocks. Based on the results of this study, AV has higher correlations with studied mineralogical indices than AVS. The results imply that, in general, rock surface hardness of hard igneous rocks is very high, and the acidic igneous rocks have a lower strength and density and higher S20 than those of basic rocks. Moreover, DRI is higher, while BWI is lower in acidic igneous rocks, suggesting that drill and blast tunneling is more convenient in these rocks than basic rocks.

Seismic refraction survey of the ANS preferred site

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Davis, R.K.; Hopkins, R.A.; Doll, W.E.

1992-02-01

Between September 19, 1991 and October 8, 1991 personnel from Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc. (Energy Systems), Automated Sciences Group, Inc., and Marrich, Inc. performed a seismic refraction survey at the Advanced Neutron Source (ANS) preferred site. The purpose of this survey was to provide estimates of top-of-rock topography, based on seismic velocities, and to delineate variations in rock and soil velocities. Forty-four seismic refraction spreads were shot to determine top-of-rock depths at 42 locations. Nine of the seismic spreads were shot with long offsets to provide 216 top-of-rock depths for 4 seismic refraction profiles. The refraction spread locations weremore » based on the grid for the ANS Phase I drilling program. Interpretation of the seismic refraction data supports the assumption that the top-of-rock surface generally follows the local topography. The shallow top-of-rock interface interpreted from the seismic refraction data is also supported by limited drill information at the site. Some zones of anomalous data are present that could be the result of locally variable weathering, a localized variation in shale content, or depth to top-of-rock greater than the site norm.« less

Test holes drilled in support of ground-water investigations, Project Gnome, Eddy County, New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cooper, J.B.

1962-01-01

Project Gnome is a proposed underground nuclear shot to be detonated within a massive salt bed in Eddy County, N. Mex. Potable and neat potable ground water is present in rocks above the salt and is being studied in relation to this nuclear event. This report presents details of two test holes which were drilled to determine ground-water conditions in the near vicinity of the shot point. A well-defined aquifer is present at the site of USGS test hole 1, about 1,000 feet south of the access shaft to the underground shot point. Water with 75 feet of artesian pressure head is contained in the Culebra dolomite member of the Rustler formation. The dolomite aquifer is 32 feet thick and its top lies at a depth of 517 feet below land surface. The aquifer yielded 100 gpm (gallons per minute) with a drawdown of 40 feet during a pumping period of 24 hours. Water was not found in rocks above or below the Culebra dolomite. At the site of USGS test hole 2, about 2 miles southwest of the access shaft no distinctive aquifer exists. About one-half gpm was yielded to the well from the rocks between the Culebra dolomite and the top of the salt. Water could not be detected in the Culebra dolomite or overlying rocks. The report contains drawdown and recovery curves of yield tests, drilling-time charts, and electric logs. The data are given in tables; they include summaries of hole construction, sample description logs, water measurements, drilling-time logs, and water analyses.

Experimental and numerical study of drill bit drop tests on Kuru granite.

PubMed

Fourmeau, Marion; Kane, Alexandre; Hokka, Mikko

2017-01-28

This paper presents an experimental and numerical study of Kuru grey granite impacted with a seven-buttons drill bit mounted on an instrumented drop test machine. The force versus displacement curves during the impact, so-called bit-rock interaction (BRI) curves, were obtained using strain gauge measurements for two levels of impact energy. Moreover, the volume of removed rock after each drop test was evaluated by stereo-lithography (three-dimensional surface reconstruction). A modified version of the Holmquist-Johnson-Cook (MHJC) material model was calibrated using Kuru granite test results available from the literature. Numerical simulations of the single drop tests were carried out using the MHJC model available in the LS-DYNA explicit finite-element solver. The influence of the impact energy and additional confining pressure on the BRI curves and the volume of the removed rock is discussed. In addition, the influence of the rock surface shape before impact was evaluated using two different mesh geometries: a flat surface and a hyperbolic surface. The experimental and numerical results are compared and discussed in terms of drilling efficiency through the mechanical specific energy.This article is part of the themed issue 'Experimental testing and modelling of brittle materials at high strain rates'. © 2016 The Author(s).

Experimental and numerical study of drill bit drop tests on Kuru granite

PubMed Central

Kane, Alexandre; Hokka, Mikko

2017-01-01

This paper presents an experimental and numerical study of Kuru grey granite impacted with a seven-buttons drill bit mounted on an instrumented drop test machine. The force versus displacement curves during the impact, so-called bit–rock interaction (BRI) curves, were obtained using strain gauge measurements for two levels of impact energy. Moreover, the volume of removed rock after each drop test was evaluated by stereo-lithography (three-dimensional surface reconstruction). A modified version of the Holmquist–Johnson–Cook (MHJC) material model was calibrated using Kuru granite test results available from the literature. Numerical simulations of the single drop tests were carried out using the MHJC model available in the LS-DYNA explicit finite-element solver. The influence of the impact energy and additional confining pressure on the BRI curves and the volume of the removed rock is discussed. In addition, the influence of the rock surface shape before impact was evaluated using two different mesh geometries: a flat surface and a hyperbolic surface. The experimental and numerical results are compared and discussed in terms of drilling efficiency through the mechanical specific energy. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Experimental testing and modelling of brittle materials at high strain rates’. PMID:27956511

In situ rock strength and far field stress in the Nankai accretionary complex: Integration of downhole data from multiple wells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huffman, K. A.; Saffer, D. M.

2014-12-01

Knowing the magnitude of tectonic stress and rock strength at seismically active margins is important towards understanding fault strength and failure mechanics, yet both are difficult to measure in situ. Recent work at subduction margins, including Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Nankai Trough Subduction Zone Experiment (NanTroSEIZE) drillsites, uses the width of compressional wellbore breakouts (BO), which depends on far field stress conditions, rock strength, and borehole annular pressure (APRS), to estimate the magnitude of horizontal principal stresses (SHmax and Shmin); estimates are problematic due to uncertainty in rock strength (unconfined compressive strength/UCS- for which direct measurements are scarce) and rheology that govern stress distribution at the wellbore. We conduct a novel case study at IODP Site C0002, where a hole was drilled twice with different boundary conditions, providing an opportunity to define in situ stress and strength from field data. Site C0002 is the main deep riser borehole for NanTroSEIZE, located near the seaward edge of the Kumano Basin above the seismogenic plate boundary, ~30 km from the trench. Several boreholes were drilled at the site. During IODP Expedition 314 in 2007, Hole C0002A was drilled with a suite of logging while drilling (LWD) tools to 1401 mbsf in a riserless mode. Hole C0002F, ~70 m away, was drilled to 862 mbsf in riserless mode during Exp. 326 in 2010 and deepened to 2005 mbsf in a riser mode during Expedition 338 in 2012-2013. Increased APRS achieved by riser drilling stabilizes the borehole and suppresses BO, consistent with resistivity imaging data from Exp. 314 that document well-developed, continuous BO throughout the borehole, and data from Expedition 338 indicating few BO. We use a semi-Newtonian approach to solve for stress and UCS consistent with the observed BO width and measured APRS in the two holes over the interval from 862-2005 mbsf. Effective SHmax ranges from ~10-30 MPa and indicate a strike-slip or thrust regime. Our results indicate UCS is higher than predicted by empirical relations and a small suite of laboratory tests by as much as 20 MPa. This apparent discrepancy may indicate that the failure criterion, or assumed distribution of stresses around the wellbore in analyses of far field stress, may not be appropriate in this setting.

Effect of Rock Properties on ROP Modeling Using Statistical and Intelligent Methods: A Case Study of an Oil Well in Southwest of Iran

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bezminabadi, Sina Norouzi; Ramezanzadeh, Ahmad; Esmaeil Jalali, Seyed-Mohammad; Tokhmechi, Behzad; Roustaei, Abbas

2017-03-01

Rate of penetration (ROP) is one of the key indicators of drilling operation performance. The estimation of ROP in drilling engineering is very important in terms of more accurate assessment of drilling time which affects operation costs. Hence, estimation of a ROP model using operational and environmental parameters is crucial. For this purpose, firstly physical and mechanical properties of rock were derived from well logs. Correlation between the pair data were determined to find influential parameters on ROP. A new ROP model has been developed in one of the Azadegan oil field wells in southwest of Iran. The model has been simulated using Multiple Nonlinear Regression (MNR) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN). By adding the rock properties, the estimation of the models were precisely improved. The results of simulation using MNR and ANN methods showed correlation coefficients of 0.62 and 0.87, respectively. It was concluded that the performance of ANN model in ROP prediction is fairly better than MNR method.

Understanding tectonic stress and rock strength in the Nankai Trough accretionary prism, offshore SW Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huffman, Katelyn A.

Understanding the orientation and magnitude of tectonic stress in active tectonic margins like subduction zones is important for understanding fault mechanics. In the Nankai Trough subduction zone, faults in the accretionary prism are thought to have historically slipped during or immediately following deep plate boundary earthquakes, often generating devastating tsunamis. I focus on quantifying stress at two locations of interest in the Nankai Trough accretionary prism, offshore Southwest Japan. I employ a method to constrain stress magnitude that combines observations of compressional borehole failure from logging-while-drilling resistivity-at-the-bit generated images (RAB) with estimates of rock strength and the relationship between tectonic stress and stress at the wall of a borehole. I use the method to constrain stress at Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 808 and Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Site C0002. At Site 808, I consider a range of parameters (assumed rock strength, friction coefficient, breakout width, and fluid pressure) in the method to constrain stress to explore uncertainty in stress magnitudes and discuss stress results in terms of the seismic cycle. I find a combination of increased fluid pressure and decreased friction along the frontal thrust or other weak faults could produce thrust-style failure, without the entire prism being at critical state failure, as other kinematic models of accretionary prism behavior during earthquakes imply. Rock strength is typically inferred using a failure criterion and unconfined compressive strength from empirical relations with P-wave velocity. I minimize uncertainty in rock strength by measuring rock strength in triaxial tests on Nankai core. I find strength of Nankai core is significantly less than empirical relations predict. I create a new empirical fit to our experiments and explore implications of this on stress magnitude estimates. I find using the new empirical fit can decrease stress predicted in the method by as much as 4 MPa at Site C0002. I constrain stress at Site C0002 using geophysical logging data from two adjacent boreholes drilled into the same sedimentary sequence with different drilling conditions in a forward model that predicts breakout width over a range of horizontal stresses (where SHmax is constrained by the ratio of stresses that would produce active faulting and Shmin is constrained from leak-off-tests) and rock strength. I then compare predicted breakout widths to observations of breakout widths from RAB images to determine the combination of stresses in the model that best match real world observations. This is the first published method to constrain both stress and strength simultaneously. Finally, I explore uncertainty in rock behavior during compressional breakout formation using a finite element model (FEM) that predicts Biot poroelastic changes in fluid pressure in rock adjacent to the borehole upon its excavation and explore the effect this has on rock failure. I test a range of permeability and rock stiffness. I find that when rock stiffness and permeability are in the range of what exists at Nankai, pore fluid pressure increase +/- 45° from Shmin and can lead to weakening of wall rock and a wider compressional failure zone than what would exist at equilibrium conditions. In a case example at, we find this can lead to an overestimate of tectonic stress using compressional failures of ~2 MPa in the area of the borehole where fluid pressure increases. In areas around the borehole where pore fluid decreases (+/- 45° from SHmax), the wall rock can strengthen which suppresses tensile failure. The implications of this research is that there are many potential pitfalls in the method to constrain stress using borehole breakouts in Nankai Trough mudstone, mostly due to uncertainty in parameters such as strength and underlying assumptions regarding constitutive rock behavior. More laboratory measurement and/or models of rock properties and rock constitutive behavior is needed to ensure the method is accurately providing constraints on stress magnitude. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.).

Curiosity Rock or Soil Sampling Sites on Mars, Through November 2016

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-12-13

nal Caption Released with Image: This graphic maps locations of the sites where NASA's Curiosity Mars rover collected its first 19 rock or soil samples for analysis by laboratory instruments inside the vehicle. It also presents images of the drilled holes where 15 rock-powder samples were acquired. Curiosity scooped two soil samples at each of the other two sites: Rocknest and Gobabeb. The diameter of each drill hole is about 0.6 inch (1.6 centimeters), slightly smaller than a U.S. dime. The images used here are raw color, as recorded by the rover's Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) camera. Notice the differences in color of the material at different drilling sites. For the map, north is toward the upper left corner. The scale bar represents 2 kilometers (1.2 miles). The base map is from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera on NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The latest sample site included is "Sebina,"where Curiosity drilled into bedrock of the Murray formation on Oct. 20, 2016, during the 1,495th Martian day, or sol, of the mission. Curiosity landed in August 2012 on the plain (named Aeolis Palus) near Mount Sharp (or Aeolis Mons). The drilling dates for the first 13 rock samples collected are, by location: "John Klein" on Feb. 8, 2013 (Sol 182); "Cumberland" on May 19, 2013 (Sol 279); "Windjana" on May 5, 2014 (Sol 621); "Confidence Hills" on Sept. 24, 2014 (Sol 759); "Mojave" on Jan. 29, 2015 (Sol 882); "Telegraph Peak" on Feb. 24, 2015 (Sol 908); "Buckskin" on July 30, 2015 (Sol 1060); "Big Sky" on Sept. 29, 2015 (Sol 1119); "Greenhorn" on Oct. 18, 2015 (Sol 1137); "Lubango" on April 23, 2016 (Sol 1320); "Okoruso" on May 5, 2016 (Sol 1332); "Oudam" on June 4, 2016 (Sol 1361); "Quela" on Sept. 18, 2016 (Sol 1464). http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21254

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Robert Radtke

The manufacture of thermally stable diamond (TSP) cutters for drill bits used in petroleum drilling requires the brazing of two dissimilar materials--TSP diamond and tungsten carbide. The ENDURUS{trademark} thermally stable diamond cutter developed by Technology International, Inc. exhibits (1) high attachment (shear) strength, exceeding 345 MPa (50,000 psi), (2) TSP diamond impact strength increased by 36%, (3) prevents TSP fracture when drilling hard rock, and (4) maintains a sharp edge when drilling hard and abrasive rock. A novel microwave brazing (MWB) method for joining dissimilar materials has been developed. A conventional braze filler metal is combined with microwave heating whichmore » minimizes thermal residual stress between materials with dissimilar coefficients of thermal expansion. The process results in preferential heating of the lower thermal expansion diamond material, thus providing the ability to match the thermal expansion of the dissimilar material pair. Methods for brazing with both conventional and exothermic braze filler metals have been developed. Finite element modeling (FEM) assisted in the fabrication of TSP cutters controllable thermal residual stress and high shear attachment strength. Further, a unique cutter design for absorbing shock, the densification of otherwise porous TSP diamond for increased mechanical strength, and diamond ion implantation for increased diamond fracture resistance resulted in successful drill bit tests.« less

Transducer for downhole drilling components

DOEpatents

Hall, David R; Fox, Joe R

2006-05-30

A robust transmission element for transmitting information between downhole tools, such as sections of drill pipe, in the presence of hostile environmental conditions, such as heat, dirt, rocks, mud, fluids, lubricants, and the like. The transmission element maintains reliable connectivity between transmission elements, thereby providing an uninterrupted flow of information between drill string components. A transmission element is mounted within a recess proximate a mating surface of a downhole drilling component, such as a section of drill pipe. The transmission element may include an annular housing forming a trough, an electrical conductor disposed within the trough, and an MCEI material disposed between the annular housing and the electrical conductor.

Visible-Near Infrared Point Spectrometry of Drill Core Samples from Río Tinto, Spain: Results from the 2005 Mars Astrobiology Research and Technology Experiment (MARTE) Drilling Exercise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sutter, Brad; Brown, Adrian J.; Stoker, Carol R.

2008-10-01

Sampling of subsurface rock may be required to detect evidence of past biological activity on Mars. The Mars Astrobiology Research and Technology Experiment (MARTE) utilized the Río Tinto region, Spain, as a Mars analog site to test dry drilling technologies specific to Mars that retrieve subsurface rock for biological analysis. This work examines the usefulness of visible-near infrared (VNIR) (450-1000 nm) point spectrometry to characterize ferric iron minerals in core material retrieved during a simulated Mars drilling mission. VNIR spectrometry can indicate the presence of aqueously precipitated ferric iron minerals and, thus, determine whether biological analysis of retrieved rock is warranted. Core spectra obtained during the mission with T1 (893-897 nm) and T2 (644-652 nm) features indicate goethite-dominated samples, while relatively lower wavelength T1 (832-880 nm) features indicate hematite. Hematite/goethite molar ratios varied from 0 to 1.4, and within the 880-898 nm range, T1 features were used to estimate hematite/goethite molar ratios. Post-mission X-ray analysis detected phyllosilicates, which indicates that examining beyond the VNIR (e.g., shortwave infrared, 1000-2500 nm) will enhance the detection of other minerals formed by aqueous processes. Despite the limited spectral range of VNIR point spectrometry utilized in the MARTE Mars drilling simulation project, ferric iron minerals could be identified in retrieved core material, and their distribution served to direct core subsampling for biological analysis.

Visible-near infrared point spectrometry of drill core samples from Río Tinto, Spain: results from the 2005 Mars Astrobiology Research and Technology Experiment (MARTE) drilling exercise.

PubMed

Sutter, Brad; Brown, Adrian J; Stoker, Carol R

2008-10-01

Sampling of subsurface rock may be required to detect evidence of past biological activity on Mars. The Mars Astrobiology Research and Technology Experiment (MARTE) utilized the Río Tinto region, Spain, as a Mars analog site to test dry drilling technologies specific to Mars that retrieve subsurface rock for biological analysis. This work examines the usefulness of visible-near infrared (VNIR) (450-1000 nm) point spectrometry to characterize ferric iron minerals in core material retrieved during a simulated Mars drilling mission. VNIR spectrometry can indicate the presence of aqueously precipitated ferric iron minerals and, thus, determine whether biological analysis of retrieved rock is warranted. Core spectra obtained during the mission with T1 (893-897 nm) and T2 (644-652 nm) features indicate goethite-dominated samples, while relatively lower wavelength T1 (832-880 nm) features indicate hematite. Hematite/goethite molar ratios varied from 0 to 1.4, and within the 880-898 nm range, T1 features were used to estimate hematite/goethite molar ratios. Post-mission X-ray analysis detected phyllosilicates, which indicates that examining beyond the VNIR (e.g., shortwave infrared, 1000-2500 nm) will enhance the detection of other minerals formed by aqueous processes. Despite the limited spectral range of VNIR point spectrometry utilized in the MARTE Mars drilling simulation project, ferric iron minerals could be identified in retrieved core material, and their distribution served to direct core subsampling for biological analysis.

Some Data from Detection of Organics in a Rock on Mars

NASA Image and Video Library

2014-12-16

Data graphed here are examples from the Sample Analysis at Mars SAM laboratory detection of Martian organics in a sample of powder that the drill on NASA Curiosity Mars rover collected from a rock target called Cumberland.

Litho- and chemostratigraphy of the Flatreef PGE deposit, northern Bushveld Complex

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grobler, D. F.; Brits, J. A. N.; Maier, W. D.; Crossingham, A.

2018-05-01

The Flatreef is a world-class platinum-group element (PGE) deposit recently discovered down-dip from existing mining and exploration operations on the northern limb of the Bushveld Complex. Current indicated resources stand at 42 Moz PGE (346 Mt with 3.8 g/t Pt+Pd+Rh+Au, 0.32% Ni and 0.16% Cu) which, in the case of Pt, is equivalent to 10 years global annual production, making it one of the largest PGE deposits on earth. The grade and thickness of the Flatreef mineralised interval is highly unusual, with some drill core intersections containing up to 4.5 g/t Pt+Pd+Rh+Au over 90 m in drill core. Here, we document the down-dip and along-strike litho- and chemostratigraphy of the Flatreef and its footwall and hanging wall rocks, based on a diamond drill core database totalling > 720 km. At the base of the sequence intersected in the drill cores are up to 700-m-thick sills of ultramafic rocks (dunite, harzburgite, pyroxenite) emplaced into pelitic, dolomitic, and locally quartzitic and evaporitic rocks belonging to the Duitschland Formation of the Transvaal Supergroup. Next is an approximately 100-200-m sequence of low-grade-sulphide-mineralised, layered mafic-ultramafic rocks containing abundant sedimentary xenoliths and, in places, several chromite seams or stringers. This is overlain by a 100-m-thick sequence of well-mineralised mafic-ultramafic rocks (the Flatreef sensu strictu), overlain by a laterally persistent mottled compositional analogies at the base of > 1 km of homogenous Main Zone gabbronorite. Based on stratigraphic, lithological and compositional alanalogies to the layered rocks in the eastern and western Bushveld Complex, we correlate the Flatreef and its chromite bearing footwall rocks with the Upper Critical Zone, notably the interval between the UG2 chromitite and the Bastard Reef as found elsewhere in the Bushveld Complex. This includes recognition of a Merensky Reef correlative. The ultramafic rocks below the main chromitite seam (UG2 correlative) in the Flatreef footwall are correlated with the Lower Critical and Lower zones. However, compared to the western and eastern Bushveld limbs, the studied sequence is strongly enriched in sulphide and PGE, many of the rocks show elevated CaO, K2O, Rb and Zr contents, and lateral continuity of layers between drill cores is less pronounced than elsewhere in the Bushveld, whereas ultramafic units are locally considerably thickened. These compositional and lithological traits are interpreted to result from a range of processes which include contamination with calcsilicate and hornfels, intrusion of granitic magmas, and the influence of multiple structural events such as pre- to syn-emplacement regional-scale open folding and growth faults. Evidence for the existence of potholes also exists. In the shallow, up-dip portions of the project area, the entire magmatic sequence below the Main Zone becomes increasingly contaminated to the extent that individual units are somewhat more difficult to correlate between drill cores. This package represents the Platreef as exposed in outcrop and shallow bore holes across much of the northern limb of the Bushveld Complex. The new data presented here thus indicate that the Platreef is a relatively more contaminated up-dip extension of parts of the Critical and Lower zones.

High power laser-mechanical drilling bit and methods of use

DOEpatents

Grubb, Daryl L.; Kolachalam, Sharath K.; Faircloth, Brian O.; Rinzler, Charles C.; Allen, Erik C.; Underwood, Lance D.; Zediker, Mark S.

2017-02-07

An apparatus with a high power laser-mechanical bit for use with a laser drilling system and a method for advancing a borehole. The laser-mechanical bit has a beam path and mechanical removal devices that provide for the removal of laser-affected rock to advance a borehole.

International Ocean Discovery Program U.S. Implementing Organization

Science.gov Websites

coordinates seagoing expeditions to study the history of the Earth recorded in sediments and rocks beneath the Internship :: Minorities in Scientific Ocean Drilling Fellowship Education Deep Earth Academy logo :: joidesresolution.org :: For students :: For teachers :: For scientists :: View drill sites in Google Earth Export

Ocean Drilling Simulation Activity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Telese, James A.; Jordan, Kathy

The Ocean Drilling Project brings together scientists and governments from 20 countries to explore the earth's structure and history as it is revealed beneath the oceans' basins. Scientific expeditions examine rock and sediment cores obtained from the ocean floor to learn about the earth's basic processes. The series of activities in this…

A novel enzyme-based acidizing system: Matrix acidizing and drilling fluid damage removal

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Harris, R.E.; McKay, D.M.; Moses, V.

1995-12-31

A novel acidizing process is used to increase the permeability of carbonate rock cores in the laboratory and to remove drilling fluid damage from cores and wafers. Field results show the benefits of the technology as applied both to injector and producer wells.

Fragmentation, Cost and Environmental Effects of Plaster Stemming Method for Blasting at A Basalt Quarry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cevizci, Halim

2014-10-01

In this study, the plaster stemming application for blasting at a basalt quarry is studied. Drill cuttings are generally used in open pits and quarries as the most common stemming material since these are most readily available at blast sites. However, dry drill cuttings eject very easily from blastholes without offering much resistance to blast energy. The plaster stemming method has been found to be better than the drill cuttings stemming method due to increased confinement inside the hole and better utilization of blast explosive energy in the rock. The main advantage of the new stemming method is the reduction in the cost of blasting. At a basalt quarry, blasting costs per unit volume of rock were reduced to 15% by increasing burden and spacing distances. In addition, better fragmentation was obtained by using the plaster stemming method. Blast trials showed that plaster stemming produced finer material. In the same blast tests, +30 cm size fragments were reduced to 47.3% of the total, compared to 32.6% in the conventional method of drill cuttings stemming. With this method of stemming, vibration and air shock values increased slightly due to more blast energy being available for rock breakage but generally these increased values were small and stayed under the permitted limit for blast damage criteria unless measuring distance is too close.

Reappraisal of hydrocarbon biomarkers in Archean rocks

PubMed Central

French, Katherine L.; Hallmann, Christian; Hope, Janet M.; Schoon, Petra L.; Zumberge, J. Alex; Hoshino, Yosuke; Peters, Carl A.; George, Simon C.; Love, Gordon D.; Brocks, Jochen J.; Buick, Roger; Summons, Roger E.

2015-01-01

Hopanes and steranes found in Archean rocks have been presented as key evidence supporting the early rise of oxygenic photosynthesis and eukaryotes, but the syngeneity of these hydrocarbon biomarkers is controversial. To resolve this debate, we performed a multilaboratory study of new cores from the Pilbara Craton, Australia, that were drilled and sampled using unprecedented hydrocarbon-clean protocols. Hopanes and steranes in rock extracts and hydropyrolysates from these new cores were typically at or below our femtogram detection limit, but when they were detectable, they had total hopane (<37.9 pg per gram of rock) and total sterane (<32.9 pg per gram of rock) concentrations comparable to those measured in blanks and negative control samples. In contrast, hopanes and steranes measured in the exteriors of conventionally drilled and curated rocks of stratigraphic equivalence reach concentrations of 389.5 pg per gram of rock and 1,039 pg per gram of rock, respectively. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and diamondoids, which exceed blank concentrations, exhibit individual concentrations up to 80 ng per gram of rock in rock extracts and up to 1,000 ng per gram of rock in hydropyrolysates from the ultraclean cores. These results demonstrate that previously studied Archean samples host mixtures of biomarker contaminants and indigenous overmature hydrocarbons. Therefore, existing lipid biomarker evidence cannot be invoked to support the emergence of oxygenic photosynthesis and eukaryotes by ∼2.7 billion years ago. Although suitable Proterozoic rocks exist, no currently known Archean strata lie within the appropriate thermal maturity window for syngenetic hydrocarbon biomarker preservation, so future exploration for Archean biomarkers should screen for rocks with milder thermal histories. PMID:25918387

Benchmark Design and Installation: A synthesis of Existing Information.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-07-01

casings (15 ft deep) drilled to rock and filled with concrete. Disks - 1 . Set on vertically stable structures (e.g., dam monoliths). 2 . Set in rock ...Structural movement survey 1 . Rock outcrops (first choice) -- chiseled square on high point. 2 . Massive concrete structure (second choice) - cut square on...bolt marker (type 2 ). 58,. % %--"% %I 1 ± 4 -I,.- Table Cl. Recomnded benchmarks. Type of condition or terrain Type of markert Bedrock, rock outcrops

Why 1D electrical resistivity techniques can result in inaccurate siting of boreholes in hard rock aquifers and why electrical resistivity tomography must be preferred: the example of Benin, West Africa

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alle, Iboukoun Christian; Descloitres, Marc; Vouillamoz, Jean-Michel; Yalo, Nicaise; Lawson, Fabrice Messan Amen; Adihou, Akonfa Consolas

2018-03-01

Hard rock aquifers are of particular importance for supplying people with drinking water in Africa and in the world. Although the common use of one-dimensional (1D) electrical resistivity techniques to locate drilling site, the failure rate of boreholes is usually high. For instance, about 40% of boreholes drilled in hard rock aquifers in Benin are unsuccessful. This study investigates why the current use of 1D techniques (e.g. electrical profiling and electrical sounding) can result in inaccurate siting of boreholes, and checks the interest and the limitations of the use of two-dimensional (2D) Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT). Geophysical numerical modeling and comprehensive 1D and 2D resistivity surveys were carried out in hard rock aquifers in Benin. The experiments carried out at 7 sites located in different hard rock groups confirmed the results of the numerical modeling: the current use of 1D techniques can frequently leads to inaccurate siting, and ERT better reveals hydrogeological targets such as thick weathered zone (e.g. stratiform fractured layer and preferential weathering associated with subvertical fractured zone). Moreover, a cost analysis demonstrates that the use of ERT can save money at the scale of a drilling programme if ERT improves the success rate by only 5% as compared to the success rate obtained with 1D techniques. Finally, this study demonstrates, using the example of Benin, that the use of electrical resistivity profiling and sounding for siting boreholes in weathered hard rocks of western Africa should be discarded and replaced by the use of ERT technique, more efficient.

Scientific Drilling of Impact Craters - Well Logging and Core Analyses Using Magnetic Methods (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fucugauchi, J. U.; Perez-Cruz, L. L.; Velasco-Villarreal, M.

2013-12-01

Drilling projects of impact structures provide data on the structure and stratigraphy of target, impact and post-impact lithologies, providing insight on the impact dynamics and cratering. Studies have successfully included magnetic well logging and analyses in core and cuttings, directed to characterize the subsurface stratigraphy and structure at depth. There are 170-180 impact craters documented in the terrestrial record, which is a small proportion compared to expectations derived from what is observed on the Moon, Mars and other bodies of the solar system. Knowledge of the internal 3-D deep structure of craters, critical for understanding impacts and crater formation, can best be studied by geophysics and drilling. On Earth, few craters have yet been investigated by drilling. Craters have been drilled as part of industry surveys and/or academic projects, including notably Chicxulub, Sudbury, Ries, Vredefort, Manson and many other craters. As part of the Continental ICDP program, drilling projects have been conducted on the Chicxulub, Bosumtwi, Chesapeake, Ries and El gygytgyn craters. Inclusion of continuous core recovery expanded the range of paleomagnetic and rock magnetic applications, with direct core laboratory measurements, which are part of the tools available in the ocean and continental drilling programs. Drilling studies are here briefly reviewed, with emphasis on the Chicxulub crater formed by an asteroid impact 66 Ma ago at the Cretaceous/Paleogene boundary. Chicxulub crater has no surface expression, covered by a kilometer of Cenozoic sediments, thus making drilling an essential tool. As part of our studies we have drilled eleven wells with continuous core recovery. Magnetic susceptibility logging, magnetostratigraphic, rock magnetic and fabric studies have been carried out and results used for lateral correlation, dating, formation evaluation, azimuthal core orientation and physical property contrasts. Contributions of magnetic studies on impact age, cratering, target-impactite stratigraphy, ejecta, impact dynamics, hydrothermal alterations and post-impact processes are presented. The challenges and perspectives of drilling studies of impact craters are discussed.

Paleomagnetic and Magnetostratigraphic Studies in Drilling Projects of Impact Craters - Recent Studies, Challenges and Perspectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fucugauchi, J. U.; Velasco-Villarreal, M.; Perez-Cruz, L. L.

2013-05-01

Paleomagnetic studies have long been successfully carried out in drilling projects, to characterize the borehole columns and to investigate the subsurface structure and stratigraphy. Magnetic susceptibility logging and magnetostratigraphic studies provide data for lateral correlation, formation evaluation, azimuthal core orientation, physical properties, etc., and are part of the tools available in the ocean and continental drilling programs. The inclusion of continuous core recovery in scientific drilling projects have greatly expanded the range of potential applications of paleomagnetic and rock magnetic studies, by allowing laboratory measurements on core samples. For this presentation, we concentrate on drilling studies of impact structures and their usefulness for documenting the structure, stratigraphy and physical properties at depth. There are about 170-180 impact craters documented in the terrestrial record, which is a small number compared to what is observed in the Moon, Mars, Venus and other bodies of the solar system. Of the terrestrial impact craters, only a few have been studied by drilling. Some craters have been drilled as part of industry exploration surveys and/or academic projects, including notably the Sudbury, Ries, Vredefort, Manson and many other craters. As part of the Continental ICDP program, drilling projects have been conducted on the Chicxulub, Bosumtwi, Chesapeake and El gygytgyn craters. Drilling of terrestrial craters has proved important in documenting the shallow stratigraphy and structure, providing insight on the cratering and impact dynamics. Questions include several that can only be addressed by retrieving core samples and laboratory analyses. Paleomagnetic, rock magnetic and fabric studies have been conducted in the various craters, which are here summarized with emphasis on the Chicxulub crater and Yucatan carbonate platform. Chicxulub is buried under a kilometer of younger sediments, making drilling an essential tool. Oil exploration included several boreholes, and additionally we have drilled 11 boreholes with continuous core recovery. Contributions and limitations of paleomagnetism for investigating the impact age, crater stratigraphy, cratering, ejecta emplacement, impact dynamics, hydrothermal system and post-impact processes are discussed.

Field testing advanced geothermal turbodrill (AGT). Phase 1 final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Maurer, W.C.; Cohen, J.H.

1999-06-01

Maurer Engineering developed special high-temperature geothermal turbodrills for LANL in the 1970s to overcome motor temperature limitations. These turbodrills were used to drill the directional portions of LANL`s Hot Dry Rock Geothermal Wells at Fenton Hill, New Mexico. The Hot Dry Rock concept is to drill parallel inclined wells (35-degree inclination), hydraulically fracture between these wells, and then circulate cold water down one well and through the fractures and produce hot water out of the second well. At the time LANL drilled the Fenton Hill wells, the LANL turbodrill was the only motor in the world that would drill atmore » the high temperatures encountered in these wells. It was difficult to operate the turbodrills continuously at low speed due to the low torque output of the LANL turbodrills. The turbodrills would stall frequently and could only be restarted by lifting the bit off bottom. This allowed the bit to rotate at very high speeds, and as a result, there was excessive wear in the bearings and on the gauge of insert roller bits due to these high rotary speeds. In 1998, Maurer Engineering developed an Advanced Geothermal Turbodrill (AGT) for the National Advanced Drilling and Excavation Technology (NADET) at MIT by adding a planetary speed reducer to the LANL turbodrill to increase its torque and reduce its rotary speed. Drilling tests were conducted with the AGT using 12 1/2-inch insert roller bits in Texas Pink Granite. The drilling tests were very successful, with the AGT drilling 94 ft/hr in Texas Pink Granite compared to 45 ft/hr with the LANL turbodrill and 42 ft/hr with a rotary drill. Field tests are currently being planned in Mexico and in geothermal wells in California to demonstrate the ability of the AGT to increase drilling rates and reduce drilling costs.« less

The Marysville, Montana Geothermal Project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcspadden, W. R.; Stewart, D. H.; Kuwada, J. T.

1974-01-01

Drilling the first geothermal well in Montana presented many challenges, not only in securing materials and planning strategies for drilling the wildcat well but also in addressing the environmental, legal, and institutional issues raised by the request for permission to explore a resource which lacked legal definition. The Marysville Geothermal Project was to investigate a dry hot rock heat anomaly. The well was drilled to a total depth of 6790 feet and many fractured water bearing zones were encountered below 1800 feet.

WETTABILITY AND PREDICTION OF OIL RECOVERY FROM RESERVOIRS DEVELOPED WITH MODERN DRILLING AND COMPLETION FLUIDS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jill S. Buckley; Norman R. Morrow

2006-01-01

The objectives of this project are: (1) to improve understanding of the wettability alteration of mixed-wet rocks that results from contact with the components of synthetic oil-based drilling and completion fluids formulated to meet the needs of arctic drilling; (2) to investigate cleaning methods to reverse the wettability alteration of mixed-wet cores caused by contact with these SBM components; and (3) to develop new approaches to restoration of wetting that will permit the use of cores drilled with SBM formulations for valid studies of reservoir properties.

30 CFR 33.31 - Test space.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Test space. 33.31 Section 33.31 Mineral... MINING PRODUCTS DUST COLLECTORS FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH ROCK DRILLING IN COAL MINES Test Requirements § 33.31 Test space. (a) Drilling tests shall be conducted in a test space formed by two curtains...

30 CFR 33.31 - Test space.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Test space. 33.31 Section 33.31 Mineral... MINING PRODUCTS DUST COLLECTORS FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH ROCK DRILLING IN COAL MINES Test Requirements § 33.31 Test space. (a) Drilling tests shall be conducted in a test space formed by two curtains...

30 CFR 33.31 - Test space.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Test space. 33.31 Section 33.31 Mineral... MINING PRODUCTS DUST COLLECTORS FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH ROCK DRILLING IN COAL MINES Test Requirements § 33.31 Test space. (a) Drilling tests shall be conducted in a test space formed by two curtains...

Project scientists discover magnetic phenomenon under Bermuda Rise

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1977-05-01

Drilling results in water depths of 18,000 ft between Puerto Rico and Bermuda indicate strong magnetic reverses occur in the rocks underlying the seabed. These and other findings during a cruise of the Glomar Challenger are reported. Information is included on the location of magnetic anomalies, sedimentation, and open-sea drilling. (JRD)

Electrical Resistivity Technique for Groundwater Exploration in Quaternary Deposit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aziman, M.; Hazreek, Z. A. M.; Azhar, A. T. S.; Fahmy, K. A.; Faizal, T. B. M.; Sabariah, M.; Ambak, K.; Ismail, M. A. M.

2018-04-01

The water security for University Tun Hussein Onn (UTHM) campus was initiated to find alternative sources of water supply. This research began with finding the soil profiles using the geophysical electrical resistivity method across UTHM campus. The resistivity results were calibrated with previous borehole data as well as via groundwater drilling. The drilling work was discovered the groundwater aquifer characterized by the fractured fresh igneous rock at a depth between 43 meter and 55 meter. Further drilling was continued until 100 meter in depth. However, due to not encounter a new rock fractured zone causes the groundwater quantity did not improve even was drilled up to 100 meter depth. In the perspective of water resources, it showed a good potential for water resources for local usages at 104 m3 per day. In addition, the groundwater quality showed the water treatment was required to fulfil the criterion of the national drinking water standards. This study concluded that the first layer of fractured bedrock at UTHM was able to produce significant amounts of groundwater for local consumption usage.

New Clues on the Source of the Central Magnetic Anomaly at Haughton Impact Structure, Canada

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quesnel, Y.; Rochette, P.; Gattacceca, J.; Osinski, G. R.

2013-12-01

The 23 km-diameter Haughton impact structure, located on Devon Island, Nunavut, Canada, is one of the best-preserved medium-size complex impact structures on Earth. The impact occurred ~39 Ma ago into a target formation composed of an ~2-km thick sequence of Lower Paleozoic sedimentary rocks of the Arctic Platform overlying Precambrian metamorphic basement of the Canadian Shield (Osinski et al., 2005). Clast-rich carbonate impact melt rocks fill the crater and impact-generated hydrothermal activity took place, but since then no significant geological event has affected the area. A 900 nT-amplitude magnetic anomaly with a wavelength of about 3 km is observed at the center of the crater (Pohl et al., 1988). Using high-resolution ground magnetic survey and magnetic property measurements on rock samples from inside and outside the structure, Quesnel et al. (2013) concluded that the source for this anomaly may correspond to uplifted and hydrothermally-aletered basement rocks. Hydrothermal activity can increase rock magnetization intensity by crystallization of magnetic minerals, such as magnetite and/or pyrrhotite. Here, we present the results of a new ground magnetic survey and electrical resistivity soundings conducted around the maximum of the magnetic anomaly. Drilling, with depths ranging from 5 m to 13 m was also conducted at three locations in the same area to ground truth the interpretation of geophysical data. The maximum of the magnetic anomaly is characterized by a ~50 m2 area of strong vertical magnetic gradient and low electrical resistivity, while the surroundings show weak gradient and large resistivity. Two drill holes into this localized area show about 6 m of sandy material with some more magnetic layers at about 5 m depth overlying a greenish impact melt breccia with very abundant and large clasts. Recovery in the first 9 meters is very poor, but down hole magnetic gradient measurement confirms the near 6 meter magnetic layer. A third hole was drilled outside the local area with strong magnetic gradients and shows, starting at 2 m depth a porous gray clast-rich impact melt rock that is very similar to the impact melt rock extensively cropping out in the crater. Therefore, the three drill holes confirm that the geophysical contrast at the crater center corresponds to a geological contrast and suggest a link with hydrothermal activity. The results of laboratory measurements (magnetic properties in particular) made on the drill cores will also be presented. References : Osinski, G. R. et al. 2005. MPS, 40:1759-1776 ; Pohl, J. et al. 1988. Meteoritics, 23:235-238 ; Quesnel, Y. et al. 2013. EPSL, 367:116-122.

Curiosity Drill After Drilling at Telegraph Peak

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-03-06

This view from the Mast Camera (Mastcam) on NASA's Curiosity Mars rover shows the rover's drill just after finishing a drilling operation at a target rock called "Telegraph Peak" on Feb. 24, 2015, the 908th Martian day, or sol, of the rover's work on Mars. Three sols later, a fault-protection action by the rover halted a process of transferring sample powder that was collected during this drilling. The image is in raw color, as recorded directly by the camera, and has not been white-balanced. The fault-protection event, triggered by an irregularity in electrical current, led to engineering tests in subsequent days to diagnose the underlying cause. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19145

Sedimentation, zoning of reservoir rocks in W. Siberian basin oil fields

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kliger, J.A.

1994-02-07

A line pattern of well cluster spacing was chosen in western Siberia because of taiga, marshes, etc., on the surface. The zoning of the oil pools within productive Upper Jurassic J[sub 3] intervals is complicated. This is why until the early 1990s almost each third well drilled in the Shaimsky region on the western edge of the West Siberian basin came up dry. The results of development drilling would be much better if one used some sedimentological relationships of zoning of the reservoir rocks within the oil fields. These natural phenomena are: Paleobasin bathymetry; Distances from the sources of themore » clastic material; and Proximity of the area of deposition. Using the diagram in this article, one can avoid drilling toward areas where the sandstone pinch out, area of argillization of sand-stones, or where the probability of their absence is high.« less

Fluorocarbon Contamination from the Drill on the Mars Science Laboratory: Potential Science Impact on Detecting Martian Organics by Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eigenbrode, J. L.; McAdam, A.; Franz, H.; Freissinet, C.; Bower, H.; Floyd, M.; Conrad, P.; Mahaffy, P.; Feldman, J.; Hurowitz, J.;

Depth profiles of Mn-53 in lunar rocks and soils

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Imamura, M.; Nishiizumi, K.; Honda, M.; Finkel, R. C.; Arnold, J. R.; Kohl, C. P.

1974-01-01

Results of measurements of cosmic-ray-produced Mn-53 taken down the length of the Apollo 16 deep drill core are presented. They indicate that the lunar regolith has been unmixed, on a meter scale, for the past 5 million years at the location of this core. The data are in agreement with earlier Mn-53 measurements on the Apollo 15 drill core. Mn-53 activity profiles in 14310, 12002, and 14321 are compared to each other; all three rocks have probably been on the lunar surface long enough to saturate their solar cosmic-ray-produced Mn-53 (half-life = 3.7 m.y.) activity.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cook, J.M.; Sheppard, M.C.; Houwen, O.H.

Previous work on shale mechanical properties has focused on the slow deformation rates appropriate to wellbore deformation. Deformation of shale under a drill bit occurs at a very high rate, and the failure properties of the rock under these conditions are crucial in determining bit performance and in extracting lithology and pore-pressure information from drilling parameters. Triaxial tests were performed on two nonswelling shales under a wide range of strain rates and confining and pore pressures. At low strain rates, when fluid is relatively free to move within the shale, shale deformation and failure are governed by effective stress ormore » pressure (i.e., total confining pressure minus pore pressure), as is the case for ordinary rock. If the pore pressure in the shale is high, increasing the strain rate beyond about 0.1%/sec causes large increases in the strength and ductility of the shale. Total pressure begins to influence the strength. At high stain rates, the influence of effective pressure decreases, except when it is very low (i.e., when pore pressure is very high); ductility then rises rapidly. This behavior is opposite that expected in ordinary rocks. This paper briefly discusses the reasons for these phenomena and their impact on wellbore and drilling problems.« less

El'gygytgyn impact crater, Chukotka, Arctic Russia: Impact cratering aspects of the 2009 ICDP drilling project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koeberl, Christian; Pittarello, Lidia; Reimold, Wolf Uwe; Raschke, Ulli; Brigham-Grette, Julie; Melles, Martin; Minyuk, Pavel

2013-07-01

The El'gygytgyn impact structure in Chukutka, Arctic Russia, is the only impact crater currently known on Earth that was formed in mostly acid volcanic rocks (mainly of rhyolitic, with some andesitic and dacitic, compositions). In addition, because of its depth, it has provided an excellent sediment trap that records paleoclimatic information for the 3.6 Myr since its formation. For these two main reasons, because of the importance for impact and paleoclimate research, El'gygytgyn was the subject of an International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP) drilling project in 2009. During this project, which, due to its logistical and financial challenges, took almost a decade to come to fruition, a total of 642.3 m of drill core was recovered at two sites, from four holes. The obtained material included sedimentary and impactite rocks. In terms of impactites, which were recovered from 316.08 to 517.30 m depth below lake bottom (mblb), three main parts of that core segment were identified: from 316 to 390 mblb polymict lithic impact breccia, mostly suevite, with volcanic and impact melt clasts that locally contain shocked minerals, in a fine-grained clastic matrix; from 385 to 423 mblb, a brecciated sequence of volcanic rocks including both felsic and mafic (basalt) members; and from 423 to 517 mblb, a greenish rhyodacitic ignimbrite (mostly monomict breccia). The uppermost impactite (316-328 mblb) contains lacustrine sediment mixed with impact-affected components. Over the whole length of the impactite core, the abundance of shock features decreases rapidly from the top to the bottom of the studied core section. The distinction between original volcanic melt fragments and those that formed later as the result of the impact event posed major problems in the study of these rocks. The sequence that contains fairly unambiguous evidence of impact melt (which is not very abundant anyway, usually less than a few volume%) is only about 75 m thick. The reason for this rather thin fallback impactite sequence may be the location of the drill core on an elevated part of the central uplift. A general lack of large coherent melt bodies is evident, similar to that found at the similarly sized Bosumtwi impact crater in Ghana that, however, was formed in a target composed of a thin layer of sediment above crystalline rocks.

Integrated NMR Core and Log Investigations With Respect to ODP LEG 204

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arnold, J.; Pechnig, R.; Clauser, C.; Anferova, S.; Blümich, B.

2005-12-01

NMR techniques are widely used in the oil industry and are one of the most suitable methods to evaluate in-situ formation porosity and permeability. Recently, efforts are directed towards adapting NMR methods also to the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) and the upcoming Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP). We apply a newly developed light-weight, mobile NMR core scanner as a non-destructive instrument to determine routinely rock porosity and to estimate the pore size distribution. The NMR core scanner is used for transverse relaxation measurements on water-saturated core sections using a CPMG sequence with a short echo time. A regularized Laplace-transform analysis yields the distribution of transverse relaxation times T2. In homogeneous magnetic fields, T2 is proportional to the pore diameter of rocks. Hence, the T2 signal maps the pore-size distribution of the studied rock samples. For fully saturated samples the integral of the distribution curve and the CPMG echo amplitude extrapolated to zero echo time are proportional to porosity. Preliminary results show that the NMR core scanner is a suitable tool to determine rock porosity and to estimate pore size distribution of limestones and sandstones. Presently our investigations focus on Leg 204, where NMR Logging-While-Drilling (LWD) was performed for the first time in ODP. Leg 204 was drilled into Hydrate Ridge on the Cascadia accretionary margin, offshore Oregon. All drilling and logging operations were highly successful, providing excellent core, wireline, and LWD data from adjacent boreholes. Cores recovered during Leg 204 consist mainly of clay and claystone. As the NMR core scanner operates at frequencies higher than that of the well-logging sensor it has a shorter dead time. This advantage makes the NMR core scanner sensitive to signals with T2 values down to 0.1 ms as compared to 3 ms in NMR logging. Hence, we can study even rocks with small pores, such as the mudcores recovered during Leg 204. We present a comparison of data from core scanning and NMR logging. Future integration of conventional wireline data and electrical borehole wall images (RAB/FMS) will provide a detailed characterization of the sediments in terms of lithology, petrophysics and, fluid flow properties.

Geomechanical models of impact cratering: Puchezh-Katunki structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ivanov, B. A.

1992-01-01

Impact cratering is a complex natural phenomenon that involves various physical and mechanical processes. Simulating these processes may be improved using the data obtained during the deep drilling at the central mound of the Puchezh-Katunki impact structure. A research deep drillhole (named Vorotilovskaya) has been drilled in the Puchezh-Katunki impact structure (European Russia, 57 deg 06 min N, 43 deg 35 min E). The age of the structure is estimated at about 180 to 200 m.y. The initial rim crater diameter is estimated at about 40 km. The central uplift is composed of large blocks of crystalline basement rocks. Preliminary study of the core shows that crystalline rocks are shock metamorphosed by shock pressure from 45 GPa near the surface to 15-20 GPa at a depth of about 5 km. The drill core allows the possibility of investigating many previously poorly studied cratering processes in the central part of the impact structure. As a first step one can use the estimates of energy for the homogeneous rock target. The diameter of the crater rim may be estimated as 40 km. The models elaborated earlier show that such a crater may be formed after collapse of a transient cavity with a radius of 10 km. The most probable range of impact velocities from 11.2 to 30 km/s may be inferred for the asteroidal impactor. For the density of a projectile of 2 g/cu cm the energy of the impact is estimated as 1E28 to 3E28 erg. In the case of vertical impact, the diameter of an asteroidal projectile is from 1.5 to 3 km for the velocity range from 11 to 30 km/s. For the most probable impact angle of 45 deg, the estimated diameter of an asteroid is slightly larger: from 2 to 4 km. Numerical simulation of the transient crater collapse has been done using several models of rock rheology during collapse. Results show that the column at the final position beneath the central mound is about 5 km in length. This value is close to the shock-pressure decay observed along the drill core. Further improvement of the model needs to take into account the blocky structure of target rocks revealed by drilling.

El'gygytgyn impact crater, Chukotka, Arctic Russia: Impact cratering aspects of the 2009 ICDP drilling project.

PubMed

Koeberl, Christian; Pittarello, Lidia; Reimold, Wolf Uwe; Raschke, Ulli; Brigham-Grette, Julie; Melles, Martin; Minyuk, Pavel; Spray, John

2013-07-01

The El'gygytgyn impact structure in Chukutka, Arctic Russia, is the only impact crater currently known on Earth that was formed in mostly acid volcanic rocks (mainly of rhyolitic, with some andesitic and dacitic, compositions). In addition, because of its depth, it has provided an excellent sediment trap that records paleoclimatic information for the 3.6 Myr since its formation. For these two main reasons, because of the importance for impact and paleoclimate research, El'gygytgyn was the subject of an International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP) drilling project in 2009. During this project, which, due to its logistical and financial challenges, took almost a decade to come to fruition, a total of 642.3 m of drill core was recovered at two sites, from four holes. The obtained material included sedimentary and impactite rocks. In terms of impactites, which were recovered from 316.08 to 517.30 m depth below lake bottom (mblb), three main parts of that core segment were identified: from 316 to 390 mblb polymict lithic impact breccia, mostly suevite, with volcanic and impact melt clasts that locally contain shocked minerals, in a fine-grained clastic matrix; from 385 to 423 mblb, a brecciated sequence of volcanic rocks including both felsic and mafic (basalt) members; and from 423 to 517 mblb, a greenish rhyodacitic ignimbrite (mostly monomict breccia). The uppermost impactite (316-328 mblb) contains lacustrine sediment mixed with impact-affected components. Over the whole length of the impactite core, the abundance of shock features decreases rapidly from the top to the bottom of the studied core section. The distinction between original volcanic melt fragments and those that formed later as the result of the impact event posed major problems in the study of these rocks. The sequence that contains fairly unambiguous evidence of impact melt (which is not very abundant anyway, usually less than a few volume%) is only about 75 m thick. The reason for this rather thin fallback impactite sequence may be the location of the drill core on an elevated part of the central uplift. A general lack of large coherent melt bodies is evident, similar to that found at the similarly sized Bosumtwi impact crater in Ghana that, however, was formed in a target composed of a thin layer of sediment above crystalline rocks.

El'gygytgyn impact crater, Chukotka, Arctic Russia: Impact cratering aspects of the 2009 ICDP drilling project

PubMed Central

Koeberl, Christian; Pittarello, Lidia; Reimold, Wolf Uwe; Raschke, Ulli; Brigham-Grette, Julie; Melles, Martin; Minyuk, Pavel; Spray, John

2013-01-01

The El'gygytgyn impact structure in Chukutka, Arctic Russia, is the only impact crater currently known on Earth that was formed in mostly acid volcanic rocks (mainly of rhyolitic, with some andesitic and dacitic, compositions). In addition, because of its depth, it has provided an excellent sediment trap that records paleoclimatic information for the 3.6 Myr since its formation. For these two main reasons, because of the importance for impact and paleoclimate research, El'gygytgyn was the subject of an International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP) drilling project in 2009. During this project, which, due to its logistical and financial challenges, took almost a decade to come to fruition, a total of 642.3 m of drill core was recovered at two sites, from four holes. The obtained material included sedimentary and impactite rocks. In terms of impactites, which were recovered from 316.08 to 517.30 m depth below lake bottom (mblb), three main parts of that core segment were identified: from 316 to 390 mblb polymict lithic impact breccia, mostly suevite, with volcanic and impact melt clasts that locally contain shocked minerals, in a fine-grained clastic matrix; from 385 to 423 mblb, a brecciated sequence of volcanic rocks including both felsic and mafic (basalt) members; and from 423 to 517 mblb, a greenish rhyodacitic ignimbrite (mostly monomict breccia). The uppermost impactite (316–328 mblb) contains lacustrine sediment mixed with impact-affected components. Over the whole length of the impactite core, the abundance of shock features decreases rapidly from the top to the bottom of the studied core section. The distinction between original volcanic melt fragments and those that formed later as the result of the impact event posed major problems in the study of these rocks. The sequence that contains fairly unambiguous evidence of impact melt (which is not very abundant anyway, usually less than a few volume%) is only about 75 m thick. The reason for this rather thin fallback impactite sequence may be the location of the drill core on an elevated part of the central uplift. A general lack of large coherent melt bodies is evident, similar to that found at the similarly sized Bosumtwi impact crater in Ghana that, however, was formed in a target composed of a thin layer of sediment above crystalline rocks. PMID:26074719

Mars Rock Analysis Briefing

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-03-12

Paul Mahaffy (right), principal investigator for Curiosity's Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) investigation at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, demonstrates how the SAM instrument drilled and captured rock samples on the surface of Mars at a news conference, Tuesday, March 12, 2013 at NASA Headquarters in Washington. The analysis of the rock sample collected shows ancient Mars could have supported living microbes. Photo Credit: (NASA/Carla Cioffi)

HYDROGEOLOGIC CHARACTERIZATION OF FRACTURED ROCK FORMATIONS: A GUIDE FOR GROUNDWATER REMEDIATORS

EPA Science Inventory

A field site was developed in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, California, to develop and test a multidisciplinary approach to the characterization of groundwater flow and transport in fractured rocks. Nine boreholes were drilled into the granite bedrock, and a wide variety of...

Borehole instability analysis for IODP Site C0002 of the NanTroSEIZE Project, Nankai Trough subduction zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, H.; Kido, Y. N.; Kinoshita, M.; Saito, S.

2013-12-01

Wellbore instability is a major challenge for the engineer evaluating borehole and formation conditions. Instability is especially important to understand in areas with high stress variations, significant structure anisotropy, or pre-existing fracture systems. Borehole (in)stability is influenced by rock strength, structural properties, and near-field principal stresses. During drilling, the borehole conditions also impact borehole integrity. Factors that we can measure in the borehole during with logging while drilling (LWD) to understand these conditions include mud weight, mud loss, ROP (Rate of Penetration), RPM (Rotation Per Minute), WOB (Weight on Bit), and TORQ (Power swivel torque value). We conducted borehole instability analysis for Site C0002 of the Nankai Trough transect based on riser and riserless drilling during IODP Expedition 338. The borehole shape, determined from LWD resistivity images, indicates that most of drilling occurred in stable environments, however, in a few instances the bottom hole assembly became stuck. We used our stress profile model to evaluate the mud weight required to drill a stable borehole for the estimated rock strength and physical properties. Based on our analysis, we interpret that borehole instability during IODP Expedition 338 may have been caused by weak bedding plane and fluid overpressure state. Future work with this model will investigate the roles of these conditions.

Commercial geophysical well logs from the USW G-1 drill hole, Nevada Test Site, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Muller, D.C.; Kibler, J.E.

1983-01-01

Drill hole USW G-1 was drilled at Yucca Mountain, Nevada Test Site, Nevada, as part of the ongoing exploration program for the Nevada Nuclear Waste Storage Investigations. Contract geophysical well logs run at USW G-1 show only limited stratigraphic correlations, but correlate reasonably well with the welding of the ash-flow and ash-fall tuffs. Rocks in the upper part of the section have highly variable physical properties, but are more uniform and predictably lower in the section.

Fragment Size Distribution of Blasted Rock Mass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jug, Jasmin; Strelec, Stjepan; Gazdek, Mario; Kavur, Boris

2017-12-01

Rock mass is a heterogeneous material, and the heterogeneity of rock causes sizes distribution of fragmented rocks in blasting. Prediction of blasted rock mass fragmentation has a significant role in the overall economics of opencast mines. Blasting as primary fragmentation can significantly decrease the cost of loading, transport, crushing and milling operations. Blast fragmentation chiefly depends on the specific blast design (geometry of blast holes drilling, the quantity and class of explosive, the blasting form, the timing and partition, etc.) and on the properties of the rock mass (including the uniaxial compressive strength, the rock mass elastic Young modulus, the rock discontinuity characteristics and the rock density). Prediction and processing of blasting results researchers can accomplish by a variety of existing software’s and models, one of them is the Kuz-Ram model, which is possibly the most widely used approach to estimating fragmentation from blasting. This paper shows the estimation of fragmentation using the "SB" program, which was created by the authors. Mentioned program includes the Kuz-Ram model. Models of fragmentation are confirmed and calibrated by comparing the estimated fragmentation with actual post-blast fragmentation from image processing techniques. In this study, the Kuz-Ram fragmentation model has been used for an open-pit limestone quarry in Dalmatia, southern Croatia. The resulting calibrated value of the rock factor enables the quality prognosis of fragmentation in further blasting works, with changed drilling geometry and blast design parameters. It also facilitates simulation in the program to optimize blasting works and get the desired fragmentations of the blasted rock mass.

'RAT' Leaves a Fine Mess

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

This graph shows the light signatures, or spectra, of two sides of the rock dubbed 'Bounce,' located at Meridiani Planum, Mars. The spectra were taken by the miniature thermal emission spectrometer on the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity. The left side of this rock is covered by fine dust created when the rover drilled into the rock with its rock abrasion tool. These 'fines' produce a layer of pyroxene dust that can be detected here in the top spectrum. The right side of the rock has fewer fines and was used to investigate the composition of this basaltic rock.

Preliminary Hydrogeologic Characterization Results from the Wallula Basalt Pilot Study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

B.P. McGrail; E. C. Sullivan; F. A. Spane

2009-12-01

The DOE's Big Sky Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership has completed drilling the first continental flood basalt sequestration pilot borehole to a total depth (TD) of 4,110 feet on the Boise White Paper Mill property at Wallula, Washington. Site suitability was assessed prior to drilling by the 2007-2008 acquisition, processing and analysis of a four-mile, five-line three component seismic swath, which was processed as a single data-dense line. Analysis of the seismic survey data indicated a composite basalt formation thickness of {approx}8,000 feet and absence of major geologic structures (i.e., faults) along the line imaged by the seismic swath. Drilling ofmore » Wallula pilot borehole was initiated on January 13, 2009 and reached TD on April 6, 2009. Based on characterization results obtained during drilling, three basalt breccia zones were identified between the depth interval of 2,716 and 2,910 feet, as being suitable injection reservoir for a subsequent CO2 injection pilot study. The targeted injection reservoir lies stratigraphically below the massive Umtanum Member of the Grande Ronde Basalt, whose flow-interior section possesses regionally recognized low-permeability characteristics. The identified composite injection zone reservoir provides a unique and attractive opportunity to scientifically study the reservoir behavior of three inter-connected reservoir intervals below primary and secondary caprock confining zones. Drill cuttings, wireline geophysical logs, and 31one-inch diameter rotary sidewall cores provided geologic data for characterization of rock properties. XRF analyses of selected rock samples provided geochemical characterizations of the rocks and stratigraphic control for the basalt flows encountered by the Wallula pilot borehole. Based on the geochemical results, the pilot borehole was terminated in the Wapshilla Ridge 1 flow of the Grande Ronde Basalt Formation. Detailed hydrologic test characterizations of 12 basalt interflow reservoir zones and 3 flow-interior/caprock intervals were performed during drilling and immediately following reaching the final borehole drilling depth (i.e., 4,110 ft). In addition, six of the 12 basalt interflow zones were selected for detailed hydrochemical characterization. Results from the detailed hydrologic test characterization program provided the primary information on basalt interflow zone transmissivity/injectivity, and caprock permeability characteristics.« less

Distinguishing Indigenous from Contaminating Microorganisms in Rock Samples from a Deep Au Mine in South Africa

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Onstott, T. C.; Moser, D. P.; Fredrickson, J. K.; Pfiffner, S. M.; Phelps, T. J.; White, D. C.; Peacock, A.; Balkwill, D.; Hoover, R. B.; Krumholz, L.;

The role of bedrock groundwater in rainfall-runoff response at hillslope and catchment scales

Treesearch

C. Gabrielli; J.J. McDonnell; W.T. Jarvis

2012-01-01

Bedrock groundwater dynamics in headwater catchments are poorly understood and poorly characterized. Direct hydrometric measurements have been limited due to the logistical challenges associated with drilling through hard rock in steep, remote and often roadless terrain. We used a new portable bedrock drilling system to explore bedrock groundwater dynamics aimed at...

HIGH-POWER TURBODRILL AND DRILL BIT FOR DRILLING WITH COILED TUBING

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Robert Radtke; David Glowka; Man Mohan Rai

2008-03-31

Commercial introduction of Microhole Technology to the gas and oil drilling industry requires an effective downhole drive mechanism which operates efficiently at relatively high RPM and low bit weight for delivering efficient power to the special high RPM drill bit for ensuring both high penetration rate and long bit life. This project entails developing and testing a more efficient 2-7/8 in. diameter Turbodrill and a novel 4-1/8 in. diameter drill bit for drilling with coiled tubing. The high-power Turbodrill were developed to deliver efficient power, and the more durable drill bit employed high-temperature cutters that can more effectively drill hardmore » and abrasive rock. This project teams Schlumberger Smith Neyrfor and Smith Bits, and NASA AMES Research Center with Technology International, Inc (TII), to deliver a downhole, hydraulically-driven power unit, matched with a custom drill bit designed to drill 4-1/8 in. boreholes with a purpose-built coiled tubing rig. The U.S. Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory has funded Technology International Inc. Houston, Texas to develop a higher power Turbodrill and drill bit for use in drilling with a coiled tubing unit. This project entails developing and testing an effective downhole drive mechanism and a novel drill bit for drilling 'microholes' with coiled tubing. The new higher power Turbodrill is shorter, delivers power more efficiently, operates at relatively high revolutions per minute, and requires low weight on bit. The more durable thermally stable diamond drill bit employs high-temperature TSP (thermally stable) diamond cutters that can more effectively drill hard and abrasive rock. Expectations are that widespread adoption of microhole technology could spawn a wave of 'infill development' drilling of wells spaced between existing wells, which could tap potentially billions of barrels of bypassed oil at shallow depths in mature producing areas. At the same time, microhole coiled tube drilling offers the opportunity to dramatically cut producers' exploration risk to a level comparable to that of drilling development wells. Together, such efforts hold great promise for economically recovering a sizeable portion of the estimated remaining shallow (less than 5,000 feet subsurface) oil resource in the United States. The DOE estimates this U.S. targeted shallow resource at 218 billion barrels. Furthermore, the smaller 'footprint' of the lightweight rigs utilized for microhole drilling and the accompanying reduced drilling waste disposal volumes offer the bonus of added environmental benefits. DOE analysis shows that microhole technology has the potential to cut exploratory drilling costs by at least a third and to slash development drilling costs in half.« less

Professor M. M. Protod’yakonov’s Strength Coefficient f of Rocks,

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-11-12

of rock strengths. Prof. A. F. Sukhanov citpd such arguments as the fact that clay is easy to drill but difficult to blast hbile granite is equally...two rocks. on the basis of theste exauFles A. F. Sukhanov concluded that the coefficients of drillability and blastability are not equal and are nct...his work (6] A. F. Sukhanov gives a consoliditcea table (32) of varicus indicas of mechanical properties of rocks. The coefficient of relative strength

Ultra-Deep Drilling Cost Reduction; Design and Fabrication of an Ultra-Deep Drilling Simulator (UDS)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lindstrom, Jason

2010-01-31

Ultra-deep drilling, below about 20,000 ft (6,096 m), is extremely expensive and limits the recovery of hydrocarbons at these depths. Unfortunately, rock breakage and cuttings removal under these conditions is not understood. To better understand and thus reduce cost at these conditions an ultra-deep single cutter drilling simulator (UDS) capable of drill cutter and mud tests to sustained pressure and temperature of 30,000 psi (207 MPa) and 482 °F (250 °C), respectively, was designed and manufactured at TerraTek, a Schlumberger company, in cooperation with the Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory. UDS testing under ultra-deep drilling conditions offers anmore » economical alternative to high day rates and can prove or disprove the viability of a particular drilling technique or fluid to provide opportunity for future domestic energy needs.« less

Application program of CRUST-1 10km continental scientific drilling rig in SK-2 scientific drilling well

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Youhong; Gao, Ke; Yu, Ping; Liu, Baochang; Guo, Wei; Ma, Yinlong; Yang, Yang

2014-05-01

SK-2 Well is located in DaQing city,where is site of the largest oil field in China,Heilongjiang province, north-east of China.The objective of SK-2 well is to obtain full cores of cretaceous formation in Song Liao basin,and to build the time tunnel of Cretaceous greenhouse climate change,and to clarify the causes,processes and results of the formations of DaQing oil field. This will ensure to achieve our ultimate goals,to test the CRUST-1 drilling rig and improve China's deep scientific drilling technology,to form the scientific drilling technology,method and system with independent intellectual property rights,and to provide technical knowledge and information for China's ten kilometers super-deep scientific drilling technical resources.SK-2 Well is at 6400 meter depth, where the drilling inclination is 90 degree and the continuous coring length is 3535 meter that from 2865 to 6400 meter,the recovery rate of the core is greater or equal to 95 percent with 100 millimeters core diameter and 3.9 degree per 100 meter geothermal gradient.The CRUST-1 rig is designated with special drilling equipment for continental scientific drilling combined to the oil drilling equipment ability with advanced geological drilling technology which is highly automatic and intelligent. CRUST-1 drilling ability is 10000 meter with the maximum hook load 700 tons, the total power is 4610 Kilowatt.CRUST-1 will be integrated with a complete set of automation equipment,including big torque hydraulic top drive,high accuracy automatic drilling rod feeding system, suspended automatic drill string discharge device,hydraulic intelligent iron roughneck,and hydraulic automatic catwalk to fully meet the drilling process requirements of SK-2.Designed with advanced drilling technique for 260 degree in the bottom of SK-2 well and hard rock,including the drilling tools of high temperature hydraulic hammer,high temperature resistance and high strength aluminum drill pipe,high temperature preparation of mud treatment and high temperature resistant cementing materials, and bionic bits,that is coupling bionic PDC tooth bit and diamond-impregnated bit for hard rock.All parts of CRUST-1 were successfully assembled along with the derrick and base lift and transported about 3456 kilometers from manufacture,GuangHan city in southwest China's Sichuan province,to the well site of SK-2 in end of 2013.SK-2 will be finished during next 4 years.

Fluid-inclusion evidence for previous higher temperatures in the SUNEDCO 58-28 drill hole near Breitenbush hot springs, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bargar, Keith E.; ,

1993-01-01

The SUNEDCO 58-28 geothermal exploration drill hole was completed in 1981 to a depth of 2, 457 m near Breitenbush Hot Springs in the Western Cascade Mountains of northern Oregon. One hundred thirteen liquid-rich fluid inclusions (mostly secondary) were analyzed from drill cuttings samples of hydrothermal quartz, calcite, and anhydrite, as well as primary quartz phenocrysts. Except for one hydrothermal quartz specimen, minimum homogenization temperature (Th) measurements of fluid inclusions plot very close to the present measured temperatures for the drill hole. Fluid-inclusion data from near the bottom of the drill hole suggest that these rocks were altered by water of significantly greater salinity than Breitenbush Hot Springs water.

Percussive Drill Test at JPL

NASA Image and Video Library

2018-05-17

This video clip shows a test of a new percussive drilling technique at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. On May 19, NASA's Curiosity rover is scheduled to test percussive drilling on Mars for the first time since December 2016. The video clip was shot on March 28, 2018. It has been sped up by 50 times. Curiosity's drill was designed to pulverize rocks samples into powder, which can then be deposited into two chemistry laboratories carried inside of the rover. Curiosity's science team is eager to the rover using percussive drilling again; it will approach a clay-enriched area later this year that could shed new light on the history of water in Gale Crater. An animation is available at https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA22324

Icebreaker-3 Drill Integration and Testing at Two Mars-Analog Sites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glass, B.; Bergman, D.; Yaggi, B.; Dave, A.; Zacny, K.

2016-01-01

A decade of evolutionary development of integrated automated drilling and sample handling at analog sites and in test chambers has made it possible to go 1 meter through hard rocks and ice layers on Mars. The latest Icebreaker-3 drill has been field tested in 2014 at the Haughton Crater Marsanalog site in the Arctic and in 2015 with a Mars lander mockup in Rio Tinto, Spain, (with sample transfer arm and with a prototype life-detection instrument). Tests in Rio Tinto in 2015 successfully demonstrated that the drill sample (cuttings) was handed-off from the drill to the sample transfer arm and thence to the on-deck instrument inlet where it was taken in and analyzed ("dirt-to-data").

Problem analysis of geotechnical well drilling in complex environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kasenov, A. K.; Biletskiy, M. T.; Ratov, B. T.; Korotchenko, T. V.

2015-02-01

The article examines primary causes of problems occurring during the drilling of geotechnical wells (injection, production and monitoring wells) for in-situ leaching to extract uranium in South Kazakhstan. Such a drilling problem as hole caving which is basically caused by various chemical and physical factors (hydraulic, mechanical, etc.) has been thoroughly investigated. The analysis of packing causes has revealed that this problem usually occurs because of insufficient amount of drilling mud being associated with small cross section downward flow and relatively large cross section upward flow. This is explained by the fact that when spear bores are used to drill clay rocks, cutting size is usually rather big and there is a risk for clay particles to coagulate.

Seismic anisotropy of the crystalline crust: What does it tell us?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rabbel, Wolfgang; Mooney, Walter D.

1996-01-01

The study of the directional dependence of seismic velocities (seismic anisotropy) promises more refined insight into mineral composition and physical properties of the crystalline crust than conventional deep seismic refraction or reflection profiles providing average values of P-and S-wave velocities. The alignment of specific minerals by ductile rock deformation, for instance, causes specific types of seismic anisotropy which can be identified by appropriate field measurements.Vice versa, the determination of anisotropy can help to discriminate between different rock candidates in the deep crust. Seismic field measurements at the Continental Deep Drilling Site (KTB, S Germany) are shown as an example that anisotropy has to be considered in crustal studies. At the KTB, the dependence of seismic velocity on the direction of wave propagation in situ was found to be compatible with the texture, composition and fracture density of drilled crustal rocks.

The 1997 core drilling through Ordovician and Silurian strata at Röstånga, S. Sweden: preliminary stratigraphic assessment and regional comparison

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bergstrom, Stig M.; Huff, W.D.; Koren', T.; Larsson, K.; Ahlberg, P.; Kolata, Dennis R.

1999-01-01

A core drilling at Ro??sta??nga, the first such drilling ever undertaken in this classical Lower Paleozoic outcrop area in W-central Scania, penetrated an approximately 96 m thick succession of Lower Silurian-upper Middle Ordovician marine rocks. The drilling was stopped at a depth of 132.59 m in an interval of crushed rocks, probably a prominent fault zone, that proved impossible to drill through. The core contains a stratigraphical sequence from the basal Upper Llandoverian (Telychian Stage) to the upper Middle Ordovician (Harjuan Stage). The following units are recognized in descending stratigraphic order (approximate thickness in parenthesis): Kallholn Formation (35 m), Lindega??rd Mudstone (27 m), Fja??cka Shale (13 m), Mossen Formation (0.75 m), Skagen Formation (2.5 m), and Sularp Shale (19 m+). Except for the Skagen Formation, the drilled sequence consists of shales and mudstones with occasional thin limestone interbeds and is similar to coeval successions elsewhere in Scania. There are 11 K-bentonite beds in the Kallholn Formation, 2(3?) in the Lindega??rd Mudstone, 1 in the Mossen Formation, 7 in the Skagen Formation, and 33 in the Sularp Shale. The core serves as an excellent Lower Silurian-upper Middle Ordovician reference standard not only for the Ro??sta??nga area but also for southernmost Sweden in general because the cored sequence is the stratigraphically most complete one known anywhere in this region.

The Chinese Cretaceous Continental Scientific Drilling Project in the Songliao Basin, NE China: Organic-rich source rock evaluation with geophysical logs from Borehole SK-2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, X.; Zou, C.

2017-12-01

The Cretaceous strata have been recognized as an important target of oil or gas exploration in the Songliao Basin, northeast China. The second borehole (SK-2) of the Chinese Cretaceous Continental Scientific Drilling Project in the Songliao Basin (CCSD-SK) is the first one to drill through the Cretaceous continental strata in the frame of ICDP. It was designed not only to solve multiple scientific problems (including the Cretaceous paleoenvironment and paleoclimate, as well as deep resources exploration of the Songliao Basin), but also to expect to achieve new breakthroughs in oil and gas exploration. Based on the project, various geophysical log data (including gamma, sonic, resistivity, density etc.) and core samples have been collected from Borehole SK-2. We do research on organic-rich source rocks estimation using various geophysical log data. Firstly, we comprehensively analyzed organic-rich source rocks' geophysical log response characteristics. Then, source rock's identification methods were constructed to identify organic-rich source rocks with geophysical logs. The main identification methods include cross-plot, multiple overlap and Decision Tree method. Finally, the technique and the CARBOLOG method were applied to evaluate total organic carbon (TOC) content from geophysical logs which provide continuous vertical profile estimations (Passey, 1990; Carpentier et al., 1991). The results show that source rocks are widely distributed in Borehole SK-2, over a large depth strata (985 5700m), including Nenjiang, Qingshankou, Denglouku, Yingcheng, Shahezi Formations. The organic-rich source rocks with higher TOC content occur in the Qingshankou (1647 1650m), Denglouku (2534 2887m) and Shahezi (3367 5697m) Formations. The highest TOC content in these formations can reach 10.31%, 6.58%, 12.79% respectively. The bed thickness of organic-rich source rocks in the these formations are totally up to 7.88m, 74.34m, 276.60m respectively. These organic-rich rocks in the Qingshankou, Denglouku and Shahezi Formations can be considered as excellent source rocks in the Songliao Basin, which are beneficial for oil or gas accumulation. This work was supported by the CCSD-SK of China Geological Survey (No. 12120113017600) and the National Natural Science Foundation Project (grant No.41274185).

The Unconventional Revolution in Exploration Geophysics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

House, N. J.

2014-12-01

During the last 25 years, 3D seismic imaging has revolutionized hydrocarbon exploration by delivering an accurate 3 dimensional picture of the subsurface. The image is capable of detecting fluids within the reservoir, and has significantly reduced the risk of locating and developing hydrocarbon deposits. In late 1990s, deregulation of natural gas prices allowed long recognized deposits of natural gas locked in tight rocks be economic. It sparked factory drilling (repeatable high density evenly spaced) wells and hydraulic fracturing that would help unlock the reservoirs. All that was needed was a geologist to determine depths and limits of the reservoir and engineers to drill and complete the wells. If 3D seismic data was available, it might have been used to define both the limits of the field and drilling hazards. Generally the cost and time required to process and interpret 3D Seismic was considered too high to affect the perceived geologic risk of the Factory approach. Completion costs in unconventional reservoirs account for over 50% of the well costs. It's therefore critical to understand the geometry of how the rock is fracturing and determine optimum well spacing to balance the cost of development with the value of the gas or oil being produced. By extending AVO to the pre-stack domain, it's possible to simultaneously invert for Vp, Vs and density. Armed with these three fundamental rock properties that dictate elastic and inelastic rock response, researchers were able to combine those properties to tie directly to how well a rock will respond to hydraulic fracturing, or which rocks contain a higher TOC, or other rock properties that control how a rock responds to seismic waves or hydraulic fracturing. Combining these results allows interpreters to map areas of higher productivity, and identify bypassed reserves. Currently hundreds of different seismic attributes that are generated from 3D seismic data are used to identify the highest productive areas and how to develop them. MicroSeismic mapping has made completion more efficient and safe. While the geophysics involved in unconventional resource development may not be the first thought in the board room, thier data has become an accepted early development tool of successful oil and gas companies.

A PFC3D-based numerical simulation of cutting load for lunar rock simulant and experimental validation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Peng; Jiang, Shengyuan; Tang, Dewei; Xu, Bo

2017-05-01

For sake of striking a balance between the need of drilling efficiency and the constrains of power budget on the moon, the penetrations per revolution of drill bit are generally limited in the range around 0.1 mm, and besides the geometric angle of the cutting blade need to be well designed. This paper introduces a simulation approach based on PFC3D (particle flow code 3 dimensions) for analyzing the cutting load feature on lunar rock simulant, which is derived from different geometric-angle blades with a small cutting depth. The mean values of the cutting force of five blades in the survey region (four on the boundary points and one on the center point) are selected as the macroscopic responses of model. The method of experimental design which includes Plackett-Burman (PB) design and central composite design (CCD) method is adopted in the matching procedure of microparameters in PFC model. Using the optimization method of enumeration, the optimum set of microparameters is acquired. Then, the experimental validation is implemented by using other twenty-five blades with different geometric angles, and the results from both simulations and laboratory tests give fair agreements. Additionally, the rock breaking process cut by different blades are quantified from simulation analysis. This research provides the theoretical support for the refinement of the rock cutting load prediction and the geometric design of cutting blade on the drill bit.

Core-log integration for rock mechanics using borehole breakouts and rock strength experiments: Recent results from plate subduction margins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saito, S.; Lin, W.

2014-12-01

Core-log integration has been applied for rock mechanics studies in scientific ocean drilling since 2007 in plate subduction margins such as Nankai Trough, Costa Rica margin, and Japan Trench. State of stress in subduction wedge is essential for controlling dynamics of plate boundary fault. One of the common methods to estimate stress state is analysis of borehole breakouts (drilling induced borehole wall compressive failures) recorded in borehole image logs to determine the maximum horizontal principal stress orientation. Borehole breakouts can also yield possible range of stress magnitude based on a rock compressive strength criterion. In this study, we constrained the stress magnitudes based on two different rock failure criteria, the Mohr-Coulomb (MC) criteria and the modified Wiebols-Cook (mWC) criteria. As the MC criterion is the same as that under unconfined compression state, only one rock parameter, unconfined compressive strength (UCS) is needed to constrain stress magnitudes. The mWC criterion needs the UCS, Poisson's ratio and internal frictional coefficient determined by triaxial compression experiments to take the intermediate principal stress effects on rock strength into consideration. We conducted various strength experiments on samples taken during IODP Expeditions 334/344 (Costa Rica Seismogenesis Project) to evaluate reliable method to estimate stress magnitudes. Our results show that the effects of the intermediate principal stress on the rock compressive failure occurred on a borehole wall is not negligible.

Monte Carlo simulation as a tool to predict blasting fragmentation based on the Kuz Ram model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morin, Mario A.; Ficarazzo, Francesco

2006-04-01

Rock fragmentation is considered the most important aspect of production blasting because of its direct effects on the costs of drilling and blasting and on the economics of the subsequent operations of loading, hauling and crushing. Over the past three decades, significant progress has been made in the development of new technologies for blasting applications. These technologies include increasingly sophisticated computer models for blast design and blast performance prediction. Rock fragmentation depends on many variables such as rock mass properties, site geology, in situ fracturing and blasting parameters and as such has no complete theoretical solution for its prediction. However, empirical models for the estimation of size distribution of rock fragments have been developed. In this study, a blast fragmentation Monte Carlo-based simulator, based on the Kuz-Ram fragmentation model, has been developed to predict the entire fragmentation size distribution, taking into account intact and joints rock properties, the type and properties of explosives and the drilling pattern. Results produced by this simulator were quite favorable when compared with real fragmentation data obtained from a blast quarry. It is anticipated that the use of Monte Carlo simulation will increase our understanding of the effects of rock mass and explosive properties on the rock fragmentation by blasting, as well as increase our confidence in these empirical models. This understanding will translate into improvements in blasting operations, its corresponding costs and the overall economics of open pit mines and rock quarries.

The behavior of enclosed-type connection of drill pipes during percussive drilling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shadrina, A.; Saruev, L.

2015-11-01

Percussion drilling is the efficient method to drill small holes (≥ 70 mm) in medium- hard and harder rocks. The existing types of drill strings for geological explorations are not intended for strain wave energy transfer. The description of the improved design of the drill string having enclosed-type nipple connections is given in this paper presents. This nipple connection is designed to be used in drilling small exploration wells with formation sampling. Experimental findings prove the effectiveness of the enclosed nipple connection in relation to the load distribution in operation. The paper presents research results of the connection behavior under quasistatic loading (compression-tension). Loop diagrams are constructed and analyzed in force-displacement coordinates. Research results are obtained for shear stresses occurred in the nipple connection. A mechanism of shear stress distribution is described for the wave strain propagation over the connecting element. It is shown that in the course of operation the drill pipe tightening reduces the shear stress three times.

Small drill-hole, gas mini-permeameter probe

DOEpatents

Molz, III, Fred J.; Murdoch, Lawrence C.; Dinwiddie, Cynthia L.; Castle, James W.

2002-12-03

The distal end of a basic tube element including a stopper device with an expandable plug is positioned in a pre-drilled hole in a rock face. Rotating a force control wheel threaded on the tube element exerts force on a sleeve that in turn causes the plug component of the stopper means to expand and seal the distal end of the tube in the hole. Gas under known pressure is introduced through the tube element. A thin capillary tube positioned in the tube element connects the distal end of the tube element to means to detect and display pressure changes and data that allow the permeability of the rock to be determined.

Small drill-hole, gas mini-permeameter probe

DOEpatents

Molz, III, Fred J.; Murdoch, Lawrence C.; Dinwiddie, Cynthia L.; Castle, James W.

2002-01-01

The distal end of a basic tube element including a stopper device with an expandable plug is positioned in a pre-drilled hole in a rock face. Rotating a force control wheel threaded on the tube element exerts force on a sleeve that in turn causes the plug component of the stopper means to expand and seal the distal end of the tube in the hole. Gas under known pressure is introduced through the tube element. A thin capillary tube positioned in the tube element connects the distal end of the tube element to means to detect and display pressure changes and data that allow the permeability of the rock to be determined.

Experimental study on effects of drilling parameters on respirable dust production during roof bolting operations.

PubMed

Jiang, Hua; Luo, Yi; McQuerrey, Joe

2018-02-01

Underground coalmine roof bolting operators exhibit a continued risk for overexposure to airborne levels of respirable coal and crystalline silica dust from the roof drilling operation. Inhaling these dusts can cause coal worker's pneumoconiosis and silicosis. This research explores the effect of drilling control parameters, specifically drilling bite depth, on the reduction of respirable dust generated during the drilling process. Laboratory drilling experiments were conducted and results demonstrated the feasibility of this dust control approach. Both the weight and size distribution of the dust particles collected from drilling tests with different bite depths were analyzed. The results showed that the amount of total inhalable and respirable dust was inversely proportional to the drilling bite depth. Therefore, control of the drilling process to achieve proper high-bite depth for the rock can be an important approach to reducing the generation of harmful dust. Different from conventional passive engineering controls, such as mist drilling and ventilation approaches, this approach is proactive and can cut down the generation of respirable dust from the source. These findings can be used to develop an integrated drilling control algorithm to achieve the best drilling efficiency as well as reducing respirable dust and noise.

Door to 'Pilbara'

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

This mosaic of five images taken by the microscopic imager on the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity on sol 87 shows the hole drilled by the rover's rock abrasion tool into the rock dubbed 'Pilbara.' A sliced 'blueberry,' or spherule, which is darker and harder than the rest of the rock, can be seen near the center of the hole. The rock abrasion process left a pile of rock powder around the side of the hole, and to a lesser degree, inside the hole. The grinding penetrated an area of rock about 7.2 millimeters (about 0.28 inches) deep and 4.5 centimeters (about 1.8 inches) in diameter.

Preliminary biological sampling of GT3 and BT1 cores and the microbial community dynamics of existing subsurface wells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kraus, E. A.; Stamps, B. W.; Rempfert, K. R.; Ellison, E. T.; Nothaft, D. B.; Boyd, E. S.; Templeton, A. S.; Spear, J. R.

2017-12-01

Subsurface microbial life is poorly understood but potentially very important to the search for life on other planets as well as increasing our understanding of Earth's geobiological processes. Fluids and rocks of actively serpentinizing subsurface environments are a recent target of biological study due to their apparent ubiquity across the solar system. Areas of serpentinization can contain high concentrations of molecular hydrogen, H2, that can serve as the dominant fuel source for subsurface microbiota. Working with the Oman Drilling Project, DNA and RNA were extracted from fluids of seven alkaline wells and two rock cores from drill sites GT3 and BT1 within the Samail ophiolite. DNA and cDNA (produced via reverse transcription from the recovered RNA) were sequenced using universal primers to identify microbial life across all three domains. Alkaline subsurface fluids support a microbial community that changes with pH and host-rock type. In peridotite with pH values of >11, wells NSHQ 14 and WAB 71 have high relative abundances of Meiothermus, Methanobacterium, the family Nitrospiraceae, and multiple types of the class Dehalococcoidia. While also hosted in peridotite but at pH 8.5, wells WAB 104 and 105 have a distinct, more diverse microbial community. This increased variance in community make-up is seen in wells that sit near/at the contact of gabbro and peridotite formations as well. Core results indicate both sampled rock types host a very low biomass environment subject to multiple sources of contamination during the drilling process. Suggestions for contaminant reduction, such as having core handlers wear nitrile gloves and flame-sterilizing the outer surfaces of core rounds for biological sampling, would have minimal impact to overall ODP coreflow and maximize the ability to better understand in situ microbiota in this low-biomass serpentinizing subsurface environment. While DNA extraction was successful with gram amounts of crushed rock, much can be done to improve yields and reduce contamination sources for Phase II drilling.

Energy-saving compression valve of the rock drill

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glazov, A. N.; Efanov, A. A.; Aikina, T. Yu

2015-11-01

The relevance of the research is due to the necessity to create pneumatic rock drills with low air consumption. The article analyzes the reasons for low efficiency of percussive machines. The authors state that applying a single distribution body in the percussive mechanism does not allow carrying out a low-energy operating cycle of the mechanism. Using the studied device as an example, it is substantiated that applying a compression valve with two distribution bodies separately operating the working chambers makes it possible to significantly reduce the airflow. The authors describe the construction of a core drill percussive mechanism and the operation of a compression valve. It is shown that in the new percussive mechanism working chambers are cut off the circuit by the time when exhaust windows are opened by the piston and air is not supplied into the cylinder up to 20% of the cycle time. The air flow rate of the new mechanism was 3.8 m3/min. In comparison with the drill PK-75, the overall noise level of the new machine is lower by 8-10 dB, while the percussive mechanism efficiency is 2.3 times higher.

Hole at Buckskin Drilled Days Before Landing Anniversary

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-08-05

NASA's Curiosity Mars Rover drilled this hole to collect sample material from a rock target called "Buckskin" on July 30, 2015, during the 1060th Martian day, or sol, of the rover's work on Mars. The diameter is slightly smaller than a U.S. dime. Curiosity landed on Mars on Aug. 6, 2012, Universal Time (evening of Aug. 5, PDT). The rover took this image with the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) camera, which is mounted on the same robotic arm as the sample-collecting drill. Rock powder from the collected sample was subsequently delivered to a laboratory inside the rover for analysis. The rover's drill did not experience any sign during this sample collection of an intermittent short-circuiting issue that was detected earlier in 2015. The Buckskin target is in an area near "Marias Pass" on lower Mount Sharp where Curiosity had detected unusually high levels of silica and hydrogen. MAHLI was built by Malin Space Science Systems, San Diego. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Mars Science Laboratory Project for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, Washington. JPL designed and built the project's Curiosity rover. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA19804

Similar on the Inside (pre-grinding)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

This approximate true-color image taken by the panoramic camera on the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity show the rock called 'Pilbara' located in the small crater dubbed 'Fram.' The rock appears to be dotted with the same 'blueberries,' or spherules, found at 'Eagle Crater.' Spirit drilled into this rock with its rock abrasion tool. After analyzing the hole with the rover's scientific instruments, scientists concluded that Pilbara has a similar chemical make-up, and thus watery past, to rocks studied at Eagle Crater. This image was taken with the panoramic camera's 480-, 530- and 600-nanometer filters.

12. FLOOR 2; STONE CRANE IN PLACE FOR ROCK STONES; ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

12. FLOOR 2; STONE CRANE IN PLACE FOR ROCK STONES; STONE CRANE HAS OAK SPAR, JIB AND BRACE, METAL SCREW, IRON YOKE AND DOGS; IRON PINS FIT THROUGH HOLES IN DOGS INTO HOLES DRILLED IN RUNNER STONE - Hook Windmill, North Main Street at Pantigo Road, East Hampton, Suffolk County, NY

A Model of the Chicxulub Impact Basin Based on Evaluation of Geophysical Data, Well Logs, and Drill Core Samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sharpton, Virgil L.; Marin, Luis E.; Carney, John D.; Lee, Scott; Ryder, Graham; Schuraytz, Benjamin C.; Sikora, Paul; Spudis, Paul D.

1996-01-01

Abundant evidence now shows that the buried Chicxulub structure in northern Yucatan, Mexico, is indeed the intensely sought-after source of the ejecta found world-wide at the Cretaceous-Tertiary (K/T) boundary. In addition to large-scale concentric patterns in gravity and magnetic data over the structure, recent analyses of drill-core samples reveal a lithological assemblage similar to that observed at other terrestrial craters. This assemblage comprises suevite breccias, ejecta deposit breccias (Bunte Breccia equivalents), fine-grained impact melt rocks, and melt-matrix breccias. All these impact-produced lithologies contain diagnostic evidence of shock metamorphism, including planar deformation features in quartz, feldspar, and zircons; diaplectic glasses of quartz and feldspar; and fused mineral melts and whole-rock melts. In addition, elevated concentrations of Ir, Re, and Os, in meteoritic relative proportions, have been detected in some melt-rock samples from the center of the structure. Isotopic analyses, magnetization of melt-rock samples, and local stratigraphic constraints identify this crater as the source of K/T boundary deposits.

ACOUSTICAL IMAGING AND MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF SOFT ROCK AND MARINE SEDIMENTS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Thurman E. Scott, Jr., Ph.D.; Younane Abousleiman, Ph.D.; Musharraf Zaman, Ph.D., P.E.

2001-07-01

Mechanically weak formations, such as chalks, high porosity sandstones, and marine sediments, pose significant problems for oil and gas operators. Problems such as compaction, subsidence, and loss of permeability can affect reservoir production operations. For example, the unexpected subsidence of the Ekofisk chalk in the North Sea required over one billion dollars to re-engineer production facilities to account for losses created during that compaction (Sulak 1991). Another problem in weak formations is that of shallow water flows (SWF). Deep water drilling operations sometimes encounter cases where the marine sediments, at shallow depths just below the seafloor, begin to uncontrollably flowmore » up and around the drill pipe. SWF problems created a loss of $150 million for the Ursa development project in the U.S. Gulf Coast SWF (Furlow 1998a,b; 1999a,b). The goal of this project is to provide a database on both the rock mechanical properties and the geophysical properties of weak rocks and sediments. These could be used by oil and gas companies to detect, evaluate, and alleviate potential production and drilling problems. The results will be useful in, for example, pre-drill detection of events such as SWF's by allowing a correlation of seismic data (such as hazard surveys) to rock mechanical properties. The data sets could also be useful for 4-D monitoring of the compaction and subsidence of an existing reservoir and imaging the zones of damage. During the second quarter of the project the research team has: (1) completed acoustic sensor construction, (2) conducted reconnaissance tests to map the deformational behaviors of the various rocks, (3) developed a sample assembly for the measurement of dynamic elastic and poroelastic parameters during triaxial testing, and (4) conducted a detailed review of the scientific literature and compiled a bibliography of that review. During the first quarter of the project the research team acquired several rock types for testing including: (a) Danian chalk, (b) Cordoba Cream limestone, (c) Indiana limestone, (d) Ekofisk chalk, (e) Oil Creek sandstone, (f) unconsolidated Oil Creek sand, and (g) unconsolidated Brazos river sand. During the second quarter experiments were begun on these rock types. A series of reconnaissance experiments have been carried out on all but the Ekofisk (for which there is a preliminary data set already inhouse). A series of triaxial tests have been conducted on the Danian chalk, the Cordoba Cream limestone, the Indiana limestone, and sand samples to make a preliminary determination of the deformational mechanisms present in these samples.« less

Development of a high-temperature diagnostics-while-drilling tool.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chavira, David J.; Huey, David; Hetmaniak, Chris

2009-01-01

The envisioned benefits of Diagnostics-While-Drilling (DWD) are based on the principle that high-speed, real-time information from the downhole environment will promote better control of the drilling process. Although in practice a DWD system could provide information related to any aspect of exploration and production of subsurface resources, the current DWD system provides data on drilling dynamics. This particular set of new tools provided by DWD will allow quicker detection of problems, reduce drilling flat-time and facilitate more efficient drilling (drilling optimization) with the overarching result of decreased drilling costs. In addition to providing the driller with an improved, real-time picturemore » of the drilling conditions downhole, data generated from DWD systems provides researchers with valuable, high fidelity data sets necessary for developing and validating enhanced understanding of the drilling process. Toward this end, the availability of DWD creates a synergy with other Sandia Geothermal programs, such as the hard-rock bit program, where the introduction of alternative rock-reduction technologies are contingent on the reduction or elimination of damaging dynamic effects. More detailed descriptions of the rationale for the program and early development efforts are described in more detail by others [SAND2003-2069 and SAND2000-0239]. A first-generation low-temperature (LT) DWD system was fielded in a series of proof-of-concept tests (POC) to validate functionality. Using the LT system, DWD was subsequently used to support a single-laboratory/multiple-partner CRADA (Cooperative Research and Development Agreement) entitled Advanced Drag Bits for Hard-Rock Drilling. The drag-bit CRADA was established between Sandia and four bit companies, and involved testing of a PDC bit from each company [Wise, et al., 2003, 2004] in the same lithologic interval at the Gas Technology Institute (GTI) test facility near Catoosa, OK. In addition, the LT DWD system has been fielded in cost-sharing efforts with an industrial partner to support the development of new generation hard-rock drag bits. Following the demonstrated success of the POC DWD system, efforts were initiated in FY05 to design, fabricate and test a high-temperature (HT) capable version of the DWD system. The design temperature for the HT DWD system was 225 C. Programmatic requirements dictated that a HT DWD tool be developed during FY05 and that a working system be demonstrated before the end of FY05. During initial design discussions regarding a high-temperature system it was decided that, to the extent possible, the HT DWD system would maintain functionality similar to the low temperature system, that is, the HT DWD system would also be designed to provide the driller with real-time information on bit and bottom-hole-assembly (BHA) dynamics while drilling. Additionally, because of time and fiscal constraints associated with the HT system development, the design of the HT DWD tool would follow that of the LT tool. The downhole electronics package would be contained in a concentrically located pressure barrel and the use of externally applied strain gages with thru-tool connectors would also be used in the new design. Also, in order to maximize the potential wells available for the HT DWD system and to allow better comparison with the low-temperature design, the diameter of the tool was maintained at 7-inches. This report discusses the efforts associated with the development of a DWD system capable of sustained operation at 225 C. This report documents work performed in the second phase of the Diagnostics-While-Drilling (DWD) project in which a high-temperature (HT) version of the phase 1 low-temperature (LT) proof-of-concept (POC) DWD tool was built and tested. Descriptions of the design, fabrication and field testing of the HT tool are provided. Background on prior phases of the project can be found in SAND2003-2069 and SAND2000-0239.« less

Grinding into Soft, Powdery Rock

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

This hole in a rock dubbed 'Clovis' is the deepest hole drilled so far in any rock on Mars. NASA's Mars Exploration Rover Spirit captured this view with its microscopic imager on martian sol 217 (Aug. 12, 2004) after drilling 8.9 millimeters (0.35 inch) into the rock with its rock abrasion tool. The view is a mosaic of four frames taken by the microscopic imager. The hole is 4.5 centimeters (1.8 inches) in diameter. Clovis is key to a developing story about environmental change on Mars, not only because it is among the softest rocks encountered so far in Gusev Crater, but also because it contains mineral alterations that extend relatively deep beneath its surface. In fact, as evidenced by its fairly crumbly texture, it is possibly the most highly altered volcanic rock ever studied on Mars.

Scientific analysis shows that the rock contains higher levels of the elements sulfur, chlorine, and bromine than are normally encountered in basaltic rocks, such as a rock dubbed 'Humphrey' that Spirit encountered two months after arriving on Mars. Humphrey showed elevated levels of sulfur, chlorine, and bromine only in the outermost 2 millimeters (less than 0.1 inch) of its surface. Clovis shows elevated levels of the same elements along with the associated softness of the rock within a borehole that is 4 times as deep. Scientists hope to compare Clovis to other, less-altered rocks in the vicinity to assess what sort of water-based processes altered the rock. Hypotheses include transport of sulfur, chlorine, and bromine in water vapor in volcanic gases; hydrothermal circulation (flow of volcanically heated water through rock); or saturation in a briny soup containing the same elements.

In this image, very fine-grained material from the rock has clumped together by electrostatic attraction and fallen into the borehole. NASA/JPL/Cornell/USGS

Sea Bed Drilling Technology MARUM-MeBo: Overview on recent scientific drilling campaigns and technical developments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Freudenthal, Tim; Bergenthal, Markus; Bohrmann, Gerhard; Pape, Thomas; Kopf, Achim; Huhn-Frehers, Katrin; Gohl, Karsten; Wefer, Gerold

2017-04-01

The MARUM-MeBo (abbreviation for Meeresboden-Bohrgerät, the German expression for seafloor drill rig) is a robotic drilling system that is developed since 2004 at the MARUM Center for Marine Environmental Sciences at the University of Bremen in close cooperation with Bauer Maschinen GmbH and other industry partners. The MARUM-MeBo drill rigs can be deployed from multipurpose research vessel like, RV MARIA S. MERIAN, RV METEOR, RV SONNE and RV POLARSTERN and are used for getting long cores both in soft sediments as well as hard rocks in the deep sea. The first generation drill rig, the MARUM-MeBo70 is dedicated for a drilling depth of more than 70 m (Freudenthal and Wefer, 2013). Between 2005 and 2016 it was deployed on 17 research expeditions and drilled about 3 km into different types of geology including carbonate and crystalline rocks, gas hydrates, glacial tills, sands and gravel, glacial till and hemipelagic mud with an average recovery rate of about 70 %. We used the development and operational experiences of MARUM-MeBo70 for the development of a second generation drill rig MARUM-MeBo200. This drill rig is dedicated for conducting core drilling down to 200 m below sea floor. After successful sea trials in the North Sea in October 2014 the MeBo200 was used on a scientific expedition on the research vessel RV SONNE (SO247) in March/April 2016. During 12 deployments we drilled altogether 514 m in hemipelagic sediments with volcanic ashes as well as in muddy and sandy slide deposits off New Zealand. The average core recovery was about 54%. The maximum drilling depth was 105 m below sea floor. Developments for the MeBo drilling technology include the development of a pressure core barrel that was successfully deployed on two research expeditions so far. Bore hole logging adds to the coring capacity. Several autonomous logging probes have been developed in the last years for a deployment with MeBo in the logging while tripping mode - a sonic probe measuring in situ p-wave velocity being the latest development. Various bore hole monitoring systems where developed and deployed with the MeBo system. They allow for long-term monitoring of pressure variability within the sealed bore holes. References: Freudenthal, T and Wefer, G (2013) Drilling cores on the sea floor with the remote-controlled sea floor drilling rig MeBo. Geoscientific Instrumentation, Methods and Data Systems, 2(2). 329-337. doi:10.5194/gi-2-329-2013

Final report - Magma Energy Research Project

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Colp, J.L.

1982-10-01

Scientific feasibility was demonstrated for the concept of magma energy extraction. The US magma resource is estimated at 50,000 to 500,000 quads of energy - a 700- to 7000-yr supply at the current US total energy use rate of 75 quads per year. Existing geophysical exploration systems are believed capable of locating and defining magma bodies and were demonstrated over a known shallow buried molten-rock body. Drilling rigs that can drill to the depths required to tap magma are currently available and experimental boreholes were drilled well into buried molten rock at temperatures up to 1100/sup 0/C. Engineering materials compatiblemore » with the buried magma environment are available and their performances were demonstrated in analog laboratory experiments. Studies show that energy can be extracted at attractive rates from magma resources in all petrologic compositions and physical configurations. Downhole heat extraction equipment was designed, built, and demonstrated successfully in buried molten rock and in the very hot margins surrounding it. Two methods of generating gaseous fuels in the high-temperature magmatic environment - generation of H/sub 2/ by the interaction of water with the ferrous iron and H/sub 2/, CH/sub 4/, and CO generation by the conversion of water-biomass mixtures - have been investigated and show promise.« less

Preliminary map showing freshwater heads for the Mission Canyon and Lodgepole limestones and equivalent rocks of Mississippian age in the Northern Great Plains of Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Miller, W. Roger; Strausz, S.A.

1980-01-01

A potentiometric-surface map showing freshwater heads for the Mission Canyon and Lodgepole Limestones of Mississippian age has been prepared as part of a study to determine the water-resources potential of the Mississippian Madison Limestone and associated rocks in the Northern Great Plains of Montana, North and South Dakota, and Wyoming. Most of the data used to prepare the map are from drill-stem tests of exploration and development wells drilled by the petroleum industry from 1946 to 1978. Some data are also from cased oil wells, water-production wells, and springs. A short explanation describes the seven categories of reliability used to evaluate the drill-stem-test data and identifies several factors that might explain the apparent anomalous highs and lows on the potentiometric surface. The map is at a scale of 1:1,000,000 and the potentiometric contour intervals are 100, 200, and 500 feet. (USGS)

DE-FOA-EE0005502 Advanced Percussive Drilling Technology for Geothermal Exploration and Development Phase II Report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Su, Jiann-Cherng; Raymond, David W.; Prasad, Somuri V.

Percussive hammers are a promising advance in drilling technology for geothermal since they rely upon rock reduction mechanisms that are well-suited for use in the hard, brittle rock characteristic of geothermal formations. The project research approach and work plan includes a critical path to development of a high-temperature (HT) percussive hammer using a two- phase approach. The work completed in Phase I of the project demonstrated the viability of percussive hammers and that solutions to technical challenges in design, material technology, and performance are likely to be resolved. Work completed in Phase II focused on testing the findings from Phasemore » I and evaluating performance of the materials and designs at high- operating temperatures. A high-operating temperature (HOT) drilling facility was designed, built, and used to test the performance of the DTH under extreme conditions. Results from the testing indicate that a high-temperature capable hammer can be developed and is a viable alternative for user in the driller's toolbox.« less

Advanced Percussive Drilling Technology for Geothermal Exploration and Development

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Su, Jiann; Raymond, David; Prasad, Somuri

Percussive hammers are a promising advance in drilling technology for geothermal since they rely upon rock reduction mechanisms that are well-suited for use in the hard, brittle rock characteristic of geothermal formations. The project research approach and work plan includes a critical path to development of a high-temperature (HT) percussive hammer using a two phase approach. The work completed in Phase I of the project demonstrated the viability of percussive hammers and that solutions to technical challenges in design, material technology, and performance are likely to be resolved. Work completed in Phase II focused on testing the findings from Phasemore » I and evaluating performance of the materials and designs at high operating temperatures. A high-operating temperature (HOT) drilling facility was designed, built, and used to test the performance of the DTH under extreme conditions. Results from the testing indicate that a high-temperature capable hammer can be developed and is a viable alternative for use in the driller’s toolbox.« less

Key Locations Studied at 'Pahrump Hills' on Mars

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-06-09

NASA's Curiosity Mars rover examined a mudstone outcrop area called "Pahrump Hills" on lower Mount Sharp, in 2014 and 2015. This view shows locations of some targets the rover studied there. The blue dots indicate where drilled samples of powdered rock were collected for analysis. The rover drilled a sample of rock powder at "Confidence Hills" in September 2014 and analyzed it with internal laboratory instruments. Then the mission conducted a walkabout survey up the slope, along the route indicated in yellow, stopping for close inspection at the red-dot locations. Observations from the walkabout were used to choose where to take additional drilled samples for analysis during a second pass up the slope. The "Mojave 2" sample was collected in January 2015 and the "Telegraph Peak" one in February 2015. This view of the outcrop and other portions of Mount Sharp beyond is a mosaic of images taken by the rover's Mast Camera (Mastcam) in September 2014. https://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA21709

Decarboxylation of Carbon Compounds as a Potential Source for CO2 and CO Observed by SAM at Yellowknife Bay, Gale Crater, Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eigenbrode, J. L.; Bower, H.; Archer, P. Jr.

2014-01-01

Martian carbon was detected in the Sheepbed mudtsone at Yellowknife Bay, Gale Crater, Mars by the Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument onboard Curiosity, the rover of the Mars Science Laboratory missio]. The carbon was detected as CO2 thermally evolved from drilled and sieved rock powder that was delivered to SAM as a <150-micron-particle- size fraction. Most of the CO2 observed in the Cumberland (CB) drill hole evolved between 150deg and 350deg C. In the John Klein (JK) drill hole, the CO2 evolved up to 500deg C. Hypotheses for the source of the the CO2 include the breakdown of carbonate minerals reacting with HCl released from oxychlorine compounds, combustion of organic matter by O2 thermally evolved from the same oxychlorine minerals, and the decarboxylation of organic molecules indigenous to the martian rock sample. Here we explore the potential for the decarboxylation hypothesis.

Elastic wave velocities, chemistry and modal mineralogy of crustal rocks sampled by the Outokumpu scientific drill hole: Evidence from lab measurements and modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kern, H.; Mengel, K.; Strauss, K. W.; Ivankina, T. I.; Nikitin, A. N.; Kukkonen, I. T.

2009-07-01

The Outokumpu scientific deep drill hole intersects a 2500 m deep Precambrian crustal section comprising a 1300 m thick biotite-gneiss series (mica schists) at top, followed by a 200 m thick meta-ophiolite sequence, underlain again by biotite gneisses (mica schists) (500 m thick) with intercalations of amphibolite and meta-pegmatoids (pegmatitic granite). From 2000 m downward the dominating rock types are meta-pegmatoids (pegmatitic granite). Average isotropic intrinsic P- and S-wave velocities and densities of rocks were calculated on the basis of the volume fraction of the constituent minerals and their single crystal properties for 29 core samples covering the depth range 198-2491 m. The modal composition of the rocks is obtained from bulk rock (XRF) and mineral chemistry (microprobe), using least squares fitting. Laboratory seismic measurements on 13 selected samples representing the main lithologies revealed strong anisotropy of P- and S-wave velocities and shear wave splitting. Seismic anisotropy is strongly related to foliation and is, in particular, an important property of the biotite gneisses, which dominate the upper and lower gneiss series. At in situ conditions, velocity anisotropy is largely caused by oriented microcracks, which are not completely closed at the pressures corresponding to the relatively shallow depth drilled by the borehole, in addition to crystallographic preferred orientation (CPO) of the phyllosilicates. The contribution of CPO to bulk anisotropy is confirmed by 3D velocity calculations based on neutron diffraction texture measurements. For vertical incidence of the wave train, the in situ velocities derived from the lab measurements are significantly lower than the measured and calculated intrinsic velocities. The experimental results give evidence that the strong reflective nature of the ophiolite-derived rock assemblages is largely affected by oriented microcracks and preferred crystallographic orientation of major minerals, in addition to the lithologic control.

Designing a monitoring network for contaminated ground water in fractured chalk

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nativ, R.; Adar, E.M.; Becker, A.

1999-01-01

One of the challenges of monitoring network design in a fractured rock setting is the heterogeneity of the rocks. This paper summarizes the activities and problems associated with the monitoring of contaminated groundwater in porous, low-permeability fractured chalk in the Negev Desert, Israel. Preferential flow documented in the study area required siting the monitoring boreholes in the predominant fracture systems. Lineaments traced from aerial photographs were examined in the field to sort out the large-extension, through-going, multilayer fracture systems crossing the study area. At each proposed drilling site, these fractures were exposed below the sediment cover using trenches. Slanted boreholesmore » were drilled at a distance from the fracture systems so that each borehole would intersect the targeted fracture plane below the water table. Based on their short recovery period and contaminated ground water, these newly drilled, fracture-oriented boreholes appeared to be better connected to preferential flowpaths crossing the industrial site than the old boreholes existing on site. Other considerations concerning the drilling and logging of monitoring boreholes in a fractured media were: (1) coring provides better documentation of the vertical fracture distribution, but dry augering is less costly and enables immediate ground water sampling and the sampling of vadose rock for contaminant analysis; (2) caliper and TV camera logs appear to provide only partial information regarding the vertical fracture distribution; and (3) the information gained by deepening the monitoring boreholes and testing fractures crossing their uncased walls has to be carefully weighed against the risk of potential cross-contamination through the monitoring boreholes, which is enhanced in fractured media.« less

ELLICOTT ROCK WILDERNESS AND ADDITIONS, SOUTH CAROLINA, NORTH CAROLINA, AND GEORGIA.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bell, Henry; Gazdik, Gertrude C.

1984-01-01

A mineral survey was made of the Ellicott Rock Wilderness and additions located in the common corner of South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia. Surveys along the rivers, streams, and ridges indicated that there is little promise for the occurrence of metallic mineral or energy resources. Deeply buried sedimentary rocks have an unknown potential for hydrocarbons, probably gas. Until some deep drilling is done to test these deep sedimentary rocks no reasonable estimate of gas potential can be made, but it cannot be totally discounted.

Infrared Spectroscopy for Rapid Characterization of Drill Core and Cutting Mineralogy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Calvin, W. M.; Kratt, C.; Kruse, F. A.

2009-12-01

Water geochemistry can vary with depth and location within a geothermal reservoir, owing to natural factors such as changing rock type, gas content, fluid source and temperature. The interaction of these variable fluids with the host rock will cause well known changes in alteration mineral assemblages that are commonly factored into the exploration of hydrothermal systems for economic metals, but are less utilized with regard to mapping borehole geology for geothermal energy production. Chemistry of geothermal fluids and rock alteration products can impact production factors such as pipeline corrosion and scaling and early studies explored the use of both silica and chlorites as geothermometers. Infrared spectroscopy is particularly good at identifying a wide variety of alteration minerals, especially in discrimination among clay minerals, with no sample preparation. The technique has been extensively used in the remote identification of materials, but is not commonly used on drill core or chips. We have performed several promising pilot studies that suggest the power of the technique to sample continuously and provide mineral logs akin to geophysical ones. We have surveyed a variety of samples, including drill chip boards, boxed core, and drill cuttings from envelopes, sample bottles and chip trays. This work has demonstrated that core and drill chips can be rapidly surveyed, acquiring spectra every few to tens of cm of section, or the vertical resolution of the chip tray (typically 10 feet). Depending on the sample type we can acquire spectral data over thousands of feet depth at high vertical resolution in a fraction of the time that is needed for traditional analytical methods such as XRD or TEM with better accuracy than traditional geologic drill or chip logging that uses visual inspection alone. We have successfully identified layered silicates such as illite, kaolinite, montmorillonite chlorite and prehnite, zeolites, opal, calcite, jarosite and iron oxides and hydroxides in geothermal drill samples. We are currently developing automated analysis techniques to convert this detailed spectral logging data into high-vertical-resolution mineral depth profiles that can be linked to lithology, stratigraphy, fracture zones and potential for geothermal production. Also in development are metrics that would link mapped mineralogy to known geothermometers such as Na-K, Mg depletion, discrimination among illite, montmorillonite, and beidellite, and kaolinite crystallinity. Identification of amorphous and crystalline silica components (chalcedony, crystobalite and quartz) can also constrain silica geothermometry. The degree of alteration and some mineral types have been shown to be a proxy for host rock permeability, natural circulation, and the potential for reservoir sealing. Analysis of alteration intensity is also under way. We will present a synthesis of results to date.

Proper nozzle location, bit profile, and cutter arrangement affect PDC-bit performance significantly

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Garcia-Gavito, D.; Azar, J.J.

1994-09-01

During the past 20 years, the drilling industry has looked to new technology to halt the exponentially increasing costs of drilling oil, gas, and geothermal wells. This technology includes bit design innovations to improve overall drilling performance and reduce drilling costs. These innovations include development of drag bits that use PDC cutters, also called PDC bits, to drill long, continuous intervals of soft to medium-hard formations more economically than conventional three-cone roller-cone bits. The cost advantage is the result of higher rates of penetration (ROP's) and longer bit life obtained with the PDC bits. An experimental study comparing the effectsmore » of polycrystalline-diamond-compact (PDC)-bit design features on the dynamic pressure distribution at the bit/rock interface was conducted on a full-scale drilling rig. Results showed that nozzle location, bit profile, and cutter arrangement are significant factors in PDC-bit performance.« less

Single Piezo-Actuator Rotary-Hammering (SPaRH) Drill

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sherrit, Stewart (Inventor); Bao, Xiaoqi (Inventor); Badescu, Mircea (Inventor); Bar-Cohen, Yoseph (Inventor)

2014-01-01

A Single Piezo-Actuator Rotary-Hammering (SPaRH) Drill includes a horn actuator having high power piezoelectric materials and a flexure pre-stress to increase the actuators effectiveness. The drill is a low mass, low power, compact coring drill measuring 20-cm high by 7-cm diameter and having a total weight of 2 kg including drive electronics. Using an average power of 50-Watts, the drill basalt is expected to cut basalt at a rate of 0.2 cm/min down to depth of 10-cm and create cuttings and an intact core. The drill is expected to operate under different environments including Martian ambient (6 Torr and down to -50 degree C), and liquid nitrogen temperatures (77 K) and low pressure (<<1 Torr) to simulate lunar polar and Europa conditions. Materials expected to be sampled include Kaolinite, Saddleback Basalt, Limestone, Volcanic Breccia, Siltstone, ice, permafrost and layered rocks with different hardness.

Application of ALD Images and Caliper Data for the breakout analysis from the wells which were drilled in the Caspian Sea of the Azerbaijan Republic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amirov, Elnur

2016-04-01

Wellbore instability while drilling, trip in or trip out can be cause of nonproductive time (NPT). Mainly this is the drilling surprises often encountered while drilling, trip in or trip out which were not predicted in advance, monitored, interpreted or recognized properly, which can give rise to wellbore instability problems. These surprises include also formation tops, overpressure zones occurring at different depths than predicted and the presence of unexpected faults or other fractured/fissile/compartmentalization zones. In general while drilling the wells, downhole PWD data cannot be very useful for understanding wellbore stability. Much of what we can use is indirect measurements such as torque and drag observations, rpm, vibrations, cavings, annular pressure measurements and etc. In order to understand what is going on in the subsurface and therefore mitigate the wellbore instability problems, we need more information from LWD (logging while drilling) tools. In order to monitor and get direct observations of the state of the borehole we need to determine where, how and in which direction the wellbore is failing and enlargement is taking place. LWD calipers and wellbore Azimuthal Lithodensity Images can provide such information for breakout analysis while drilling, trip in and trip out activity. The modes of wellbore instability can be generated in different ways and through different mechanisms. Therefore these zones of breakout can be potentially identified by the ALD imaging and LWD caliper tools. Instability can be governed by a combination of factors such as: the strength of the rock, the subsurface stress field, maximum and minimum horizontal stresses, pre-existing planes of weakness, the angle of the wellbore which intersects with these planes of weakness and chemical reaction of the rock (minerals) with the drilling fluid. Compressional failure (breakout) of an isotropic rock can occur when the compressive stresses around the borehole exceed the compressive strength of the rock. This can create the enlargement of the borehole with two failure zones opposite to each other with circumference at 180 degrees (for instance top side vs bottom side of the borehole or right side vs left side of the borehole). The image tracks for Rhob (density), Pe (photoelectric absorption) and Caliper can show the data such as edges of the track from the top, right, bottom and left sides of the hole (the center of the track is the bottom side of the borehole). Generally the color gradation (different spectrums) can be used in order to show the orientation change in the measurement around the wellbore. The azimuthal density, Pe, and Caliper data can be pointed and visualized as a log curves which can represent the average of all available data (an average of the top, right, bottom and left sides (or quadrants) or as 8 (RT) or 16 (RM) individual bins and as an ALD Image log. In addition, the Caliper data can give us information about the diameter and geometry of the borehole while drilling, trip in and trip out activities (for more detailed breakout analysis and interpretations). This paper (abstract) will present the results of a breakout analysis conducted from the wells which were drilled in the Caspian Sea of the Azerbaijan Republic in order to evaluate the available ALD images, caliper information and eventually incorporation of all available data into the wellbore stability monitoring service (breakout analysis).

Drill cuttings mount formation study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teh, Su Yean; Koh, Hock Lye

2014-07-01

Oil, Gas and Energy sector has been identified as an essential driving force in the Malaysian Economic Transformation Programs (ETP). Recently confirmed discovery of many offshore oil and gas deposits in Malaysian waters has ignited new confidence in this sector. However, this has also spurred intense interest on safeguarding the health and environment of coastal waters in Malaysia from adverse impact resulting from offshore oil and gas production operation. Offshore discharge of spent drilling mud and rock cuttings is the least expensive and simplest option to dispose of large volumes of drilling wastes. But this onsite offshore disposal may have adverse environmental impacts on the water column and the seabed. It may also pose occupational health hazards to the workers living in the offshore platforms. It is therefore important to model the transport and deposition of drilling mud and rock cuttings in the sea to enable proper assessment of their adverse impacts on the environment and the workers. Further, accumulation of drill particles on the seabed may impede proper operation of pipelines on the seabed. In this paper, we present an in-house application model TUNA-PT developed to cater to local oil and gas industry needs to simulate the dispersion and mount formation of drill cuttings by offshore oil and gas exploration and production platforms. Using available data on Malaysian coastal waters, simulation analyses project a pile formation on the seabed with a maximum height of about 1 m and pile radius of around 30 to 50 m. Simulated pile heights are not sensitive to the heights of release of the cuttings as the sensitivity has been mitigated by the depth of water.

Mineralogy of Drill Cuttings Beowawe, Dixie Valley and Roosevelt Hot Springs

DOE Data Explorer

Simmons, Stuart

2017-01-25

Mineralogical, lithological, and geospatial data of drill cuttings from exploration production wells in Beowawe, Dixie Valley and Roosvelt Hot Springs. These data support whole rock analyses for major, minor and critical elements to assess critical metals in produced fluids from Nevada and Utah geothermal fields. The samples were analyzed by x-ray diffraction (legacy data) and then checked by thin section analysis.

An Industry/DOE Program to Develop and Benchmark Advanced Diamond Product Drill Bits and HP/HT Drilling Fluids to Significantly Improve Rates of Penetration

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

TerraTek

2007-06-30

A deep drilling research program titled 'An Industry/DOE Program to Develop and Benchmark Advanced Diamond Product Drill Bits and HP/HT Drilling Fluids to Significantly Improve Rates of Penetration' was conducted at TerraTek's Drilling and Completions Laboratory. Drilling tests were run to simulate deep drilling by using high bore pressures and high confining and overburden stresses. The purpose of this testing was to gain insight into practices that would improve rates of penetration and mechanical specific energy while drilling under high pressure conditions. Thirty-seven test series were run utilizing a variety of drilling parameters which allowed analysis of the performance ofmore » drill bits and drilling fluids. Five different drill bit types or styles were tested: four-bladed polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC), 7-bladed PDC in regular and long profile, roller-cone, and impregnated. There were three different rock types used to simulate deep formations: Mancos shale, Carthage marble, and Crab Orchard sandstone. The testing also analyzed various drilling fluids and the extent to which they improved drilling. The PDC drill bits provided the best performance overall. The impregnated and tungsten carbide insert roller-cone drill bits performed poorly under the conditions chosen. The cesium formate drilling fluid outperformed all other drilling muds when drilling in the Carthage marble and Mancos shale with PDC drill bits. The oil base drilling fluid with manganese tetroxide weighting material provided the best performance when drilling the Crab Orchard sandstone.« less

Drilling, Coring and Sampling Using Piezoelectric Actuated Mechanisms: From the USDC to a Piezo-Rotary-Hammer Drill

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bar-Cohen, Yoseph; Sherrit, Stewart; Badescu, Mircea; Bao, Xiaoqi

2012-01-01

NASA exploration missions are increasingly including sampling tasks but with the growth in engineering experience (particularly, Phoenix Scout and MSL) it is now very much recognized that planetary drilling poses many challenges. The difficulties grow significantly with the hardness of sampled material, the depth of drilling and the harshness of the environmental conditions. To address the requirements for samplers that could be operated at the conditions of the various bodies in the solar system, a number of piezoelectric actuated drills and corers were developed by the Advanced Technologies Group of JPL. The basic configuration that was conceived in 1998 is known as the Ultrasonic/Sonic Driller/Corer (USDC), and it operates as a percussive mechanism. This drill requires as low preload as 10N (important for operation at low gravity) allowing to operate with as low-mass device as 400g, use an average power as low as 2- 3W and drill rocks as hard as basalt. A key feature of this drilling mechanism is the use of a free-mass to convert the ultrasonic vibrations generated by piezoelectric stack to sonic impacts on the bit. Using the versatile capabilities f the USDC led to the development of many configurations and device sizes. Significant improvement of the penetration rate was achieved by augmenting the hammering action by rotation and use of a fluted bit to remove cuttings. To reach meters deep in ice a wireline drill was developed called the Ultrasonic/Sonic Gopher and it was demonstrated in 2005 to penetrate about 2-m deep at Antarctica. Jointly with Honeybee Robotics, this mechanism is currently being modified to incorporate rotation and inchworm operation forming Auto-Gopher to reach meters deep in rocks. To take advantage of the ability of piezoelectric actuators to operate over a wide temperatures range, piezoelectric actuated drills were developed and demonstrated to operate at as cold as -200oC and as hot as 500oC. In this paper, the developed mechanisms will be reviewed and discussed including the configurations, capabilities, and challenges.

A Green's function approach for assessing the thermal disturbance caused by drilling deep boreholes in rock or ice

USGS Publications Warehouse

Clow, Gary D.

2015-01-01

A knowledge of subsurface temperatures in sedimentary basins, fault zones, volcanic environments and polar ice sheets is of interest for a wide variety of geophysical applications. However, the process of drilling deep boreholes in these environments to provide access for temperature and other measurements invariably disturbs the temperature field around a newly created borehole. Although this disturbance dissipates over time, most temperature measurements are made while the temperature field is still disturbed. Thus, the measurements must be ‘corrected’ for the drilling-disturbance effect if the undisturbed temperature field is to be determined. This paper provides compact analytical solutions for the thermal drilling disturbance based on 1-D (radial) and 2-D (radial and depth) Green's functions (GFs) in cylindrical coordinates. Solutions are developed for three types of boundary conditions (BCs) at the borehole wall: (1) prescribed temperature, (2) prescribed heat flux and (3) a prescribed convective condition. The BC at the borehole wall is allowed to vary both with depth and time. Inclusion of the depth dimension in the 2-D solution allows vertical heat-transfer effects to be quantified in situations where they are potentially important, that is, near the earth's surface, at the bottom of a well and when considering finite-drilling rates. The 2-D solution also includes a radial- and time-dependent BC at the earth's surface to assess the impact of drilling-related infrastructure (drilling pads, mud pits, permanent shelters) on the subsurface temperature field. Latent-heat effects due to the melting and subsequent refreezing of interstitial ice while drilling a borehole through ice-rich permafrost can be included in the GF solution as a moving-plane heat source (or sink) located at the solid–liquid interface. Synthetic examples are provided illustrating the 1-D and 2-D GF solutions. The flexibility of the approach allows the investigation of thermal drilling effects in rock or ice for a wide variety of drilling technologies. Numerical values for the required radial GFs GR are available through the Advanced Cooperative Arctic Data and Information Service at doi:10.5065/D64F1NS6.

Chief Joseph Dam, Columbia River, Washington, Additional Units and Structural Modification Foundation Report

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-01-01

diameter companion drain holes in the area below the intake structure. The second contract, DACW67-75-C-0042, was awarded to Goodfellow Brothers, Inc. in...tolerances for bolt anchors. Subhori- zontal companion drain holes were drilled adjacent to the rock bolt holes. Negligible ground water was encountered...excavation contract was then modified so that rock excavation would not go below elevation 799 feet. The contractor installed rock bolts and companion drain

Permeability of intact and fractured rocks in Krafla geothermal reservoir, Iceland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eggertsson, Gudjon; Lavallée, Yan; Markusson, Sigurdur

2016-04-01

The magmatic-hydrothermal system at Krafla Volcano, North-East Iceland, has been the source of an important geothermal fluids, exploited by Landsvirkjun National Power since 1977 to generate electricity (~60 MW). In the last decade, the energy was extracted from fluids of moderate temperature (200-300°C), but in order to satisfy the demand for sustainable, environmentally-safe energy, Landsvirkjun is aiming to source fluids in the super high-enthalpy hydrothermal system (400°-600°C and <220 bar). In relation to this, IDDP-1 was drilled in 2009. Drilling was terminated at a depth of 2100m when the drill string penetrated rhyolite magma. The rock around this rhyolite magma body shows great potential for production, as its temperatures are very high and it is located at shallow depth. Here, we present the results of mechanical and permeability tests carried out on the main lithologies forming the geothermal reservoir rock. During a field survey in fall 2015, and through information gathered from previous drilling exercises, five main rock types were identified and sampled to carry out this study: that is, basalts (10% to 60% porosity), hyaloclastites (35% to 45% porosity), obsidians (0,25% to 5% porosity), ignimbrites (13% to 18% porosity), and intrusive felsites and microgabbros (10% to 16% porosity). The only rock type not found in outcrops on the surface is the felsite and microgabbros which are thought to be directly above the rhyolite magma (~80m thick). The reason they can be found on the surface is that during the Mývatns-fires, an explosion creating the Víti crater and scattered these rocks around the area. For all these lithologies, the porosity was determined using helium pycnometry. On-going permeability measurements are made using a classic hydrostatic cell. To simulate the stress conditions extant in the hydrothermal field, we performed permeability measurements at a range of confining pressure (1 to 100 MPa), using a pore pressure differential of 0.5 - 1.5 MPa (at an average pore pressure of 1.25 MPa). We present the results of permeability-porosity relationships for each rock as a function of confining pressure and discuss the permeability of the fluid reservoir as a function of effective pressure (i.e., = confining pressure - pore pressure) to constrain fluid flow during different pressurisation events. Complementary Brazilian tests were also performed to induce a fracture in the samples and the permeability of these fractured rocks will be measured to describe the role of macrofractures in controlling fluid flow. Permeability measurements at high temperature (up to ~500 C) will be performed on selected rocks. The aim of these experiments will be to discover the relative role of the various lithologies on the permeability of the reservoir, which will inform us how to improve the geothermal productivity of the proposed deep well through thermo-mechanical stimulations.

Reconstruction of in-situ porosity and porewater compositions of low-permeability crystalline rocks: Magnitude of artefacts induced by drilling and sample recovery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meier, D. B.; Waber, H. N.; Gimmi, T.; Eichinger, F.; Diamond, L. W.

2015-12-01

Geological site characterisation programmes typically rely on drill cores for direct information on subsurface rocks. However, porosity, transport properties and porewater composition measured on drill cores can deviate from in-situ values due to two main artefacts caused by drilling and sample recovery: (1) mechanical disruption that increases porosity and (2) contamination of the porewater by drilling fluid. We investigated the effect and magnitude of these perturbations on large drill core samples (12-20 cm long, 5 cm diameter) of high-grade, granitic gneisses obtained from 350 to 600 m depth in a borehole on Olkiluoto Island (SW Finland). The drilling fluid was traced with sodium-iodide. By combining out-diffusion experiments, gravimetry, UV-microscopy and iodide mass balance calculations, we successfully quantified the magnitudes of the artefacts: 2-6% increase in porosity relative to the bulk connected porosity and 0.9 to 8.9 vol.% contamination by drilling fluid. The spatial distribution of the drilling-induced perturbations was revealed by numerical simulations of 2D diffusion matched to the experimental data. This showed that the rims of the samples have a mechanically disrupted zone 0.04 to 0.22 cm wide, characterised by faster transport properties compared to the undisturbed centre (1.8 to 7.7 times higher pore diffusion coefficient). Chemical contamination was shown to affect an even wider zone in all samples, ranging from 0.15 to 0.60 cm, in which iodide enrichment was up to 180 mg/kgwater, compared to 0.5 mg/kgwater in the uncontaminated centre. For all samples in the present case study, it turned out that the magnitude of the artefacts caused by drilling and sample recovery is so small that no correction is required for their effects. Therefore, the standard laboratory measurements of porosity, transport properties and porewater composition can be taken as valid in-situ estimates. However, it is clear that the magnitudes strongly depend on site- and drilling-specific factors and therefore our results cannot be transferred simply to other locations. We recommend the approach presented in this study as a route to obtain reliable values in future drilling campaigns aimed at characterising in-situ bedrock properties.

Reconstruction of in-situ porosity and porewater compositions of low-permeability crystalline rocks: Magnitude of artefacts induced by drilling and sample recovery.

PubMed

Meier, D B; Waber, H N; Gimmi, T; Eichinger, F; Diamond, L W

2015-12-01

Geological site characterisation programmes typically rely on drill cores for direct information on subsurface rocks. However, porosity, transport properties and porewater composition measured on drill cores can deviate from in-situ values due to two main artefacts caused by drilling and sample recovery: (1) mechanical disruption that increases porosity and (2) contamination of the porewater by drilling fluid. We investigated the effect and magnitude of these perturbations on large drill core samples (12-20 cm long, 5 cm diameter) of high-grade, granitic gneisses obtained from 350 to 600 m depth in a borehole on Olkiluoto Island (SW Finland). The drilling fluid was traced with sodium-iodide. By combining out-diffusion experiments, gravimetry, UV-microscopy and iodide mass balance calculations, we successfully quantified the magnitudes of the artefacts: 2-6% increase in porosity relative to the bulk connected porosity and 0.9 to 8.9 vol.% contamination by drilling fluid. The spatial distribution of the drilling-induced perturbations was revealed by numerical simulations of 2D diffusion matched to the experimental data. This showed that the rims of the samples have a mechanically disrupted zone 0.04 to 0.22 cm wide, characterised by faster transport properties compared to the undisturbed centre (1.8 to 7.7 times higher pore diffusion coefficient). Chemical contamination was shown to affect an even wider zone in all samples, ranging from 0.15 to 0.60 cm, in which iodide enrichment was up to 180 mg/kg water, compared to 0.5 mg/kg water in the uncontaminated centre. For all samples in the present case study, it turned out that the magnitude of the artefacts caused by drilling and sample recovery is so small that no correction is required for their effects. Therefore, the standard laboratory measurements of porosity, transport properties and porewater composition can be taken as valid in-situ estimates. However, it is clear that the magnitudes strongly depend on site- and drilling-specific factors and therefore our results cannot be transferred simply to other locations. We recommend the approach presented in this study as a route to obtain reliable values in future drilling campaigns aimed at characterising in-situ bedrock properties. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Exploration of a Subsurface Biosphere in a Volcanic Massive Sulfide: Results of the Mars Analog Rio Tinto Drilling Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stoker, C. R.; Stevens, T.; Amils, R.; Fernandez, D.

2005-12-01

Biological systems on Earth require three key ingredients-- liquid water, an energy source, and a carbon source, that are found in very few extraterrestrial environments. Previous examples of independent subsurface ecosystems have been found only in basalt aquifers. Such lithotrophic microbial ecosystems (LME) have been proposed as models for steps in the early evolution of Earth's biosphere and for potential biospheres on other planets where the surface is uninhabitable, such as Mars and Europa.. The Mars Analog Rio Tinto Experiment (MARTE) has searched in a volcanic massive sulfide deposit in Rio Tinto Spain for a subsurface biosphere capable of living without sunlight or oxygen and found a subsurface ecosystem driven by the weathering of the massive sulfide deposit (VMS) in which the rock matrix provides sufficient resources to support microbial metabolism, including the vigorous production of H2 by water-rock interactions. Microbial production of methane and sulfate occurred in the sulfide orebody and microbial production of methane and hydrogen sulfide continued in an anoxic plume downgradient from the sulfide ore. Organic carbon concentrations in the parent rock were too low to support microbes. The Rio Tinto system thus represents a new type of subsurface ecosystem with strong relevance for exobiological studies. Commercial drilling was used to reach the aquifer system at 100 m depth and conventional laboratory techniques were used to identify and characterize the biosphere. Then, the life search strategy that led to successful identification of this biosphere was applied to the development of a robotic drilling, core handling, inspection, subsampling, and life detection system built on a prototype planetary lander that was deployed in Rio Tinto Spain in September 2005 to test the capability of a robotic drilling system to search for subsurface life. A remote science team directed the simulation and analyzed the data from the MARTE robotic drill. The results of this experiment have important implications for the strategy for searching for life on Mars.

Results of temperature gradient and heat flow in Santiam Pass Area, Oregon, Volume 1

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cox, B.L.; Gardner, M.C.; Koenig, J.B.

The conclusions of this report are: (1) There is a weakly defined thermal anomaly within the area examined by temperature-gradient holes in the Santiam Pass area. This is a relict anomaly showing differences in permeability between the High Cascades and Western Cascades areas, more than a fundamental difference in shallow crustal temperatures. (2) The anomaly as defined by the 60 F isotherms at 400 feet follows a north-south trend immediately westward of the Cascade axis in the boundary region. It is clear that all holes spudded into High Cascades rocks result in isothermal and reversal gradients. Holes spudded in Westernmore » Cascades rocks result in positive gradients. (3) Cold groundwater flow influences and masks temperature gradients in the High Cascades to a depth of at least 700 feet, especially eastward from the major north-south trending faults. Pleistocene and Holocene rocks are very permeable aquifers. (4) Shallow gradient drilling in the lowlands westward of the faults provides more interpretable information than shallow drilling in the cold-water recharge zones. Topographic and climatological effects can be filtered out of the temperature gradient results. (5) The thermal anomaly seems to have 2 centers: one in the Belknap-Foley area, and one northward in the Sand Mountain area. The anomalies may or may not be connected along a north-south trend. (6) A geothermal effect is seen in holes downslope of the Western-High Cascade boundary. Mixing with cold waters is a powerful influence on temperature gradient data. (7) The temperature-gradient program has not yet examined and defined the geothermal resources potential of the area eastward of the Western Cascades-High Cascades boundary. Holes to 1500-2000 feet in depth are required to penetrate the high permeability-cold groundwater regime. (8) Drilling conditions are unfavorable. There are very few accessible level drill sites. Seasonal access problems and environmental restrictions together with frequent lost circulation results in very high costs per foot drilled.« less

Mathematical modeling of PDC bit drilling process based on a single-cutter mechanics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wojtanowicz, A.K.; Kuru, E.

1993-12-01

An analytical development of a new mechanistic drilling model for polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) bits is presented. The derivation accounts for static balance of forces acting on a single PDC cutter and is based on assumed similarity between bit and cutter. The model is fully explicit with physical meanings given to all constants and functions. Three equations constitute the mathematical model: torque, drilling rate, and bit life. The equations comprise cutter`s geometry, rock properties drilling parameters, and four empirical constants. The constants are used to match the model to a PDC drilling process. Also presented are qualitative and predictive verificationsmore » of the model. Qualitative verification shows that the model`s response to drilling process variables is similar to the behavior of full-size PDC bits. However, accuracy of the model`s predictions of PDC bit performance is limited primarily by imprecision of bit-dull evaluation. The verification study is based upon the reported laboratory drilling and field drilling tests as well as field data collected by the authors.« less

Ocean Drilling Program Contributions to the Understanding of the Deep Subsurface Biosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fisk, M. R.

2003-12-01

Tantalizing evidence for microbes in oceanic basalts has been reported for a few decades, but it was from rocks cored on Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Leg 148 in 1993 that the first clear-cut evidence of microbial invasion of ocean basalts was obtained. (Work on ODP legs, starting with Leg 112 in 1986, had already revealed the presence of significant microbial biomass in sediments.) In 1997 ODP created the Deep Biosphere Program Planning Group to promote the investigation of the microbiology of the ocean crust. In 1999 ODP built a microbiology lab on the JOIDES Resolution, and used the lab that year (Legs 185 and 187) to test the amount of microbial contamination introduced into rocks during drilling and to establish cultures from cored basalts. These experiments have been repeated on several legs since then. The development of CORKs has permitted long-term sampling of subseafloor fluids, and microorganisms have been recovered from CORKed holes. Thus, ODP made it possible for the scientific community to address major questions about the biology of the igneous crust, such as, (1) What microbes are present? (2) How abundant are they? (3) How are they distributed? DNA from basalts and subseafloor fluids reveal what types of organisms are present. Cell abundance and biomass have been estimated based on cell counts and on organic content of basalts. Surveys of basalts in DSDP/ODP repositories indicate that microorganisms are ubiquitous in the igneous crust. Microorganisms are found in rocks that are close to 100° C. They are found as deep as 1500 m below the sea floor, and in rocks as young as a few years and as old as 170 million years. Because of the vast size of the habitat, microorganism, even if present in small numbers, could be a significant fraction of the Earth's biomass. In a short time ODP contributed to advances in our understanding of the oceanic subsurface biosphere. Answers to other significant questions such as: (1) How do the microorganisms live?, (2) What impact do subsurface microorganisms have on the surface biosphere? (3) And, what roles do the subsurface biosphere play in element cycling? will be answered by future drilling. The International Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) is in the enviable position of providing support to address these key questions about the Earth's subsurface biosphere.

Geologic and mineralogic controls on acid and metal-rich rock drainage in an alpine watershed, Handcart Gulch, Colorado

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bove, Dana J.; Caine, Jonathan S.; Lowers, Heather

2012-01-01

The surface and subsurface geology, hydrothermal alteration, and mineralogy of the Handcart Gulch area was studied using map and drill core data as part of a multidisciplinary approach to understand the hydrology and affects of geology on acid-rock drainage in a mineralized alpine watershed. Handcart Gulch was the locus of intense hydrothermal alteration that affected an area of nearly 3 square kilometers. Hydrothermal alteration and accompanied weak mineralization are spatially and genetically associated with small dacite to low-silica rhyolite stocks and plugs emplaced about 37-36 Ma. Felsic lithologies are commonly altered to a quartz-sericite-pyrite mineral assemblage at the surface, but alteration is more variable in the subsurface, ranging from quartz-sericite-pyrite-dominant in upper core sections to a propylitic variant that is more typical in deeper drill core intervals. Late-stage, hydrothermal argillic alteration [kaolinite and(or) smectite] was superimposed over earlier-formed alteration assemblages in the felsic rocks. Smectite in this late stage assemblage is mostly neoformed resulting from dissolution of chlorite, plagioclase, and minor illite in more weakly altered rocks. Hydrothermally altered amphibolites are characterized by biotitic alteration of amphibole, and subsequent alteration of both primary and secondary biotite to chlorite. Whereas pyrite is present both as disseminations and in small veinlets in the felsic lithologies, it is mostly restricted to small veinlets in the amphibolites. Base-metal sulfides including molybdenite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, and galena are present in minor to trace amounts in the altered rocks. However, geologic data in conjunction with water geochemical studies indicate that copper mineralization may be present in unknown abundance in two distinct areas. The altered rocks contain an average of 8 weight percent fine pyrite that is largely devoid of metals in the crystal structure, which can be a significant source of trace metals in other areas with acid rock drainage. Thus, elevated base-metal concentrations in the trunk stream and discrete springs in the study area, as determined in previous studies, are likely derived from discrete metal-rich sources, rather than the abundant pyrite veins or disseminations. Pyrite is oxidized in nearly all outcrops examined. Drill core data show that zones of pyrite oxidation range in depth from 100 meters below the surface at higher elevations to just a few meters depth at the lowest elevations in the study area. However, discrete pyrite oxidation zones are present in drill core to depths of several hundred meters below the pervasive near-surface oxidation zones. These deeper discrete oxidation zones, which are present where fresh pyrite predominates, are spatially associated with fractures, small faults, and breccias. Quartz-sericite-pyrite-altered rocks containing unoxidized pyrite likely have the highest acid-generating capacity of all alteration assemblages in the study area. Hydrothermal alteration has left these rocks base-cation leached and thus acid-neutralizing potential is negligible. In contrast, propylitic-altered felsic rocks commonly contain trace to minor calcite and abundant chlorite, which provide some amount of acid-neutralization despite the presence of a few percent pyrite.

Rock sampling. [method for controlling particle size distribution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blum, P. (Inventor)

1971-01-01

A method for sampling rock and other brittle materials and for controlling resultant particle sizes is described. The method involves cutting grooves in the rock surface to provide a grouping of parallel ridges and subsequently machining the ridges to provide a powder specimen. The machining step may comprise milling, drilling, lathe cutting or the like; but a planing step is advantageous. Control of the particle size distribution is effected primarily by changing the height and width of these ridges. This control exceeds that obtainable by conventional grinding.

Geology and mineralization at the Ishmas Kabir gold prospect, Ishmas gold district, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Walker, B.M.; Ben Talib, Majed; El Komi, Mohamed; Hussain, M.A.; Christian, R.P.

1990-01-01

Quartz veins intersected by drill holes are surrounded by mylonite schist. Quartz and carbonate veins less than 5 mm thick are boudined, whereas thick quartz veins (£ 1.2 m) have disrupted and brecciated margins; mylonitized country rock envelops quartz-vein fragments. Sulfide mineralization associated with vein formation predates this rock-deformation event. Contemporaneous brittle and ductile deformation of quartz veins and country rocks occurred during the Nabitah orogeny. Supergene gold enrichment took place much later.

San Andreas fault zone drilling project: scientific objectives and technological challenges

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hickman, Stephen; Younker, Leland; Zobeck, Mark; Cooper, George; ,

1994-01-01

We are leading a new international initiative to conduct scientific drilling within the San Andreas fault zone at depths of up to 10 km. This project is motivated by the need to understand the physical and chemical processes operating within the fault zone and to answer fundamental questions about earthquake generation along major plate-boundary faults. Through an integrated program of coring, fluid sampling, in-situ and laboratory experimentation and long-term monitoring, we hope to provide fundamental constraints on the structure, composition, mechanical behavior and physical state of the San Andreas fault system at depths comparable to the nucleation zones of great earthquakes. The drilling, sampling and observational requirements needed to ensure the success of this project are stringent. These include: 1) drilling stable vertical holes to depths of about 9 km in fractured rock at temperatures of up to 300??C; 2) continuous coring of inclined holes branched off these vertical boreholes to intersect the fault at depths of 3, 6 and 9 km; 3) conducting sophisticated borehole geophysical measurements and fluid/rock sampling at high temperatures and pressures; and 4) instrumenting some or all of these inclined core holes for continuous monitoring of seismicity and a broad range of physical and chemical properties over periods of up to several decades. For all of these tasks, because of the overpressured clay-rich formations anticipated within the fault zone at depth, we expect to encounter difficult drilling, coring and hole-completion conditions in the regions of greatest scientific interest.

San Andreas fault zone drilling project: scientific objectives and technological challenges

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hickman, S.H.; Younker, L.W.; Zoback, M.D.

1995-01-01

We are leading a new international initiative to conduct scientific drilling within the San Andreas fault zone at depths of up to 10 km. This project is motivated by the need to understand the physical and chemical processes operating within the fault zone and to answer fundamental questions about earthquake generation along major plate-boundary faults. Through a comprehensive program of coring, fluid sampling, downhole measurements, laboratory experimentation, and long-term monitoring, we hope to obtain critical information on the structure, composition, mechanical behavior and physical state of the San Andreas fault system at depths comparable to the nucleation zones of great earthquakes. The drilling, sampling and observational requirements needed to ensure the success of this project are stringent. These include: 1) drilling stable vertical holes to depths of about 9 km in fractured rock at temperatures of up to 300°C; 2) continuous coring and completion of inclined holes branched off these vertical boreholes to intersect the fault at depths of 3, 6, and 9 km; 3) conducting sophisticated borehole geophysical measurements and fluid/rock sampling at high temperatures and pressures; and 4) instrumenting some or all of these inclined core holes for continuous monitoring of earthquake activity, fluid pressure, deformation and other parameters for periods of up to several decades. For all of these tasks, because of the overpressured clay-rich formations anticipated within the fault zone at depth, we expect to encounter difficult drilling, coring and hole-completion conditions in the region of greatest scientific interest.

Purpose-built PDC bit successfully drills 7-in liner equipment and formation: An integrated solution

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Puennel, J.G.A.; Huppertz, A.; Huizing, J.

1996-12-31

Historically, drilling out the 7-in, liner equipment has been a time consuming operation with a limited success ratio. The success of the operation is highly dependent on the type of drill bit employed. Tungsten carbide mills and mill tooth rock bits required from 7.5 to 11.5 hours respectively to drill the pack-off bushings, landing collar, shoe track and shoe. Rates of penetration dropped dramatically when drilling the float equipment. While conventional PDC bits have drilled the liner equipment successfully (averaging 9.7 hours), severe bit damage invariably prevented them from continuing to drill the formation at cost-effective penetration rates. This papermore » describes the integrated development and application of an IADC M433 Class PDC bit, which was designed specifically to drill out the 7-in. liner equipment and continue drilling the formation at satisfactory penetration rates. The development was the result of a joint investigation There the operator and bit/liner manufacturers shared their expertise in solving a drilling problem, The heavy-set bit was developed following drill-off tests conducted to investigate the drillability of the 7-in. liner equipment. Key features of the new bit and its application onshore The Netherlands will be presented and analyzed.« less

The Toa Baja Drilling Project and current studies in Puerto Rican geology: Introduction and summary

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Larue, D.K.

1991-03-01

This volume concerns information learned by drilling the Toa Baja well on the north coast of Puerto Rico, and current studies of Puerto Rican geology and tectonics. The Toa Baja Drillsite is located in the North Coast basin of Puerto Rico about 10 km west of San Juan. The hole was spudded on August 23, 1989, and plugged and abandoned on November 7, 1989 at a total depth of 2,704m. Two lithologies were encountered during drilling: an upper series consisting of Oligocene-Miocene shallow-water limestone and sandstone facies, and a lower series consisting of Eocene deep-water volcaniclastic strata, including some lavamore » flows or shallow intrusions, pelagic marls, and altered igneous rocks or coarse-grained sandstones. Principal findings made during drilling include: (1) the important unconformity separating the upper and lower series at about 579 m; (2) 8 faults defined clearly by dipmeter log; (3) changes in rock type probably associated with reflection events in seismic reflection profiles crossing the drillsite; (4) confirmation of overall low geothermal gradients and heat flow, but presence of a thermal anomaly near 2683 m; (5) documentation of high paleogeothermal gradients using petrographic, isotopic, X-Ray diffraction and electron microprobe studies; (6) presence of fractures indicating a current extensional tectonic setting. Current studies in the Puerto Rico region include: (1) paleomagnetic evidence for late Miocene counterclockwise rotation; (2) geochemical evolution of Cretaceous and Eocene igneous rocks; (3) evidence of transtension in the northeast Caribbean plate boundary zone; (4) results of studies of ancient fault zones on Puerto Rico; and (5) stratigraphic studies of the Tertiary of Puerto Rico.« less

Modelling of Tc migration in an un-oxidized fractured drill core from Äspö, Sweden

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huber, F. M.; Totskiy, Y.; Montoya Garcia, V.; Enzmann, F.; Trumm, M.; Wenka, A.; Geckeis, H.; Schaefer, T.

2015-12-01

The radionuclide retention of redox sensitive radionuclides (e.g. Pu, Np, U, Tc) in crystalline host rock greatly depends on the rock matrix and the rock redox capacity. Preservation of drill cores concerning oxidation is therefore of paramount importance to reliably predict the near-natural radionuclide retention properties. Here, experimental results of HTO and Tc laboratory migration experiments in a naturally single fractured Äspö un-oxidized drill core are modelled using two different 2D models. Both models employ geometrical information obtained by μ-computed tomography (μCT) scanning of the drill core. The models differ in geometrical complexity meaning the first model (PPM-MD) consists of a simple parallel plate with a porous matrix adjacent to the fracture whereas the second model (MPM) uses the mid-plane of the 3D fracture only (no porous matrix). Simulation results show that for higher flow rates (Peclet number > 1), the MPM satisfactorily describes the HTO breakthrough curves (BTC) whereas the PPM-MD model nicely reproduces the HTO BTC for small Pe numbers (<1). These findings clearly highlight the influence of fracture geometry/flow field complexity on solute transport for Pe numbers > 1 and the dominating effect of matrix diffusion for Peclet numbers < 1. Retention of Tc is modelled using a simple Kd-approach in case of the PPM-MD and including 1st order sorptive reduction/desorption kinetics in case of the MPM. Batch determined sorptive reduction/desorption kinetic rates and Kd values for Tc on non-oxidized Äspö diorite are used in the model and compared to best fit values. By this approach, the transferability of kinetic data concerning sorptive reduction determined in static batch experiments to dynamic transport experiments is examined.

A comparison/validation of a fractional derivative model with an empirical model of non-linear shock waves in swelling shales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Droghei, Riccardo; Salusti, Ettore

2013-04-01

Control of drilling parameters, as fluid pressure, mud weight, salt concentration is essential to avoid instabilities when drilling through shale sections. To investigate shale deformation, fundamental for deep oil drilling and hydraulic fracturing for gas extraction ("fracking"), a non-linear model of mechanic and chemo-poroelastic interactions among fluid, solute and the solid matrix is here discussed. The two equations of this model describe the isothermal evolution of fluid pressure and solute density in a fluid saturated porous rock. Their solutions are quick non-linear Burger's solitary waves, potentially destructive for deep operations. In such analysis the effect of diffusion, that can play a particular role in fracking, is investigated. Then, following Civan (1998), both diffusive and shock waves are applied to fine particles filtration due to such quick transients , their effect on the adjacent rocks and the resulting time-delayed evolution. Notice how time delays in simple porous media dynamics have recently been analyzed using a fractional derivative approach. To make a tentative comparison of these two deeply different methods,in our model we insert fractional time derivatives, i.e. a kind of time-average of the fluid-rocks interactions. Then the delaying effects of fine particles filtration is compared with fractional model time delays. All this can be seen as an empirical check of these fractional models.

Scoring Dawg Core Breakoff and Retention Mechanism

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Badescu, Mircea; Sherrit, Stewart; Bar-Cohen, Yoseph; Bao, Xiaoqi; Backes, Paul G.

2011-01-01

This novel core break-off and retention mechanism consists of a scoring dawg controlled by a set of two tubes (a drill tube and an inner tube). The drill tube and the inner tube have longitudinal concentric holes. The solution can be implemented in an eccentric tube configuration as well where the tubes have eccentric longitudinal holes. The inner tube presents at the bottom two control surfaces for controlling the orientation of the scoring dawg. The drill tube presents a sunk-in profile on the inside of the wall for housing the scoring dawg. The inner tube rotation relative to the drill tube actively controls the orientation of the scoring dawg and hence its penetration and retrieval from the core. The scoring dawg presents a shaft, two axially spaced arms, and a tooth. The two arms slide on the control surfaces of the inner tube. The tooth, when rotated, can penetrate or be extracted from the core. During drilling, the two tubes move together maintaining the scoring dawg completely outside the core. After the desired drilling depth has been reached the inner tube is rotated relative to the drill tube such that the tooth of the scoring dawg moves toward the central axis. By rotating the drill tube, the scoring dawg can score the core and so reduce its cross sectional area. The scoring dawg can also act as a stress concentrator for breaking the core in torsion or tension. After breaking the core, the scoring dawg can act as a core retention mechanism. For scoring, it requires the core to be attached to the rock. If the core is broken, the dawg can be used as a retention mechanism. The scoring dawg requires a hard-tip insert like tungsten carbide for scoring hard rocks. The relative rotation of the two tubes can be controlled manually or by an additional actuator. In the implemented design solution the bit rotation for scoring was in the same direction as the drilling. The device was tested for limestone cores and basalt cores. The torque required for breaking the 10-mm diameter limestone cores was 5 to 5.8 lb-in. (0.56 to 0.66 N-m).

Auto-Gopher: A Wire-Line Rotary-Hammer Ultrasonic Drill

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Badescu, Mircea; Sherrit, Stewart; Bao, Xiaogi; Bar-Cohen, Yoseph; Chen, Beck

2011-01-01

Developing technologies that would enable NASA to sample rock, soil, and ice by coring, drilling or abrading at a significant depth is of great importance for a large number of in-situ exploration missions as well as for earth applications. Proven techniques to sample Mars subsurface will be critical for future NASA astrobiology missions that will search for records of past and present life on the planet, as well as, the search for water and other resources. A deep corer, called Auto-Gopher, is currently being developed as a joint effort of the JPL's NDEAA laboratory and Honeybee Robotics Corp. The Auto-Gopher is a wire-line rotary-hammer drill that combines rock breaking by hammering using an ultrasonic actuator and cuttings removal by rotating a fluted bit. The hammering mechanism is based on the Ultrasonic/Sonic Drill/Corer (USDC) that has been developed as an adaptable tool for many of drilling and coring applications. The USDC uses an intermediate free-flying mass to transform the high frequency vibrations of the horn tip into a sonic hammering of a drill bit. The USDC concept was used in a previous task to develop an Ultrasonic/Sonic Ice Gopher. The lessons learned from testing the ice gopher were implemented into the design of the Auto-Gopher by inducing a rotary motion onto the fluted coring bit. A wire-line version of such a system would allow penetration of significant depth without a large increase in mass. A laboratory version of the corer was developed in the NDEAA lab to determine the design and drive parameters of the integrated system. The design configuration lab version of the design and fabrication and preliminary testing results are presented in this paper

Effect of Hydrothermal Alteration on Rock Properties in Active Geothermal Setting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mikisek, P.; Bignall, G.; Sepulveda, F.; Sass, I.

2012-04-01

Hydrothermal alteration records the physical-chemical changes of rock and mineral phases caused by the interaction of hot fluids and wall rock, which can impact effective permeability, porosity, thermal parameters, rock strength and other rock properties. In this project, an experimental approach has been used to investigate the effects of hydrothermal alteration on rock properties. A rock property database of contrastingly altered rock types and intensities has been established. The database details horizontal and vertical permeability, porosity, density, thermal conductivity and thermal heat capacity for ~300 drill core samples from wells THM12, THM13, THM14, THM17, THM18, THM22 and TH18 in the Wairakei-Tauhara geothermal system (New Zealand), which has been compared with observed hydrothermal alteration type, rank and intensity obtained from XRD analysis and optical microscopy. Samples were selected from clay-altered tuff and intercalated siltstones of the Huka Falls Formation, which acts as a cap rock at Wairakei-Tauhara, and tuffaceous sandstones of the Waiora Formation, which is a primary reservoir-hosting unit for lateral and vertical fluid flows in the geothermal system. The Huka Falls Formation exhibits argillic-type alteration of varying intensity, while underlying Waiora Formations exhibits argillic- and propylithic-type alteration. We plan to use a tempered triaxial test cell at hydrothermal temperatures (up to 200°C) and pressures typical of geothermal conditions, to simulate hot (thermal) fluid percolation through the rock matrix of an inferred "reservoir". Compressibility data will be obtained under a range of operating (simulation reservoir) conditions, in a series of multiple week to month-long experiments that will monitor change in permeability and rock strength accompanying advancing hydrothermal alteration intensity caused by the hot brine interacting with the rock matrix. We suggest, our work will provide new baseline information concerning fluid-rock interaction processes in geothermal reservoirs, and their effects on rock properties, that will aid improved understanding of the evolution of high-temperature geothermal systems, provide constraints to parameterization of reservoir models and assist future well planning and design through prediction of rock properties in the context of drilling strategies.

High-temperature seals and lubricants for geothermal rock bits. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hendrickson, R.R.; Winzenried, R.W.; Jones A.H.

1981-04-01

High temperature seals (elastomeric and mechanical) and lubricants were developed specifically for journal-type rock bits to be used in geothermal well drilling. Results at simulated downhole conditions indicate that five selected elastomeric seals (L'Garde No. 267, Utex Nos. 227, 231 and HTCR, and Sandia Glow Discharge Coated Viton) are capable of 288/sup 0/C (500/sup 0/F) service. Two prototype mechanical seals did not achieve the life determined for the elastomeric seals. Six lubricants (Pacer PLX-024 oil, PLX-043 oil, PLX-045 oil, Geobond Oil, and Geobond Grease) demonstrated 316/sup 0/C (600/sup 0/F) capability. Recommendation is made for full-scale simulated geothermal drilling tests utilizingmore » the improved elastomeric seals and lubricants.« less

[The new eubacterium Roseomonas baikalica sp. nov. isolated from core samples collected by deep-hole drilling of the bottom of Lake Baĭkal].

PubMed

Andreeva, I S; Pechurkina, N I; Morozova, O V; Riabchikova, E I; Belikov, S I; Puchkova, L I; Emel'ianova, E K; Torok, T; Repin, V E

2007-01-01

Microbiological analysis of samples of sedimentary rocks from various eras of the geological history of the Baikal rift has enabled us to isolate a large number of microorganisms that can be classified into new, previously undescribed species. The present work deals with the identification and study of the morphological, biochemical, and physiological properties of one such strain, Che 82, isolated from sample C-29 of 3.4-3.5 Ma-old sedimentary rocks taken at a drilling depth of 146.74 m. As a result of our investigations, strain Che 82 is described as a new bacterial species, Roseomonas baikalica sp. nov., belonging to the genus Roseomonas within the family Methylobacteriaceae, class Alphaproteobacteria.

Petrology and geochemistry of lithic fragments separated from the Apollo 15 deep-drill core

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lindstrom, M. M.; Nielsen, R. L.; Drake, M. J.

1977-01-01

Petrological and geochemical analysis of lithic fragments separated from the Apollo 15 deep-drill core showed these fragments to fall into the essentially the same range of rock types as observed in surface soil samples and large rock samples. Three particles are singled out as being of special interest. One sample is a mare basalt containing extremely evolved phases. The particle may represent small-scale imperfect crystal/liquid separation in a lava flow. A green glass particle is not the ultramafic emerald green glass described from the Apollo 15 site, but rather an ANT-like light green color, and has a quite different chemical composition from the ultramafic variety. One mare basalt displays a positive Eu anomaly and is enriched in plagioclase relative to olivine plus pyroxene.

Drilling informatics: data-driven challenges of scientific drilling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamada, Yasuhiro; Kyaw, Moe; Saito, Sanny

2017-04-01

The primary aim of scientific drilling is to precisely understand the dynamic nature of the Earth. This is the reason why we investigate the subsurface materials (rock and fluid including microbial community) existing under particular environmental conditions. This requires sample collection and analytical data production from the samples, and in-situ data measurement at boreholes. Current available data comes from cores, cuttings, mud logging, geophysical logging, and exploration geophysics, but these datasets are difficult to be integrated because of their different kinds and scales. Now we are producing more useful datasets to fill the gap between the exiting data and extracting more information from such datasets and finally integrating the information. In particular, drilling parameters are very useful datasets as geomechanical properties. We believe such approach, 'drilling informatics', would be the most appropriate to obtain the comprehensive and dynamic picture of our scientific target, such as the seismogenic fault zone and the Moho discontinuity surface. This presentation introduces our initiative and current achievements of drilling informatics.

Dynamics of a distributed drill string system: Characteristic parameters and stability maps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aarsnes, Ulf Jakob F.; van de Wouw, Nathan

2018-03-01

This paper involves the dynamic (stability) analysis of distributed drill-string systems. A minimal set of parameters characterizing the linearized, axial-torsional dynamics of a distributed drill string coupled through the bit-rock interaction is derived. This is found to correspond to five parameters for a simple drill string and eight parameters for a two-sectioned drill-string (e.g., corresponding to the pipe and collar sections of a drilling system). These dynamic characterizations are used to plot the inverse gain margin of the system, parametrized in the non-dimensional parameters, effectively creating a stability map covering the full range of realistic physical parameters. This analysis reveals a complex spectrum of dynamics not evident in stability analysis with lumped models, thus indicating the importance of analysis using distributed models. Moreover, it reveals trends concerning stability properties depending on key system parameters useful in the context of system and control design aiming at the mitigation of vibrations.

PDC bit hydraulics design, profile are key to reducing balling

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hariharan, P.R.; Azar, J.J.

1996-12-09

Polycrystalline diamond compact (PDC) bits with a parabolic profile and bladed hydraulic design have a lesser tendency to ball during drilling of reactive shales. PDC bits with ribbed or open-face hydraulic designs and those with flat or rounded profiles tended to ball more often in the bit balling experiments conducted. Experimental work also indicates that PDC hydraulic design seems to have a greater influence on bit balling tendency compared to bit profile design. There are five main factors that affect bit balling: formation type, drilling fluid, drilling hydraulics, bit design, and confining pressures. An equation for specific energy showed thatmore » it could be used to describe the efficiency of the drilling process by examining the amount of energy spent in drilling a unit volume of rock. This concept of specific energy has been used herein to correlate with the parameter Rd, a parameter to quantify the degree of balling.« less

The Close-Up Imager Onboard the ESA ExoMars Rover: Objectives, Description, Operations, and Science Validation Activities.

PubMed

Josset, Jean-Luc; Westall, Frances; Hofmann, Beda A; Spray, John; Cockell, Charles; Kempe, Stephan; Griffiths, Andrew D; De Sanctis, Maria Cristina; Colangeli, Luigi; Koschny, Detlef; Föllmi, Karl; Verrecchia, Eric; Diamond, Larryn; Josset, Marie; Javaux, Emmanuelle J; Esposito, Francesca; Gunn, Matthew; Souchon-Leitner, Audrey L; Bontognali, Tomaso R R; Korablev, Oleg; Erkman, Suren; Paar, Gerhard; Ulamec, Stephan; Foucher, Frédéric; Martin, Philippe; Verhaeghe, Antoine; Tanevski, Mitko; Vago, Jorge L

The Close-Up Imager (CLUPI) onboard the ESA ExoMars Rover is a powerful high-resolution color camera specifically designed for close-up observations. Its accommodation on the movable drill allows multiple positioning. The science objectives of the instrument are geological characterization of rocks in terms of texture, structure, and color and the search for potential morphological biosignatures. We present the CLUPI science objectives, performance, and technical description, followed by a description of the instrument's planned operations strategy during the mission on Mars. CLUPI will contribute to the rover mission by surveying the geological environment, acquiring close-up images of outcrops, observing the drilling area, inspecting the top portion of the drill borehole (and deposited fines), monitoring drilling operations, and imaging samples collected by the drill. A status of the current development and planned science validation activities is also given. Key Words: Mars-Biosignatures-Planetary Instrumentation. Astrobiology 17, 595-611.

Method for Cleanly and Precisely Breaking Off a Rock Core Using a Radial Compressive Force

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Richardson, Megan; Lin, Justin

2011-01-01

The Mars Sample Return mission has the goal to drill, break off, and retain rock core samples. After some results gained from rock core mechanics testing, the realization that scoring teeth would cleanly break off the core after only a few millimeters of penetration, and noting that rocks are weak in tension, the idea was developed to use symmetric wedging teeth in compression to weaken and then break the core at the contact plane. This concept was developed as a response to the break-off and retention requirements. The wedges wrap around the estimated average diameter of the core to get as many contact locations as possible, and are then pushed inward, radially, through the core towards one another. This starts a crack and begins to apply opposing forces inside the core to propagate the crack across the plane of contact. The advantage is in the simplicity. Only two teeth are needed to break five varieties of Mars-like rock cores with limited penetration and reasonable forces. Its major advantage is that it does not require any length of rock to be attached to the parent in order to break the core at the desired location. Test data shows that some rocks break off on their own into segments or break off into discs. This idea would grab and retain a disc, push some discs upward and others out, or grab a segment, break it at the contact plane, and retain the portion inside of the device. It also does this with few moving parts in a simple, space-efficient design. This discovery could be implemented into a coring drill bit to precisely break off and retain any size rock core.

Continuous chain bit with downhole cycling capability

DOEpatents

Ritter, Don F.; St. Clair, Jack A.; Togami, Henry K.

1983-01-01

A continuous chain bit for hard rock drilling is capable of downhole cycling. A drill head assembly moves axially relative to a support body while the chain on the head assembly is held in position so that the bodily movement of the chain cycles the chain to present new composite links for drilling. A pair of spring fingers on opposite sides of the chain hold the chain against movement. The chain is held in tension by a spring-biased tensioning bar. A head at the working end of the chain supports the working links. The chain is centered by a reversing pawl and piston actuated by the pressure of the drilling mud. Detent pins lock the head assembly with respect to the support body and are also operated by the drilling mud pressure. A restricted nozzle with a divergent outlet sprays drilling mud into the cavity to remove debris. Indication of the centered position of the chain is provided by noting a low pressure reading indicating proper alignment of drilling mud slots on the links with the corresponding feed branches.

Bacteria Community in the Terrestrial Deep Subsurface Microbiology Research of the Chinese Continent Scientific Drilling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Y.; Xia, Y.; Dong, H.; Dong, X.; Yang, K.; Dong, Z.; Huang, L.

2005-12-01

Microbial communities in the deep drill cores from the Chinese Continent Scientific Drilling were analyzed with culture-independent and dependent techniques. Genomic DNA was extracted from two metamorphic rocks: S1 from 430 and S13 from 1033 meters below the ground surface. The 16S rRNA gene was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by cloning and sequencing. The total cell number was counted using the 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining and biomass of two specific bacteria were quantified using real-time PCR. Enrichment was set up for a rock from 3911 meters below the surface in medium for authotrophic methanogens (i.e., CO2 + H2). The total cell number in S13 was 1.0 × 104 cells per gram of rock. 16S rRNA gene analysis indicated that low G + C Gram positive sequences were dominant (50 percent of all 54 clone sequenced) followed by the alpha-, beta, and gamma-Proteobacteria. Within the low G + C Gram positive bacteria, most clone sequences were similar to species of Bacillus from various natural environments (deserts, rivers etc.). Within the Proteobacteria, our clone sequences were similar to species of Acinetobacter, Acidovorax, and Aeromonas. The RT-RCP results showed that biomass of two particular clone sequences (CCSD1305, similar to Aeromonas caviae and CCSD1307, similar to Acidovorax facilis) was 95 and 1258 cells/g, respectively. A bacterial isolate was obtained from the 3911-m rock in methanogenic medium. It was Gram negative with no flagella, immobile, and facultative anaerobic, and grows optimally at 65oC. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that it was closely related to the genus of Bacillus. Physiological tests further revealed that it was a strain of Bacillus caldotenax.

The eastern arm of the Midcontinent Rift: Progress and problems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hinze, W.J.

1994-04-01

The extent and nature of the Midcontinent Rift System (MCR) was initially determined by potential-field mapping and extrapolation of geologic information from the Lake Superior region. Early interpretation suggested a rift origin which is well supported by deep crustal reflection seismic data and isotopic evidence from the related volcanic rocks that became available during the past decade. A rift origin of the eastern arm of the MCR was corroborated by sub-Phanerozoic drilling into the clastic sediment and volcanic rocks in the McClure-Sparks drill hole located on a massive anticlinal feature in the Precambrian rocks mapped by seismic reflection data. Subsequentmore » seismic profiling further detailed the character of the rift. However, these studies also indicate that the eastern arm is unlike the western, e.g., adjacent clastic rock basins are absent, late-stage compressional features are present, but definite evidence for high-angle reverse faulting is missing, and volcanic basins are not continuous. The termination of this arm of the rift also remains problematic. There is no direct evidence of the rift SE of the McClure-Sparks hole in central Michigan. Geophysical anomalies and deep drilling in the Howell anticline region suggest that the 1,100 Ma old rift is covered by Grenville-age thrusts. If the rift extends farther to the SE, its nature must have been altered by the Grenville orogeny. The hypothesized extension across Ohio east of the Grenville Front is unsupported by seismic reflection profiling and anomaly modeling. Grabens identified at the basement surface in Ohio and to the south are of unknown age, but appear to be more clearly related to late-stage Grenville activity and/or continuation of Eocambrian rifts of the Mississippi Embayment.« less

Effects of fluid-rock interactions on faulting within active fault zones - evidence from fault rock samples retrieved from international drilling projects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Janssen, C.; Wirth, R.; Kienast, M.; Yabe, Y.; Sulem, J.; Dresen, G. H.

2015-12-01

Chemical and mechanical effects of fluids influence the fault mechanical behavior. We analyzed fresh fault rocks from several scientific drilling projects to study the effects of fluids on fault strength. For example, in drill core samples on a rupture plane of an Mw 2.2 earthquake in a deep gold mine in South Africa the main shock occurred on a preexisting plane of weakness that was formed by fluid-rock interaction (magnesiohornblende was intensively altered to chlinochlore). The plane acted as conduit for hydrothermal fluids at some time in the past. The chemical influence of fluids on mineralogical alteration and geomechanical processes in fault core samples from SAFOD (San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth) is visible in pronounced dissolution-precipitation processes (stylolites, solution seams) as well as in the formation of new phases. Detrital quartz and feldspar grains are partially dissolved and replaced by authigenic illite-smectite (I-S) mixed-layer clay minerals. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) imaging of these grains reveals that the alteration processes and healing were initiated within pores and small intra-grain fissures. Newly formed phyllosilicates growing into open pore spaces likely reduced the fluid permeability. The mechanical influence of fluids is indicated by TEM observations, which document open pores that formed in-situ in the gouge material during or after deformation. Pores were possibly filled with formation water and/or hydrothermal fluids suggesting elevated fluid pressure preventing pore collapse. Fluid-driven healing of fractures in samples from SAFOD and the DGLab Gulf of Corinth project is visible in cementation. Cathodoluminescence microscopy (CL) reveals different generations of calcite veins. Differences in CL-colors suggest repeated infiltration of fluids with different chemical composition from varying sources (formation and meteoric water).

Rapid Access Ice Drill: A New Tool for Exploration of the Deep Antarctic Ice Sheets and Subglacial Geology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goodge, J. W.; Severinghaus, J. P.

2014-12-01

The Rapid Access Ice Drill (RAID) will penetrate the Antarctic ice sheets in order to core through deep ice, the glacial bed, and into bedrock below. This new technology will provide a critical first look at the interface between major ice caps and their subglacial geology. Currently in construction, RAID is a mobile drilling system capable of making several long boreholes in a single field season in Antarctica. RAID is interdisciplinary and will allow access to polar paleoclimate records in ice >1 Ma, direct observation at the base of the ice sheets, and recovery of rock cores from the ice-covered East Antarctic craton. RAID uses a diamond rock-coring system as in mineral exploration. Threaded drill-pipe with hardened metal bits will cut through ice using reverse circulation of Estisol for pressure-compensation, maintenance of temperature, and removal of ice cuttings. Near the bottom of the ice sheet, a wireline bottom-hole assembly will enable diamond coring of ice, the glacial bed, and bedrock below. Once complete, boreholes will be kept open with fluid, capped, and made available for future down-hole measurement of thermal gradient, heat flow, ice chronology, and ice deformation. RAID will also sample for extremophile microorganisms. RAID is designed to penetrate up to 3,300 meters of ice and take sample cores in less than 200 hours. This rapid performance will allow completion of a borehole in about 10 days before moving to the next drilling site. RAID is unique because it can provide fast borehole access through thick ice; take short ice cores for paleoclimate study; sample the glacial bed to determine ice-flow conditions; take cores of subglacial bedrock for age dating and crustal history; and create boreholes for use as an observatory in the ice sheets. Together, the rapid drilling capability and mobility of the drilling system, along with ice-penetrating imaging methods, will provide a unique 3D picture of the interior Antarctic ice sheets.

Optimization of Mud Hammer Drilling Performance--A Program to Benchmark the Viability of Advanced Mud Hammer Drilling

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Arnis Judzis

2006-03-01

Operators continue to look for ways to improve hard rock drilling performance through emerging technologies. A consortium of Department of Energy, operator and industry participants put together an effort to test and optimize mud driven fluid hammers as one emerging technology that has shown promise to increase penetration rates in hard rock. The thrust of this program has been to test and record the performance of fluid hammers in full scale test conditions including, hard formations at simulated depth, high density/high solids drilling muds, and realistic fluid power levels. This paper details the testing and results of testing two 7more » 3/4 inch diameter mud hammers with 8 1/2 inch hammer bits. A Novatek MHN5 and an SDS Digger FH185 mud hammer were tested with several bit types, with performance being compared to a conventional (IADC Code 537) tricone bit. These tools functionally operated in all of the simulated downhole environments. The performance was in the range of the baseline ticone or better at lower borehole pressures, but at higher borehole pressures the performance was in the lower range or below that of the baseline tricone bit. A new drilling mode was observed, while operating the MHN5 mud hammer. This mode was noticed as the weight on bit (WOB) was in transition from low to high applied load. During this new ''transition drilling mode'', performance was substantially improved and in some cases outperformed the tricone bit. Improvements were noted for the SDS tool while drilling with a more aggressive bit design. Future work includes the optimization of these or the next generation tools for operating in higher density and higher borehole pressure conditions and improving bit design and technology based on the knowledge gained from this test program.« less

Magnetic behaviors of cataclasites within Wenchuan earthquake fault zone in heating experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, L.; Li, H.; Sun, Z.; Chou, Y. M.; Cao, Y., Jr.; Huan, W.; Ye, X.; He, X.

2017-12-01

Previous rock magnetism of fault rocks were used to trace the frictional heating temperature, however, few studies are focus on different temperatures effect of rock magnetic properties. To investigate rock magnetic response to different temperature, we conducted heating experiments on cataclasites from the Wenchuan earthquake Fault Scientific Drilling borehole 2 (WFSD-2) cores. Samples of cataclasites were obtained using an electric drill with a 1 cm-diameter drill pipe from 580.65 m-depth. Experiments were performed by a Thermal-optical measurement system under argon atmosphere and elevated temperatures. Both microstructural observations and powder X-ray diffraction analyses show that feldspar and quartz start to melt at 1100 ° and 1300 ° respectively. Magnetic susceptibility values of samples after heating are higher than that before heating. Samples after heating at 700 and 1750 ° have the highest values of magnetic susceptibility. Rock magnetic measurements show that the main ferromagnetic minerals within samples heated below 1100 ° (400, 700, 900 and 1100 °) are magnetite, which is new-formed by transformation of paramagnetic minerals. The χferri results show that the quantity of magnetite is bigger at sample heated by 700° experiment than by 400, 900 and 1100° experiments. Based on the FORC diagrams, we consider that magnetite grains are getting finer from 400 to 900°, and growing coarser when heated from 900 to 1100 °. SEM-EDX results indicate that the pure iron are formed in higher temperature (1300, 1500 and 1750 °), which present as framboids with size <10 μm. Rock magnetic measurements imply pure iron is the main ferromagnetic materials in these heated samples. The amount and size of iron framboids increase with increasing temperature. Therefore, we conclude that the paramagnetic minerals are decomposed into fine magnetite, then to coarse-grained magnetite, finally to pure iron at super high temperature. New-formed magnetite contributes to the higher magnetic susceptibility values of samples when heated at 400, 700, 900 and 1100°, while the neoformed pure iron is responsible to the higher magnetic susceptibility values of samples when heated at 1300, 1500 and 1750°.

Paleomagnetism and alteration of lower Paleozoic rocks and Precambrian basement in the SHADS No. 4 drill core, Oklahoma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evans, S. C.; Hamilton, M.; Hardwick, J.; Terrell, C.; Elmore, R. D.

2017-12-01

The chacterization of the lower Paleozoic sedimentary rock and the underlying Precambrian basement in northern Oklahoma is currently the subject of research to better understand induced seismicity in Oklahoma. We are investigating approximately 140 meters of igneous basement and over 300 meters of Ordovician Arbuckle Group carbonates and underlying sandstone in the Amoco SHADS No. 4 drill core from Rogers Co., Oklahoma, to better understand the nature, origin, and timing of fluid alteration and the relationship between fluid flow in the Arbuckle Group and the basement. Preliminary attempts to orient the core using the viscous remanent magnetization (VRM) method were unsuccessful, probably due to a steep drilling-induced component. The dolomitized Arbuckle Group contains a characteristic remanent magnetization (ChRM) with shallow inclinations (-5°) and variable declinations that, based on unblocking temperatures, is interpreted to reside in magnetite. This ChRM is interpreted as a chemical remanent magnetization (CRM) acquired in the Permian based on the shallow inclinations. The CRM could be related to hydrothermal fluids which migrated into the rocks in the late Paleozoic, as other studies in northern Oklahoma have reported. The Arbuckle Group dolomites are porous and extensively altered and consist of several generations of dolomite, including baroque dolomite. The basement rock is andesitic to trachytic ignimbrite that exhibits extensive alteration. There are many near-vertical fractures mineralized with epidote that are cross cut by calcite-filled fractures. Anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) measurements indicate an oblate fabric in the top of the basement and the overlying sandstones. At greater depths, the AMS is variable and may include both alteration and primary fabrics. Demagnetization of the basement rocks is in the initial stages. We are currently investigating if and how far the alteration in the Arbuckle Group extended into the basement. The results suggest basement and sedimentary rock in the core were altered by multiple fluids, and the pervasive fracturing in the igneous section could provide conduits for fluids to get from the porous Arbuckle Group into the basement.

Geology and stratigraphy of the San Lorenzo Tezonco deep well and its correlation to surrounding ranges, Mexico Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arce, J. L.; Layer, P. W.; Morales-Casique, E.; Benowitz, J.

2014-12-01

The San Lorenzo Tezonco deep well stratigraphy records intense episodic volcanic activity in the Mexico Basin and surroundings during the past 20 Ma. The 2008-m deep lithological column is dominated by volcanic material, either as lava flows or pyroclastic deposits (97%), and only the upper most 70 m are composed of lacustrine deposits (3%). Based on geochronology and geochemistry, the lower part of the drill core is represented by rocks correlating to the Tepoztlán Formation (876-2008 m deep) that vary in composition from basaltic-andesite to rhyolite, and ages ranging from 13 to 21.2 Ma. On the surface this formation outcrops near the towns of Malinalco and Tepoztlán, ~43 km south of the deep well. Between depths of 581 and 875 m, volcanic rocks were recovered and are interpreted as lavas from the Sierra de las Cruces that vary in composition from andesite to dacite and range in age from 0.9 Ma to 5 Ma. Additionally, we documented rocks belonging to the Xochitepec Formation, outcropping around Xochimilco, in the Mexico City, with ages ranging from 1.2 and 1.7 Ma, in contrast with the Oligocene age proposed in previous works for these rocks. These new ages plus the chemical composition data, allow us to correlate the Xochitepec rocks with Sierra de las Cruces. Upward in the drill core (510-580 m) there are andesitic rocks that correlate with the 0.25 Ma Cerro de la Estrella volcanic center. The last volcanic package found in the well is correlated to the Santa Catarina basaltic andesites (70-120 m) that are younger than 0.25 Ma, and probably Holocene. Lacustrine deposits crown the stratigraphic column of the drill core with ages probably younger than 34 ka. The San Lorenzo Tezonco well is in a graben-like structure that was filled with more than 1900 m of volcanic products, suggesting that volcanism were intense in the Miocene to the Recent, and the south drainage of the Mexico Basin was closed probably in the early Pleistocene.

Geohydrologic and drill-hole data for test well USW H-3, Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Thordarson, W.; Rush, F.E.; Spengler, R.W.

This report presents data collected to determine the hydraulic characteristics of rocks penetrated in test well USW H-3. The well is one of a series of test wells drilled in and near the southwestern part of the Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada, in a program conducted in cooperation with the US Department of Energy. These investigations are part of the Nevada Nuclear Waste Storage Investigations to identify suitable sites for storage of high-level radioactive wastes. Data on drilling operations, lithology, borehole geophysics, hydrologic monitoring, pumping, swabbing, and injection tests for the well are contained in this report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Muhleman, T.; Dempsey, P.

Although reduced activity has left its mark on engineering budgets and many projects have been delayed, industry remains committed to research and development. This year's emphasis is offshore where new-generation semi-submersibles are under construction for Arctic waters and where equipment technology is reaching maturity. Improved tubulars such as new process-forged drill pipe, special alloy, corrosion-resistant pipe and new tool joint designs are finding eager markets both on and offshore. And back in the office, microcomputers, a curiosity a few years ago, are making significant advances in improving drilling and production operations. Specific examples of this new technology include: Two high-tech,more » high-risk floaters Hard rock sidewall coring tool New torque-resistant tool joint Two improved riser connection systems Breakthrough in drill pipe manufacturing Power-packed portable drilling computer.« less

Study of the Martian Subsurface with a Fiber Optics Spectrometer: the Ma_Miss Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coradini, A.; de Sanctis, M. C.; Ammannito, E.; Boccaccini, A.; Battistelli, E.; Capanni, A.

2009-04-01

In this presentation is described the investigation that we intend to do with a small imaging spectrometer that will be inserted in the drill of the Exomars- Pasteur rover. This spectrometer is named Ma_miss (Mars Multispectral Imager for Subsurface Studies ). The Ma_Miss experiment is located in the drill ,that will be able to make a hole in the Mars soil and rock up to 2 m. Ma_Miss includes the optical head of the spectrometer, a lamp to illuminate the borehole walls, and the optical fiber that brings the signal to the spectrometer. The multispectral images are acquired by means of a sapphire window placed on the lateral wall of the drill tool, as close as possible to the drill head. The images are gathered by means of an optical fibre system and analyzed using the spectrometer. The Ma_Miss gathered light containing the scientific information is transferred to the array detector and electronics of the instrument by means of an optical rotary joint implemented in the roto-translation group of the drill, as shown in the next pictures In the figure is schematically represented the Ma_Miss- Dibs architecture. This experiment will be extremely valuable since it will allow, for the first time, to have an idea of the mineralogical composition of the Martian subsurface and to study freshly cut rocks. The study of surface and subsurface mineralogy of Martian soil and rocks is the key for understanding the chemico-physical processes that led to the formation and evolution of the Red Planet. The history of the water and other volatiles, as well as the signatures of weathering processes are important to understand present and past environmental conditions associated with the possibility of life. Surface samples are highly influenced by exogenous processes (weathering, erosion, sedimentation, impact) that alter their original properties. So, the analyses of uncontaminated samples by means of instrumented drills and in situ analytic stations are the key for unambiguous interpretation of the original environment that leading to the formation of rocks. Analysis of subsurface layers is the only approach that warranties measurements on samples close to their original composition. The upper few meters of the surface materials on Mars play a crucial role in its history, providing important constraints geologic, hydrologic, and climatic to the history of the planet. Drilling into the near-surface crust will provide an opportunity to assess variations in composition, texture, stratification, unconformities, etc. that will help define its lithology and structure, and provide important clues regarding its origin and subsequent evolution. The subsurface material can give information on the evolution of surface sediments (erosion, transport, deposition), on the relation between sediments and bedrock, on the relation between environmental conditions and surface processes permitting to "investigate planetary processes that influence habitability." Investigation of mineralogical composition of near-surface geological materials is needed to fully characterize the geology of the regions that will be visited by the Rover at all appropriate spatial scales, and to interpret the processes that have formed and modified rocks and regolith. Subsurface access, sampling material below the oxidized layer, can be the key to "assess the biological potential of the target environment (past or present)". To date, we have direct observations relative only to the Martian surface. Little is known about the characteristics of the first subsurface layers. The possibility to sample subsurface materials to be delivered to other instruments, and to record the context of the sampled soil doing in situ borehole mineralogical analysis, is fundamental to search for traces of past or present life on Mars. The spectrometer observes a single point target, having 0.1 mm diameter, on the borehole wall surface. Depending on the surface features we are interested in, the observation window can scan the borehole's surface by means of drill tip rotation or translation. When the drill is translated, a "Column Image" is acquired. This translation step can be equal to the observation spot (0.1 mm). The "Ring Image" can be obtained by rotation of the drill tip; a rotation step of about 0.5˚ (corresponding to 720 acquisitions in the ring) is sufficient to assure the full coverage of the ring.

Deep drilling in the Chesapeake Bay impact structure - An overview

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gohn, G.S.; Koeberl, C.; Miller, K.G.; Reimold, W.U.

2009-01-01

The late Eocene Chesapeake Bay impact structure lies buried at moderate depths below Chesapeake Bay and surrounding landmasses in southeastern Virginia, USA. Numerous characteristics made this impact structure an inviting target for scientific drilling, including the location of the impact on the Eocene continental shelf, its threelayer target structure, its large size (??85 km diameter), its status as the source of the North American tektite strewn field, its temporal association with other late Eocene terrestrial impacts, its documented effects on the regional groundwater system, and its previously unstudied effects on the deep microbial biosphere. The Chesapeake Bay Impact Structure Deep Drilling Project was designed to drill a deep, continuously cored test hole into the central part of the structure. A project workshop, funding proposals, and the acceptance of those proposals occurred during 2003-2005. Initial drilling funds were provided by the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). Supplementary funds were provided by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Science Mission Directorate, ICDP, and USGS. Field operations were conducted at Eyreville Farm, Northampton County, Virginia, by Drilling, Observation, and Sampling of the Earth's Continental Crust (DOSECC) and the project staff during September-December 2005, resulting in two continuously cored, deep holes. The USGS and Rutgers University cored a shallow hole to 140 m in April-May 2006 to complete the recovered section from land surface to 1766 m depth. The recovered section consists of 1322 m of crater materials and 444 m of overlying postimpact Eocene to Pleistocene sediments. The crater section consists of, from base to top: basement-derived blocks of crystalline rocks (215 m); a section of suevite, impact melt rock, lithic impact breccia, and cataclasites (154 m); a thin interval of quartz sand and lithic blocks (26 m); a granite megablock (275 m); and sediment blocks and boulders, polymict, sediment-clast-dominated sedimentary breccias, and a thin upper section of stratified sediments (652 m). The cored postimpact sediments provide insight into the effects of a large continental-margin impact on subsequent coastal-plain sedimentation. This volume contains the first results of multidisciplinary studies of the Eyreville cores and related topics. The volume is divided into these sections: geologic column; borehole geophysical studies; regional geophysical studies; crystalline rocks, impactites, and impact models; sedimentary breccias; postimpact sediments; hydrologic and geothermal studies; and microbiologic studies. ?? 2009 The Geological Society of America.

Multifractal magnetic susceptibility distribution models of hydrothermally altered rocks in the Needle Creek Igneous Center of the Absaroka Mountains, Wyoming

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gettings, M.E.

2005-01-01

Magnetic susceptibility was measured for 700 samples of drill core from thirteen drill holes in the porphyry copper-molybdenum deposit of the Stinkingwater mining district in the Absaroka Mountains, Wyoming. The magnetic susceptibility measurements, chemical analyses, and alteration class provided a database for study of magnetic susceptibility in these altered rocks. The distribution of the magnetic susceptibilities for all samples is multi-modal, with overlapping peaked distributions for samples in the propylitic and phyllic alteration class, a tail of higher susceptibilities for potassic alteration, and an approximately uniform distribution over a narrow range at the highest susceptibilities for unaltered rocks. Samples from all alteration and mineralization classes show susceptibilities across a wide range of values. Samples with secondary (supergene) alteration due to oxidation or enrichment show lower susceptibilities than primary (hypogene) alteration rock. Observed magnetic susceptibility variations and the monolithological character of the host rock suggest that the variations are due to varying degrees of alteration of blocks of rock between fractures that conducted hydrothermal fluids. Alteration of rock from the fractures inward progressively reduces the bulk magnetic susceptibility of the rock. The model introduced in this paper consists of a simulation of the fracture pattern and a simulation of the alteration of the rock between fractures. A multifractal model generated from multiplicative cascades with unequal ratios produces distributions statistically similar to the observed distributions. The reduction in susceptibility in the altered rocks was modelled as a diffusion process operating on the fracture distribution support. The average magnetic susceptibility was then computed for each block. For the purpose of comparing the model results with observation, the simulated magnetic susceptibilities were then averaged over the same interval as the measured data. Comparisons of the model and data from drillholes show good but not perfect agreement. ?? 2005 Author(s). This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Origin and nature of crystal reflections: Results from integrated seismic measurements at the KTB superdeep drilling site

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harjes, H.-P.; Bram, K.; Dürbaum, H.-J.; Gebrande, H.; Hirschmann, G.; Janik, M.; KlöCkner, M.; Lüschen, E.; Rabbel, W.; Simon, M.; Thomas, R.; Tormann, J.; Wenzel, F.

1997-08-01

For almost 10 years the KTB superdeep drilling project has offered an excellent field laboratory for adapting seismic techniques to crystalline environments and for testing new ideas for interpreting seismic reflections in terms of lithological or textural properties of metamorphic rock units. The seismic investigations culminated in a three-dimensional (3-D) reflection survey on a 19×19 km area with the drill site at its center. Interpretation of these data resulted in a detailed, structural model of the German Continental Deep Drilling Program (KTB) location with dominant, steep faults in the upper crust. The 3-D reflection survey was part of a suite of seismic experiments, ranging from wide-angle reflection and refraction profiles to standard vertical seismic profiles (VSP) and more sophisticated surface-to-borehole observations. It was predicted that the drill bit would meet the most prominent, steeply dipping, crustal reflector at a depth of about 6500-7000 m, and indeed, the borehole penetrated a major fault zone in the depth interval between 6850 and 7300 m. This reflector offered the rare opportunity to relate logging results, reflective properties, and geology to observed and modeled data. Post-Variscan thrusting caused cataclastic deformation, with partial, strong alterations within a steeply dipping reverse fault zone. This process generated impedance contrasts within the fault zone on a lateral scale large enough to cause seismic reflections. This was confirmed by borehole measurements along the whole 9.1 km deep KTB profile. The strongest, reflected signals originated from fluid-filled fractures and cataclastic fracture zones rather than from lithological boundaries (i.e., first-order discontinuities between different rock types) or from texture- and/or foliation-induced anisotropy. During the interpretation of seismic data at KTB several lessons were learned: Conventional processing of two-dimensional (2-D) reflection data from a presite survey showed predominantly subhorizontal layering in the upper crust with reflectivity striking in the Variscan direction. Drilling, however, revealed that all rock units are steeply dipping. This confirms that surface common depth point (CDP) seismics strongly enhances subhorizontal reflectivity and may thus produce a very misleading crustal image. Although this was shown for synthetic examples earlier, the KTB provides the experimental proof of how crucial this insight can be.

Drilling the leading edge of the mantle wedge and the underlying metamorphic sole of the Samail Ophiolite: Hole BT1B, Oman Drilling Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morishita, T.; Kelemen, P. B.; Coggon, J. A.; Harris, M.; Matter, J. M.; Michibayashi, K.; Takazawa, E.; Teagle, D. A. H.

2017-12-01

Hole BT1B (23°21.861' N, 58°10.957' E) was drilled by the Oman Drilling Project (OmDP) on the north side of Wadi Mansah in the Samail ophiolite, Oman. OmDP is an international collaboration supported by the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program, Deep Carbon Observatory, NSF, IODP, JAMSTEC, and the European, Japanese, German and Swiss Science Foundations, with in-kind support in Oman from the Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Water Resources, Public Authority of Mining, Sultan Qaboos University, and the German University of Technology. Hole BT1B was cored from 6 to 23 March 2017, to a depth of 300.05 m. The outer surfaces of the cores were imaged and described onsite before being curated, boxed and shipped to the IODP drill ship Chikyu. Hole BT1B sampled carbonated peridotite (listvenite), 2 carbonate-veined serpentinite bands at 80-100 and 180-185 m depth, a few cm of ultracataclasite and 70 cm of fault gouge at 197 m depth, followed by 103 m metamorphic sole. Onboard Chikyu, BT1B underwent X-ray computed tomography (CT) and multi-sensor logging, imaging and spectroscopy, macroscopic and thin section observations, physical properties measurements, and XRF, XRD and ICP-MS analyses. 1st authors of abstracts reporting initial results are Beinlich (matrix characteristics), de Obeso (modeling mass transfer), Godard (XRF and ICP-MS whole rock data), Greenberger (infrared spectroscopy), Johnson (XRF core scanner), Kelemen (overall petrology), Manning (veins), and Michibayashi (X-ray CT). Listvenite is composed of carbonate + quartz + Fe-oxyhydroxides, + minor relict spinel ± chromian mica (fuchsite). The mineralogy suggests formation at < 150°C. The bulk rock density is similar to that of gabbro but the P-wave velocity is generally higher. Rock textures suggest viscous deformation, while additional brittle deformation is recorded by older veins and younger breccias and faults. The metamorphic sole consists of fine-grained to microcrystalline metasediments and metabasalts. Metasediments have qtz + plag and mica + amphibole layers, with minor epidote, and become less abundant and poorer in K downhole. Metabasalts are massive, epidote-rich with less qtz and mica. Actinolite and possible pumpellyite needles in quartz suggest low T/P. Sediment and basalt compositions resemble alkali basalt.

Borehole Breakout Growth and In-Situ Stress Orientation in the Central Scandinavian Caledonides: Results from the Cosc-1 Borehole

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wenning, Q.; Zappone, A.; Berthet, T.; Ask, M. V. S.; Rosberg, J. E.; Almqvist, B. S. G.

2017-12-01

Borehole breakouts are often assumed to form near instantaneously due to stress perturbations around boreholes after the rock mass was removed. Recent observations in sediments [e.g., Moore et al., 2011] and crystalline rocks [e.g., Berard and Cornet, 2003], as well as numerical modelling results [e.g., Schoenball et al., 2014], suggest that there are cases in which borehole breakout grows radially over time, forcing us to reconsider subsurface stress estimation. These observations are rare due to drilling difficulties (i.e., cementing and casing the borehole after drilling), often only allowing a single image logging campaign. In 2014, the Collisional Orogeny in the Scandinavian Caledonides deep scientific borehole (COSC-1) was drilled to a depth of 2.5 km. To date the borehole is open and uncased, allowing two acoustic televiewer logging campaigns, with more than one year between campaigns. The borehole is still available for supplementary data collactions. These logs provide detailed images along the full length of the 2.5 km deep borehole with 1.6 km of overlapping logs for breakout and drilling induced tensile fracture analysis. The results show from the sparse occurrence of breakouts and drilling induced tensile fractures a NW-SE average maximum horizontal stress direction, consistent with the general trend in Scandinavia. The unique acquisition of image logs in two successions allows for analysis of time-dependent borehole deformation, indicating that six breakout zones have crept, both along the borehole axis and radially (up to 20° growth) around the borehole. While some breakouts have grown, the formation of new breakouts has not occurred. The occurrence of breakouts and their growth appear to be independent of lithology. The observed growth after the second logging campaign suggests that under conditions where the stress exceeded the strength of the rock, the resulting breakout causes perturbations in the stresses around the borehole in the near vicinity. As those stresses are redistributed around the breakouts over the course of the year, the breakouts widen. The fact that no new breakout zones have formed suggests that the brittle creeping is not likely to initiate breakouts and that an initial perturbation during drilling (i.e., a breakout) is required to observe such a phenomenon.

Diapiric origin of the Blytheville and Pascola arches in the Reelfoot rift, east-central United States: Relation to New Madrid seismicity

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McKeown, F.A.; Diehl, S.F.; Glick, E.E.

1990-11-01

Most of the earthquakes in the New Madrid seismic zone correlate spatially with the Blytheville arch and part of the Pascoal arch, which are interpreted to be the same structure. Both arches may have formed by diapirism along the axis of the Reelfoot rift. Seismic, geophysical, and drill-hole data indicate that the rocks in the arches are highly deformed and fractured and have gross lithologic properties that make them weaker than rocks adjacent to the arches. The weaker rocks are inferred to fail seismically more readily than the stronger rocks adjacent to the arches.

Drilling constraints on bimodal volcanism and subsequent formation of contrasted uppermost crustal compositions at the middle Okinawa Trough

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamasaki, T.; Takaya, Y.; Mukae, N.; Nagase, T.; Tindell, T.; Totsuka, S.; Uno, Y.; Yonezu, K.; Nozaki, T.; Ishibashi, J. I.; Kumagai, H.; Maeda, L.; Shipboard Scientist, C.

2016-12-01

The Okinawa Trough (OT) is a young and actively spreading back-arc basin, extending behind the Ryukyu arc-trench system in the southeastern margin of the East China Sea. The OT is believed to be in an initial rifting stage (starting from 6-9 Ma), prior to the normal/stable seafloor spreading which constitutes the main stage of back-arc basin formation. Two drilling cruises ‒ the IODP Exp. 331 and SIP CK14-04 D/V Chikyu Cruise (Exp. 907) in 2010 and 2014 ‒ were conducted at the Iheya North Knoll, middle OT. The Iheya North Knoll is a domal volcanic complex consisting of small volcanic bodies. On these cruises, pumiceous gravel and altered rhyolitic rocks, as well as hemi-pelagic sediments, hydrothermal clay and Kuroko-type ores, were recovered from the upper 200 m of the crust. From Feb. 11, 2016 to Mar. 17, 2016, the SIP CK16-01 (Exp. 908) D/V Chikyu cruise was conducted at Iheya North Knoll and the sediment-covered rifting center of the Iheya-Minor Ridge area, middle OT. The Iheya-Minor ridge area is also an active hydrothermal field, located 25 km southeast of the Iheya North Knoll. In this area, basaltic rocks are widely distributed, and drilling has confirmed that the basaltic materials continue to 120 m below the seafloor. From an igneous petrological point of view, the volcanic rocks in the Okinawa Trough are characterized by bimodal basaltic and rhyolitic compositions, with a compositional gap between SiO2 = 56-66 wt%. The origin of the rhyolitic rock has been interpreted as magmatic differentiation of basaltic magma. However, the existence of an active basalt-hosted hydrothermal field in the Iheya-Minor ridge area suggests the presence of hot basaltic rocks at a shallow position in the crust, and reaching recharged seawater at this depth. Furthermore, the composition of felsic rocks just after the compositional gap (SiO2 = 67 wt%) is very similar to that of the minimum melt of a granitic system, and experimental partial melt of hydrous basalt. Therefore, the contrast in the uppermost crustal composition between very close ( 25 km) areas can reasonably be explained by re-melting of hydrothermally-altered basaltic rocks and production of felsic magma at the upper crustal level, and direct eruption of basaltic magma at the seafloor.

30 CFR 75.1318 - Loading boreholes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...) When loading boreholes drilled at an angle of 45 degrees or greater from the horizontal in solid rock... the borehole; and (2) The explosive cartridges shall be loaded in a manner that provides contact...

Monoclinic tridymite in clast-rich impact melt rock from the Chesapeake Bay impact structure

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jackson, John C.; Horton, J. Wright; Chou, I-Ming; Belkin, Harvey E.

2011-01-01

X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy confirm a rare terrestrial occurrence of monoclinic tridymite in clast-rich impact melt rock from the Eyreville B drill core in the Chesapeake Bay impact structure. The monoclinic tridymite occurs with quartz paramorphs after tridymite and K-feldspar in a microcrystalline groundmass of devitrified glass and Fe-rich smectite. Electron-microprobe analyses revealed that the tridymite and quartz paramorphs after tridymite contain different amounts of chemical impurities. Inspection by SEM showed that the tridymite crystal surfaces are smooth, whereas the quartz paramorphs contain irregular tabular voids. These voids may represent microporosity formed by volume decrease in the presence of fluid during transformation from tridymite to quartz, or skeletal growth in the original tridymite. Cristobalite locally rims spherulites within the same drill core interval. The occurrences of tridymite and cristobalite appear to be restricted to the thickest clast-rich impact melt body in the core at 1402.02–1407.49 m depth. Their formation and preservation in an alkali-rich, high-silica melt rock suggest initially high temperatures followed by rapid cooling.

Predicting the Stochastic Properties of the Shallow Subsurface for Improved Geophysical Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stroujkova, A.; Vynne, J.; Bonner, J.; Lewkowicz, J.

2005-12-01

Strong ground motion data from numerous explosive field experiments and from moderate to large earthquakes show significant variations in amplitude and waveform shape with respect to both azimuth and range. Attempts to model these variations using deterministic models have often been unsuccessful. It has been hypothesized that a stochastic description of the geological medium is a more realistic approach. To estimate the stochastic properties of the shallow subsurface, we use Measurement While Drilling (MWD) data, which are routinely collected by mines in order to facilitate design of blast patterns. The parameters, such as rotation speed of the drill, torque, and penetration rate, are used to compute the rock's Specific Energy (SE), which is then related to a blastability index. We use values of SE measured at two different mines and calibrated to laboratory measurements of rock properties to determine correlation lengths of the subsurface rocks in 2D, needed to obtain 2D and 3D stochastic models. The stochastic models are then combined with the deterministic models and used to compute synthetic seismic waveforms.

Ground-water resources investigation in the Amran Valley, Yeman Arab Republic

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tibbitts, G. Chase; Aubel, James

1980-01-01

A program of hydrologic studies and exploratory drilling was conducted intermittently between 1974 and 1978 to evaluate the water-bearing properties of the unconsolidated alluvial sediments and associated rocks in the semi-arid Amran Valley basin, an 800-square-kilometer area in north-central Yemen Arab Republic. Inventory data from 395 wells were compiled, observation well and rain-gage networks were established and 16 standard complete chemical analyses were made for samples from selected wells. The water resources of the area were overexploited. The chemical quality of the water is generally good. Four aquifer tests were run to determine transmissivity and storage characteristics. The pumping tests show that groundwater occurs under semi-confined leaky-aquifer conditions in the valley fill. Wells drilled in the alluvial fill of the south-central part of the valley have the highest yields. Wells penetrating the limestone and volcanic rocks generally have little or no yield except in fracture zones. Basalt flows occur interbedded with the wadi alluvium at several depths. Cropping out rocks in the Amran Valley range in age from late Jurassic to Holocene. (USGS)

Determinants of dust exposure in tunnel construction work.

PubMed

Bakke, Berit; Stewart, Patricia; Eduard, Wijnand

2002-11-01

In tunnel construction work, dust is generated from rock drilling, rock bolting, grinding, scaling, and transport operations. Other important dust-generating activities are blasting rock and spraying wet concrete on tunnel walls for strength and finishing work. The aim of this study was to identify determinants of dust exposure in tunnel construction work and to propose control measures. Personal exposures to total dust, respirable dust, and alpha-quartz were measured among 209 construction workers who were divided into 8 job groups performing similar tasks: drill and blast workers, shaft drilling workers, tunnel boring machine workers, shotcreting operators, support workers, concrete workers, outdoor concrete workers, and electricians. Information on determinants was obtained from interviewing the workers, observation by the industrial hygienist responsible for the sampling, and the job site superintendent. Multivariate regression models were used to identify determinants associated with the dust exposures within the job groups. The geometric mean exposure to total dust, respirable dust, and alpha-quartz for all tunnel workers was 3.5 mg/m(3) (GSD = 2.6), 1.2 mg/m(3) (GSD = 2.4), and 0.035 mg/m(3) (GSD = 5.0), respectively. A total of 15 percent of the total dust measurements, 5 percent of the respirable dust, and 21 percent of the alpha-quartz exceeded the Norwegian OELs of 10 mg/m(3), 5 mg/m(3), and 0.1 mg/m(3), respectively. Job groups with highest geometric mean total dust exposure were shotcreting operators (6.8 mg/m(3)), tunnel boring machine workers (6.2 mg/m(3)), and shaft drilling workers (6.1 mg/m(3)). The lowest exposed groups to total dust were outdoor concrete workers (1.0 mg/m(3)), electricians (1.4 mg/m(3)), and support workers (1.9 mg/m(3)). Important determinants of exposure were job group, job site, certain tasks (e.g., drilling and scaling), the presence of a cab, and breakthrough of the tunnel. The use of ventilated, closed cabs appeared to be the single most important control measure for lowering exposures.

K-Ar chronology of the Luohe iron district, Anhui Province, China

USGS Publications Warehouse

McKee, E.H.

1988-01-01

Twelve samples of rock from the four mapped units or cycles and one of the major intrusive bodies were collected and evaluated for K-Ar age determination. These include specimens from outcrop and from drill core. Biotite from two outcrop and two core samples and hornblende from one outcrop sample were separated from the sample and dated; a sixth sample was dated using crushed, sieved, and acid-treated whole rock. The ages and analytical data to support them are compatible with the observed relationships in the field or from the drill holes. The percent of K2O in all samples is typical of fresh unaltered mineral phases and the percent of radiogenetic 40Ar relative to total 40Ar is high (88.8 to 63.8%) yielding relatively low analytical errors. -from Authors

National Dam Safety Program. Ischua Creek Watershed Project Site 6A (Inventory Number Ny-571), Allegheny River Basin, Cattaraugus County, New York. Phase 1 Inspection Report

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-07-01

estimated to be in the neighborhood of 200 cu. yds. Rippability of thib rock is quite variable, as shown in the photo of the -cores recovered from the drill...holes. However, with this small amount, determination of rippability of the rock would seem to be a rather inconsequential item. Princial Spillway

A drill-soil system modelization for future Mars exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Finzi, A. E.; Lavagna, M.; Rocchitelli, G.

2004-01-01

This paper presents a first approach to the problem of modeling a drilling process to be carried on in the space environment by a dedicated payload. Systems devoted to work in space present very strict requirements in many different fields such as thermal response, electric power demand, reliability and so on. Thus, models devoted to the operational behaviour simulation represent a fundamental help in the design phase and give a great improvement in the final product quality. As the required power is the crucial constraint within drilling devices, the tool-soil interaction modelization and simulation are finalized to the computation of the power demand as a function of both the drill and the soil parameters. An accurate study of the tool and the soil separately has been firstly carried on and, secondly their interaction has been analyzed. The Dee-Dri system, designed by Tecnospazio and to be part of the lander components in the NASA's Mars Sample Return Mission, has been taken as the tool reference. The Deep-Drill system is a complex rotary tool devoted to the soil perforation and sample collection; it has to operate in a Martian zone made of rocks similar to the terrestrial basalt, then the modelization is restricted to the interaction analysis between the tool and materials belonging to the rock set. The tool geometric modelization has been faced by a finite element approach with a Langrangian formulation: for the static analysis a refined model is assumed considering both the actual geometry of the head and the rod screws; a simplified model has been used to deal with the dynamic analysis. The soil representation is based on the Mohr-Coulomb crack criterion and an Eulerian approach has been selected to model it. However, software limitations in dealing with the tool-soil interface definition required assuming a Langrangian formulation for the soil too. The interaction between the soil and the tool has been modeled by extending the two-dimensional Nishimatsu's theory for rock cutting for rotating perforation tools. A fine analysis on f.e.m. element choice for each part of the tool is presented together with static analysis results. The dynamic analysis results are limited to the first impact phenomenon between the rock and the tool head. The validity of both the theoretical and numerical models is confirmed by the good agreement between simulation results and data coming from the experiments done within the Tecnospazio facilities.

Iron-oxide Magnetic, Morphologic, and Compositional Tracers of Sediment Provenance and Ice Sheet Extent in the ANDRILL AND-1B Drill Core, Ross Sea, Antarctica (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brachfeld, S. A.; Pinzon, J.; Darley, J. S.; Sagnotti, L.; Kuhn, G.; Florindo, F.; Wilson, G. S.; Ohneiser, C.; Monien, D.; Joseph, L. H.

2013-12-01

The first drilling season of the Antarctic Drilling Program (ANDRILL) recovered a 13.57 million year Miocene through Pleistocene record of paleoclimate change (core AND-1B) within the Ross Sea. The magnetic mineral assemblage records the varying contributions of biological productivity, changing sediment sources, the emergence of volcanic centers, and post-depositional diagenesis. Characterization of bedrock samples from the McMurdo Volcanic Group (MVG) and Transantarctic Mountain (TAM) lithologic units allows us to construct fingerprints for the major source rocks bordering the Ross Sea, and identify their signatures within the AND-1B sediment. Key parameters that can be traced from source rock to sediment for the MVG-derived sediment include a 100-200 C order-disorder transition, titanomaghemite grains with homogenous textures but with substantial Al and Mg content, Fe-spinels with substantial Al, Cr, Mg, and Ti content, and titanomagnetite host grains with 1-3 swarms of ilmenite lamellae (both with variable amounts of oxidation). Distinctive signatures in TAM lithologies include low S-ratios in Koettlitz Group gneisses and Fe-sulfides with magnetite intergrowths in Byrd Glacier basement samples. The Cambrian Granite Harbor Intrusive Complex is characterized by coarse, homogeneous Mn-bearing ilmenite and nearly pure magnetite. The Jurassic dolerites and basalts of the Ferrar Group contain pseudo single domain to stable single domain-sized Fe-oxides with low-Ti content and homogeneous textures. Cu-Fe sulfides are also present in the Ferrar Group. Diamictites in the Pliocene-Pleistocene section of the AND-1B drill core contains Fe-oxide assemblages with MVG-type rock magnetic and textural characteristics, while the Miocene diamictites contain TAM-type signatures. These observations can be explained by increased ice flow from the west during the Miocene and/or the absence of MVG volcanic centers, which had not yet reached a significant size. During the Pliocene and Pleistocene, ice flow was from the south, entraining sediment from MVG volcanic centers south of the drill site. This work demonstrates the utility of using the combination of rock magnetic and electron microscopy signatures of Fe-oxides and Fe-sulfides to serve as provenance tracers in both ice proximal and distal sedimentary units, aiding in the study of ice sheet dynamics, and the identification of ice rafted debris sources and dispersal patterns in the Ross Sea sector of Antarctica.

Deep thermal disturbances related to the sub-surface groundwater flow (Western Alps, France)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mommessin, Grégoire; Dzikowski, Marc; Menard, Gilles; Monin, Nathalie

2013-04-01

In mountain area, the bedrock of the valley side is affected by a thickness of decompressed rock in subsurface (decompressed zone). Groundwater flowing in this zone disrupts the depth geothermal gradients. The evolution of thermal gradients under the decompressed zone depends of groundwater temperature changes into the decompressed zone. In this study, the phenomenon is studied from data acquired in exploration drilling prior to the construction of the France - Italy transalpine tunnel (High Speed Line project between Lyon and Turin). The study area is located in the Vanoise siliceous series between Modane and Avrieux (Western Alps, France). Of 31 boreholes, we selected 14 wells showing a natural thermal disturbance (not due to the drilling) linked to the groundwater flow in decompressed zone. The drill holes have a length between 200 and 1380m and well logs were carried out (gamma log, acoustic log, temperature log, flowmeter log). The rocks are constituted mainly by quartzite with high thermal conductivity or by schist and gneiss with low thermal conductivity. The decompressed zone concerns the quartzite with thicknesses ranging from 50m to 750m where groundwater flow imposes a constant temperature throughout the rock thickness. In the very low permeability rocks under the decompressed zone, the thermal gradient shows variations with depth. These variations suggest a water temperature change in the decompressed zone probably due to a paleoclimate event. We used the derived of the equation describing the propagation of a temperature in a 1D semi-infinite, in response to a sudden temperature disturbance at the boundary of the medium, to estimate the age and the amplitude of temperature change in the decompressed zone. The medium under the decompressed zone is supposed to be initially in a steady state and only conductive. Numerical tests assess that the 1D model is applicable in the slope context. The results obtained from 13 wells data show a few warming degrees (1 to 4°K) of the decompressed zone occurring about two to four centuries BP. The latest high altitude drilling shows about two degrees cooling of the decompressed zone two centuries ago. The groundwater temperature warming can be due to a type of recharge change with a reduction of the snowmelt contribution or it can be provided by an increase of atmospheric and rainfall temperature. The observed cooling in the latest drilling can be interpreted as a groundwater flow change caused by the permafrost melting. The temperature change occurs during the end of Little Ice Age.

Dacite Melt at the Puna Geothermal Venture Wellfield, Big Island of Hawaii

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teplow, W. J.; Marsh, B. D.; Hulen, J.; Spielman, P.; Kaleikini, M.; Fitch, D. C.; Rickard, W.

2008-12-01

A dacite melt was encountered during routine commercial drilling operations of injection well KS-13 at the Puna Geothermal Venture wellfield, Big Island of Hawaii. The KS-13 drill hole, drilled in 2005, is located along a segment of the Kilauea Lower East Rift Zone which erupted basalt flows from rift-parallel fissures in 1955. During the drilling of KS-13 a 75-meter interval of microdiorite containing brown glass inclusions was penetrated at a depth of 2415 m. At a depth of 2488 m a melt of dacitic composition was encountered. The melt flowed up the wellbore and was repeatedly redrilled over a depth interval of ~8 m, producing several kilograms of clear, colorless vitric cuttings at the surface. The drill bit, when recovered at the surface, was missing several carbide insert teeth. Presumably the inserts were plucked cleanly from their sintered cone sockets due to differential thermal expansion under extreme heat conditions. The dacitic glass cuttings have a perlitic texture, a silica content of 67 wgt.%, are enriched in alkalis and nearly devoid of mafic minerals with the exception of rare pyroxene phenocrysts and minor euhedral to amorphous magnetite. The melt zone is overlain by an interval of strong greenschist facies metamorphism in basaltic and dioritic dike rock. The occurrence of an anhydrous dacite melt indicates a rock temperature of approximately 1050° (1922°F) and sufficient residence time of underlying basaltic magma to generate a significant volume of differentiated material. The dacite, with an inferred temperature of 1050 °C, is separated by 526 m of rock from the deepest overlying permeable zone in KS-13 at a temperature of 356 °C. The thermal gradient through this impermeable rock section is ~700°C/526 m = 1.331 °C/m. The calculated conductive heat flux from the magma upward into the deepest zone of hydrothermal circulation is given by k×(dT/dZ)=2.9 × 1.33 = 3.83 W/m2 = 3830 mW/m2 (thermal conductivity k=2.9 W m-1 °C-1 for basalt). This heat flux is an order of magnitude greater than the average of 270-290 mW/ m2 typical for the mid-ocean ridges. The high heat flux is sufficient to power the overlying commercial geothermal wellfield which has been producing 28 MW of net electrical power continuously since 1993.

State-of-the-art in coalbed methane drilling fluids

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Baltoiu, L.V.; Warren, B.K.; Natras, T.A.

2008-09-15

The production of methane from wet coalbeds is often associated with the production of significant amounts of water. While producing water is necessary to desorb the methane from the coal, the damage from the drilling fluids used is difficult to assess, because the gas production follows weeks to months after the well is drilled. Commonly asked questions include the following: What are the important parameters for drilling an organic reservoir rock that is both the source and the trap for the methane? Has the drilling fluid affected the gas production? Are the cleats plugged? Does the 'filtercake' have an impactmore » on the flow of water and gas? Are stimulation techniques compatible with the drilling fluids used? This paper describes the development of a unique drilling fluid to drill coalbed methane wells with a special emphasis on horizontal applications. The fluid design incorporates products to match the delicate surface chemistry on the coal, a matting system to provide both borehole stability and minimize fluid losses to the cleats, and a breaker method of removing the matting system once drilling is completed. This paper also discusses how coal geology impacts drilling planning, drilling practices, the choice of drilling fluid, and completion/stimulation techniques for Upper Cretaceous Mannville-type coals drilled within the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin. A focus on horizontal coalbed methane (CBM) wells is presented. Field results from three horizontal wells are discussed, two of which were drilled with the new drilling fluid system. The wells demonstrated exceptional stability in coal for lengths to 1000 m, controlled drilling rates and ease of running slotted liners. Methods for, and results of, placing the breaker in the horizontal wells are covered in depth.« less

Operations Summary During Riserless Drilling to >7700 mbsl in the Japan Trench for IODP Expedition 343 & 343T: JFAST, and Discussion of the Relationship Between Drilling Parameters and Rock Damage.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toy, V. G.; Maeda, L.; Toczko, S.; Eguchi, N.; Chester, F. M.; Mori, J. J.; Sawada, I.; Saruhashi, T.

2014-12-01

During IODP Expedition 343: The Japan Trench Fast Drilling Project (JFAST), two main boreholes were drilled from the D/V Chikyu in ~7000 m water depth. An uncored hole that penetrated to 850.5 meters below seafloor (mbsf) (total depth [TD] = 7740 meters below sea level [mbsl]) was documented using logging while drilling (LWD) tools. From an adjacent partially cored hole drilled to 844.5 mbsf (TD = 7734 mbsl) 21 cores were acquired that spanned the two main fault targets. The operations lasted 88 days. The drilling operation was very technically challenging. The drill string had to be withdrawn a number of times due to high seas, and technical issues; five holes were drilled (one abandoned after spud-in) and reoccupied in >6800 m water depth. A simple observatory was deployed in the wellhead installed during Exp 343 during the follow-up Exp 343T. In certain intervals during coring we mostly recovered loose, subrounded fine gravel clasts of the two major lithologies penetrated to those depths (silt and mudstones). We have performed particle shape and size analysis on these gravel aggregates. Particle shape variations apparent visually are not clearly quantified by conventional 'shape descriptors'. Variations in particle size distributions are apparent and we will discuss whether these relate to variations in drilling parameters.

Permeability measurements on rock samples from Unzen Scientific Drilling Project Drill Hole 4 (USDP-4)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watanabe, Tohru; Shimizu, Yuhta; Noguchi, Satoshi; Nakada, Setsuya

2008-07-01

Permeability measurement was made on five rock samples from USDP-4 cores. Rock samples were collected from the conduit zone and its country rock. One sample (C14-1-1) is considered as a part of the feeder dyke for the 1991-1995 eruption. The transient pulse method was employed under confining pressure up to 50 MPa. Compressional wave velocity was measured along with permeability. The measured permeability ranges from 10 - 19 to 10 - 17 m 2 at the atmospheric pressure, and is as low as that reported for tight rocks such as granite. The permeability decreases with increasing confining pressure, while the compressional wave velocity increases. Assuming that pores are parallel elliptical tubes, the pressure dependence of permeability requires aspect ratio of 10 - 4 -10 - 2 at the atmospheric pressure. The pore aperture is estimated to be less than 1 μm. The estimated aspect ratio and pore aperture suggest that connectivity of pores is maintained by narrow cracks. The existence of cracks is supported by the pressure dependence of compressional wave velocity. Narrow cracks (< 1 μm) are observed in dyke samples, and they must have been created after solidification. Dyke samples do not provide us information of pore structures during degassing, since exsolved gas has mostly escaped and pores governing the gas permeable flow should have been lost. Both dyke and country rock samples provide us information of materials around ascending magma. Although the measured small-scale permeability cannot be directly applied to geological-scale processes, it gives constrains on studies of large-scale permeability.

Petrography and geochemistry of precambrian rocks from GT-2 and EE-1

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Laughlin, A.W.; Eddy, A.

1977-08-01

During the drilling of GT-2 and EE-1, 27 cores totaling about 35 m were collected from the Precambrian section. Samples of each different lithology in each core were taken for petrographic and whole-rock major- and trace-element analyses. Whole-rock analyses are now completed on 37 samples. From these data four major Precambrian units were identified at the Fenton Hill site. Geophysical logs and cuttings were used to extrapolate between cores. The most abundant rock type is an extremely variable gneissic unit comprising about 75% of the rock penetrated. This rock is strongly foliated and may range compositionally from syenogranitic to tonaliticmore » over a few centimeters. The bulk of the unit falls within the monzogranite field. Interlayered with the gneiss is a ferrohastingsite-biotite schist which compositionally resembles a basaltic andesite. A fault contact between the schist and gneiss was observed in one core. Intrusive into this metamorphic complex are two igneous rocks. A leucocratic monzogranite occurs as at least two 15-m-thick dikes, and a biotite-granodiorite body was intercepted by 338 m of drill hole. Both rocks are unfoliated and equigranular. The biotite granodiorite is very homogeneous and is characterized by high modal contents of biotite and sphene and by high K/sub 2/O, TiO/sub 2/, and P/sub 2/O/sub 5/ contents. Although all of the cores examined show fractures, most of these are tightly sealed or healed. Calcite is the most abundant fracture filling mineral, but epidote, quartz, chlorite, clays or sulfides have also been observed. The degree of alteration of the essential minerals normally increases as these fractures are approached. The homogeneity of the biotite granodiorite at the bottom of GT-2 and the high degree of fracture filling ensure an ideal setting for the Hot Dry Rock Experiment.« less

Morphology of powders of tungsten carbide used in wear-resistant coatings and deposition on the PDC drill bits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zakharova, E. S.; Markova, I. Yu; Maslov, A. L.; Polushin, N. I.; Laptev, A. I.

2017-05-01

Modern drill bits have high abrasive wear in the area of contact with the rock and removed sludge. Currently, these bits have a protective layer on the bit body, which consists of a metal matrix with inclusions of carbide particles. The research matrix of this coating and the wear-resistant particles is a prerequisite in the design and production of drill bits. In this work, complex investigation was made for various carbide powders of the grades Relit (tungsten carbide produced by Ltd “ROSNAMIS”) which are used as wear-resistant particles in the coating of the drill bit body. The morphology and phase composition of the chosen powders as well as the influence of a particle shape on prospects of their application in wear-resistance coating presented in this work.

Chemical Effect on Wellbore Instability of Nahr Umr Shale

PubMed Central

Nie, Zhen

2013-01-01

Wellbore instability is one of the major problems that hamper the drilling speed in Halfaya Oilfield. Comprehensive analysis of geological and engineering data indicates that Halfaya Oilfield features fractured shale in the Nahr Umr Formation. Complex accidents such as wellbore collapse and sticking emerged frequently in this formation. Tests and theoretical analysis revealed that wellbore instability in the Halfaya Oilfield was influenced by chemical effect of fractured shale and the formation water with high ionic concentration. The influence of three types of drilling fluids on the rock mechanical properties of Nahr Umr Shale is tested, and time-dependent collapse pressure is calculated. Finally, we put forward engineering countermeasures for safety drilling in Halfaya Oilfield and point out that increasing the ionic concentration and improving the sealing capacity of the drilling fluid are the way to keep the wellbore stable. PMID:24282391

Drill hole logging with infrared spectroscopy

USGS Publications Warehouse

Calvin, W.M.; Solum, J.G.

2005-01-01

Infrared spectroscopy has been used to identify rocks and minerals for over 40 years. The technique is sensitive to primary silicates as well as alteration products. Minerals can be uniquely identified based on multiple absorption features at wavelengths from the visible to the thermal infrared. We are currently establishing methods and protocols in order to use the technique for rapid assessment of downhole lithology on samples obtained during drilling operations. Initial work performed includes spectral analysis of chip cuttings and core sections from drill sites around Desert Peak, NV. In this paper, we report on a survey of 10,000 feet of drill cuttings, at 100 foot intervals, from the San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD). Data from Blue Mountain geothermal wells will also be acquired. We will describe the utility of the technique for rapid assessment of lithologic and mineralogic discrimination.

Chemical effect on wellbore instability of Nahr Umr Shale.

PubMed

Yu, Baohua; Yan, Chuanliang; Nie, Zhen

2013-01-01

Wellbore instability is one of the major problems that hamper the drilling speed in Halfaya Oilfield. Comprehensive analysis of geological and engineering data indicates that Halfaya Oilfield features fractured shale in the Nahr Umr Formation. Complex accidents such as wellbore collapse and sticking emerged frequently in this formation. Tests and theoretical analysis revealed that wellbore instability in the Halfaya Oilfield was influenced by chemical effect of fractured shale and the formation water with high ionic concentration. The influence of three types of drilling fluids on the rock mechanical properties of Nahr Umr Shale is tested, and time-dependent collapse pressure is calculated. Finally, we put forward engineering countermeasures for safety drilling in Halfaya Oilfield and point out that increasing the ionic concentration and improving the sealing capacity of the drilling fluid are the way to keep the wellbore stable.

Geoconservation and scientific rock sampling: Call for geoethical education strategies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Druguet, Elena; Passchier, Cees W.; Pennacchioni, Giorgio; Carreras, Jordi

2013-04-01

Some geological outcrops have a special scientific or educational value, represent a geological type locality and/or have a considerable aesthetical/photographic value. Such important outcrops require appropriate management to safeguard them from potentially damaging and destructive activities. Damage done to such rock exposures can include drill sampling by geologist undertaken in the name of scientific advancement. In order to illustrate the serious damage scientific sampling can do, we give some examples of outcrops from Western Europe, North America and South Africa, important to structural geology and petrology, where sampling was undertaken by means of drilling methods without any protective measures. After the rock coring, the aesthetic and photographic value of these delicate outcrops has decreased considerably. Unfortunately, regulation and protection mechanisms and codes of conduct can be ineffective. The many resources of geological information available to the geoscientist community (e.g. via Internet, such as outcrops stored in websites like "Outcropedia") promote access to sites of geological interest, but can also have a negative effect on their conservation. Geoethical education on rock sampling is therefore critical for conservation of the geological heritage. Geoethical principles and educational actions are aimed to be promoted at different levels to improve geological sciences development and to enhance conservation of important geological sites. Ethical protocols and codes of conduct should include geoconservation issues, being explicit about responsible sampling. Guided and inspired by the UK Geologists's Association "Code of Conduct for Rock Coring" (MacFadyen, 2010), we present a tentative outline requesting responsible behaviour: » Drill sampling is particularly threatening because it has a negative visual impact, whilst it is often unnecessary. Before sampling, geologists should think about the question "is drill sampling necessary for the study being carried on?" » Do not take samples from the centre of a geological type locality or a site of especial scientific, didactic interest or aesthetical/photographic value. If an outcrop is spectacular enough to be photographed, then you should not core or sample the rock face that has been recorded. The same applies to outstanding outcrops stored in websites. » Sample other parts of the same or a neighbouring outcrop where there is less impact. Core samples must be discrete in location; take cores from the least exposed, least spectacular part of an outcrop and try to plug the holes using the outer end of the core, if possible. » Before sampling ask experts and authorities (e.g. Natural Reserve or National Park managers if the area is protected) for advise and permission. References: MacFadyen, C.C.J., 2010. The vandalizing effects of irresponsible core sampling: a call for a new code of conduct: Geology Today 26, 146-151. Outcropedia: http://www.outcropedia.org/

Petrophysical characterization of first ever drilled core samples from an active CO2 storage site, the German Ketzin Pilot Site - Comparison with long term experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zemke, Kornelia; Liebscher, Axel

2014-05-01

Petrophysical properties like porosity and permeability are key parameters for a safe long-term storage of CO2 but also for the injection operation itself. These parameters may change during and/or after the CO2 injection due to geochemical reactions in the reservoir system that are triggered by the injected CO2. Here we present petrophysical data of first ever drilled cores from a newly drilled well at the active CO2 storage site - the Ketzin pilot site in the Federal State of Brandenburg, Germany. By comparison with pre-injection baseline data from core samples recovered prior to injection, the new samples provide the unique opportunity to evaluate the impact of CO2 on pore size related properties of reservoir and cap rocks at a real injection site under in-situ reservoir conditions. After injection of 61 000 tons CO2, an additional well was drilled and new rock cores were recovered. In total 100 core samples from the reservoir and the overlaying caprock were investigated by NMR relaxation. Permeability of 20 core samples was estimated by nitrogen and porosity by helium pycnometry. The determined data are comparable between pre-injection and post-injection core samples. The lower part of the reservoir sandstone is unaffected by the injected CO2. The upper part of the reservoir sandstone shows consistently slightly lower NMR porosity and permeability values in the post-injection samples when compared to the pre-injection data. This upper sandstone part is above the fluid level and CO2 present as a free gas phase and a possible residual gas saturation of the cores distorted the NMR results. The potash-containing drilling fluid can also influence these results: NMR investigation of twin samples from inner and outer parts of the cores show a reduced fraction of larger pores for the outer core samples together with lower porosities and T2 times. The drill mud penetration depth can be controlled by the added fluorescent tracer. Due to the heterogeneous character of the Stuttgart Formation it is difficult to estimate definite CO2 induced changes from petrophysical measurements. The observed changes are only minor. Several batch experiments on Ketzin samples drilled prior injection confirm the results from investigation of the in-situ rock cores. Core samples of the pre-injection wells were exposed to CO2 and brine in autoclaves over various time periods. Samples were characterized prior to and after the experiments by NMR and Mercury Injection Porosimetry (MIP). The results are consistent with the logging data and show only minor change. Unfortunately, also in these experiments observed mineralogical and petrophysical changes were within the natural heterogeneity of the Ketzin reservoir and precluded unequivocal conclusions. However, given the only minor differences between post-injection well and pre-injection well, it is reasonable to assume that the potential dissolution-precipitation processes appear to have no severe consequences on reservoir and cap rock integrity or on the injection behaviour. This is also in line with the continuously recorded injection operation parameter. These do not point to any changes in reservoir injectivity.|

Geohydrologic and drill-hole data for test well USW H-3, Yucca Mountain, Nye County, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thordarson, William; Rush, F.E.; Spengler, R.W.; Waddell, S.J.

1984-01-01

Test well USW H-3 is one of a series of test wells drilled in and near the southwestern part of the Nevada Test Site for hydraulic testing, hydrologic monitoring, and geophysical logging. The work was performed in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy as part of the Nevada Nuclear Waste Storage investigations. The well penetrated volcanic tuffs of Tertiary age to a depth of 1,219 meters. This report presents data collected to determine the hydraulic characteristics of rocks penetrated. Data on drilling operations, lithology, borehole geophysics, hydrologic monitoring, pumping, swabbing, and injection tests for the well are contained in this report. (USGS)

Geohydrologic and drill-hole data for test well USW H-1, adjacent to Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rush, F. Eugene; Thordarson, William; Bruckheimer, Laura

1983-01-01

This report presents data collected to determine the hydraulic characteristics of rocks penetrated in test well USW H-1. The well is one of a series of test wells drilled in and near the southwestern part of the Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada, in a program conducted on behalf of the U.S. Department of Energy. These investigations are part of the Nevada Nuclear Waste Storage Investigations to identify suitable sites for storage of high-level radioactive wastes. Data on drilling operations, lithology, borehole geophysics, hydrologic monitoring, core analysis, ground-water chemistry and pumping and injection tests for well USW H-1 are contained in this report.

Debate continues on northwest's merits

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stremel, K.

1984-07-01

Estimates of northwest Montana's petroleum reserves range from barren Precambrian rock to reserves exceeding those of Alaska's Prudhoe Bay. Geological debates concerning the merits of the vast areas continues. Seismic data and geological studies indicate that the area holds considerable promise. Several large structures have been identified, and oil and gas seeps have been reported. The area's true potential, however, will be revealed only by drilling, which is both risky and expensive. Several wildcat drilling operations are underway but the area's hydrocarbon potential may not be released for several years.

Pressure charged airlift pump

DOEpatents

Campbell, Gene K.

1983-01-01

A pumping system is described for pumping fluids, such as water with entrained mud and small rocks, out of underground cavities such as drilled wells, which can effectively remove fluids down to a level very close to the bottom of the cavity and which can operate solely by compressed air pumped down through the cavity. The system utilizes a subassembly having a pair of parallel conduit sections (44, 46) adapted to be connected onto the bottom of a drill string utilized for drilling the cavity, the drill string also having a pair of coaxially extending conduits. The subassembly includes an upper portion which has means for connection onto the drill string and terminates the first conduit of the drill string in a plenum (55). A compressed air-driven pump (62) is suspended from the upper portion. The pump sucks fluids from the bottom of the cavity and discharges them into the second conduit. Compressed air pumped down through the first conduit (46) to the plenum powers the compressed air-driven pump and aerates the fluid in the second conduit to lift it to the earth's surface.

Subsurface information from eight wells drilled at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, southeastern Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Goldstein, F.J.; Weight, W.D.

1982-01-01

The Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) covers about 890 square miles of the eastern Snake River Plain, in southeastern Idaho. The eastern Snake River Plain is a structural basin which has been filled with thin basaltic lava flows, rhyolitic deposits, and interbedded sediments. These rocks form an extensive ground-water reservoir known as the Snake River Plain aquifer. Six wells were drilled and two existing wells were deepened at the INEL from 1969 through 1974. Interpretation of data from the drilling program confirms that the subsurface is dominated by basalt flows interbedded with layers of sediment, cinders, and silicic volcanic rocks. Water levels in the wells show cyclic seasonal fluctuations of maximum water levels in winter and minimum water levels in mid-summer. Water levels in three wells near the Big Lost River respond to changes in recharge to the Snake River Plain aquifer from the Big Lost River. Measured water levels in multiple piezometers in one well indicate increasing pressure heads with depth. A marked decline in water levels in the wells since 1977 is attributed to a lack of recharge to the Snake River Plain aquifer.

Basic data report for drillhole WIPP 30 (Waste Isolation Pilot Plant - WIPP)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1980-04-01

WIPP 30 was drilled in east-central Eddy County, New Mexico, in NW 1/4, Sec. 33, T21S, R31E, to obtain drill core for the study of dissolution of near-surface rocks. The borehole encountered from top to bottom, the Dewey Lake Red Beds (449' including artificial fill for drill pad), Rustler Formation (299'), and the upper 160' of the Salado Formation. Continuous core was cut from the surface to total depth. Geophysical logs were taken the full length of the borehole to measure acoustic velocities, density, and distribution of potassium and other radioactive elements. Information from this borehole will be included inmore » an interpretive report on dissolution in Nash Draw based on combined borehole data, surface mapping and laboratory analyses of rocks and fluids. The WIPP is to demonstrate (through limited operations) disposal technology for transuranic defense wastes and to then be converted to a repository. The WIPP will also provide research facilities for interactions between high-level waste and salt. Administration policy as of February 1980 is to hold the WIPP site in reserve until the first disposal site can be chosen from several potential sites, including the WIPP.« less

Salton Sea Scientific Drilling Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sass, J.H.

1988-01-01

The Salton Sea Scientific Drilling Program (SSSDP) was the first large-scale drilling project undertaken by the U.S Continental Scientific Drilling Program. The objectives of the SSSDP were (1) to drill a deep well into the Salton Sea Geothermal Field in the Imperial Valley of California, (2) to retrieve a high percentage of core and cuttings along the entire depth of the well, (3) to obtain a comprehensive suite of geophysical logs, (4) to conduct flow tests at two depths  (and to take fluid samples therefrom), and (5) to carry out several downhole experiments. These activites enabled the U.S Geological Survey and cooperating agencies to study the physical and chemical processes involved in an active hydrothermal system driven by a molten-rock heat source. This program, orginally conceived by Wilfred A. Elders, professor of geology at the University of California at Riverside, was coordinated under an inter-agency accord among the Geological Survey, the U.S Department of Energy, and the National Science Foundation. 

FIDO prototype Mars rover field trials, Black Rock Summit, Nevada, as test of the ability of robotic mobility systems to conduct field science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arvidson, R. E.; Squyres, S. W.; Baumgartner, E. T.; Schenker, P. S.; Niebur, C. S.; Larsen, K. W.; SeelosIV, F. P.; Snider, N. O.; Jolliff, B. L.

2002-08-01

The Field Integration Design and Operations (FIDO) prototype Mars rover was deployed and operated remotely for 2 weeks in May 2000 in the Black Rock Summit area of Nevada. The blind science operation trials were designed to evaluate the extent to which FIDO-class rovers can be used to conduct traverse science and collect samples. FIDO-based instruments included stereo cameras for navigation and imaging, an infrared point spectrometer, a color microscopic imager for characterization of rocks and soils, and a rock drill for core acquisition. Body-mounted ``belly'' cameras aided drill deployment, and front and rear hazard cameras enabled terrain hazard avoidance. Airborne Visible and Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) data, a high spatial resolution IKONOS orbital image, and a suite of descent images were used to provide regional- and local-scale terrain and rock type information, from which hypotheses were developed for testing during operations. The rover visited three sites, traversed 30 m, and acquired 1.3 gigabytes of data. The relatively small traverse distance resulted from a geologically rich site in which materials identified on a regional scale from remote-sensing data could be identified on a local scale using rover-based data. Results demonstrate the synergy of mapping terrain from orbit and during descent using imaging and spectroscopy, followed by a rover mission to test inferences and to make discoveries that can be accomplished only with surface mobility systems.

SHINING ROCK WILDERNESS, NORTH CAROLINA.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lesure, Frank G.; Dunn, Maynard L.

1984-01-01

The Shining Rock Wilderness, in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Haywood County, North Carolina, is underlain by complexly folded mica gneiss and schist of Precambrian age. A mineral-resource survey determined that two commodities, quartz as a source of silica (SiO//2) and gneiss and schist suitable for common building stone and crushed rock, are present in large quantities. Demonstrated resources of silica occur at Shining Rock Mountain and small amounts of sheet muscovite (mica) and scrap mica are present at about 10 localities. Until deep drilling is done to test the results of the seismic studies, no estimate of the potential for gas can be made, but the presence of gas cannot be totally discounted.

Formation of the lower ocean crust and the crystallization of gabbroic cumulates at a very slowly spreading ridge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Natland, James H.; Dick, Henry J. B.

2001-10-01

Ocean Drilling Program Hole 735B was extended to 1508 m below the sea floor during Leg 176, atop a shallow bank near Atlantis II Fracture Zone on the very slowly spreading Southwest Indian Ridge. All the drilling was in gabbro, and recovery averaged nearly 87%. The drill penetrated a series of stacked plutons consisting mostly of olivine gabbro, but some with troctolite. Each pluton is some 200-500 m thick, each has its own internally coherent stratigraphy, and each apparently represents an individual event of significant magma inflation and addition to the crust. The entire column was extensively deformed along inclined zones of distributed shear before it was completely frozen, this marking the onset of unroofing of the rocks and their ascent to high rift mountains. The deformation mobilized late-stage melts into flow patterns which led to concentration of ilmenite and magnetite in hundreds of seams of oxide gabbro along or near zones of strong crystal-plastic deformation, the highly differentiated melts overall being concentrated by buoyancy forces toward the top of the section, especially in one zone nearly 70 m thick. However, upward flow was ultimately blocked or deflected by zones of impermeable rock resulting either from downward freezing or grain-size reduction during shear. A melt lens probably did not form at the base of sheeted dikes, as it does at the East Pacific Rise. Despite this, the rocks are cumulates, and most are adcumulates, with very low residual melt porosities. Cumulate theory based on stratiform, layered intrusions does not entirely apply to these rocks. Instead, all gabbros, including the oxide gabbros, crystallized in a dense crystal mush in patterns dominated by fractures, channelized flow, and intergranular porous flow. Most gabbros are not layered; weak modal layering of uncertain origin is present in <2% of the rocks. Porosity reduction leading to formation of adcumulates at all stages was extremely efficient. This occurred in the course of synkinematic differentiation, also called differentiation by deformation, and involved compaction under conditions of lithostatic loading and shear, emplacement of crystal mushes along inclined, possibly curving faults, dissolution and reprecipitation of minerals along grain boundaries, and pressure solution, which was the final agent in porosity reduction. As the block was lifted from beneath the rift-valley floor, crystal-plastic deformation gave way to brittle fracture, and the now dominantly subsolidus metamorphism shifted from high-temperature assemblages characterized by amphibole near the top of the section, to low-temperature assemblages with smectite-chlorite and zeolite near the bottom. The rocks acquired their stable magnetization during formation of amphiboles and secondary magnetite during this metamorphism. The entire body of rock is reversely stably magnetized at a consistent inclination, and it is rotated to the south, perhaps along a curving detachment surface, away from the ridge segment where it formed, by about 20°. It has an intensity of magnetization sufficient to account for the magnetic anomaly observed over the site. Drilling did not reach ultramafic rock, but dredging indicates that peridotite is probably within a few hundred meters of the bottom of the hole. Seismic Moho, however, is placed at 5 km beneath the summit of Atlantis Bank. Much of the rock between Moho and the bottom of Hole 735B must therefore be partially serpentinized peridotite.

Drilling, construction, geophysical log data, and lithologic log for boreholes USGS 142 and USGS 142A, Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho

USGS Publications Warehouse

Twining, Brian V.; Hodges, Mary K.V.; Schusler, Kyle; Mudge, Christopher

2017-07-27

Starting in 2014, the U.S. Geological Survey in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Energy, drilled and constructed boreholes USGS 142 and USGS 142A for stratigraphic framework analyses and long-term groundwater monitoring of the eastern Snake River Plain aquifer at the Idaho National Laboratory in southeast Idaho. Borehole USGS 142 initially was cored to collect rock and sediment core, then re-drilled to complete construction as a screened water-level monitoring well. Borehole USGS 142A was drilled and constructed as a monitoring well after construction problems with borehole USGS 142 prevented access to upper 100 feet (ft) of the aquifer. Boreholes USGS 142 and USGS 142A are separated by about 30 ft and have similar geology and hydrologic characteristics. Groundwater was first measured near 530 feet below land surface (ft BLS) at both borehole locations. Water levels measured through piezometers, separated by almost 1,200 ft, in borehole USGS 142 indicate upward hydraulic gradients at this location. Following construction and data collection, screened water-level access lines were placed in boreholes USGS 142 and USGS 142A to allow for recurring water level measurements.Borehole USGS 142 was cored continuously, starting at the first basalt contact (about 4.9 ft BLS) to a depth of 1,880 ft BLS. Excluding surface sediment, recovery of basalt, rhyolite, and sediment core at borehole USGS 142 was approximately 89 percent or 1,666 ft of total core recovered. Based on visual inspection of core and geophysical data, material examined from 4.9 to 1,880 ft BLS in borehole USGS 142 consists of approximately 45 basalt flows, 16 significant sediment and (or) sedimentary rock layers, and rhyolite welded tuff. Rhyolite was encountered at approximately 1,396 ft BLS. Sediment layers comprise a large percentage of the borehole between 739 and 1,396 ft BLS with grain sizes ranging from clay and silt to cobble size. Sedimentary rock layers had calcite cement. Basalt flows ranged in thickness from about 2 to 100 ft and varied from highly fractured to dense, and ranged from massive to diktytaxitic to scoriaceous, in texture.Geophysical logs were collected on completion of drilling at boreholes USGS 142 and USGS 142A. Geophysical logs were examined with available core material to describe basalt, sediment and sedimentary rock layers, and rhyolite. Natural gamma logs were used to confirm sediment layer thickness and location; neutron logs were used to examine basalt flow units and changes in hydrogen content; gamma-gamma density logs were used to describe general changes in rock properties; and temperature logs were used to understand hydraulic gradients for deeper sections of borehole USGS 142. Gyroscopic deviation was measured to record deviation from true vertical at all depths in boreholes USGS 142 and USGS 142A.

Interpretation of well logs in a carbonate aquifer

USGS Publications Warehouse

MacCary, L.M.

1978-01-01

This report describes the log analysis of the Randolph and Sabial core holes in the Edwards aquifer in Texas, with particular attention to the principles that can be applied generally to any carbonate system. The geologic and hydrologic data were obtained during the drilling of the two holes, from extensive laboratory analysis of the cores, and from numerous geophysical logs run in the two holes. Some logging methods are inherently superiors to others for the analysis of limestone and dolomite aquifers. Three such systems are the dentistry, neutron, and acoustic-velocity (sonic) logs. Most of the log analysis described here is based on the interpretation of suites of logs from these three systems. In certain instances, deeply focused resistivity logs can be used to good advantage in carbonate rock studies; this technique is used to computer the water resistivity in the Randolph core hole. The rocks penetrated by the Randolph core hole are typical of those carbonates that have undergone very little solution by recent ground-water circulation. There are few large solutional openings; the water is saline; and the rocks are dark, dolomitic, have pore space that is interparticle or intercrystalline, and contain unoxidized organic material. The total porosity of rocks in the saline zone is higher than that of rocks in the fresh-water aquifer; however, the intrinsic permeability is much less in the saline zone because there are fewer large solutional openings. The Sabinal core hole penetrates a carbonate environment that has experienced much solution by ground water during recent geologic time. The rocks have high secondary porosities controlled by sedimentary structures within the rock; the water is fresh; and the dominant rock composition is limestone. The relative percentages of limestone and dolomite, the average matrix (grain) densities of the rock mixtures , and the porosity of the rock mass can be calculated from density, neutron, and acoustic logs. With supporting data from resistivity logs, the formation water quality can be estimated, as well as the relative cementation or tortuosity of the rock. Many of these properties calculated from logs can be verified by analysis of the core available from test holes drilled in the saline and fresh water zones.

Engineering Manual for McMurdo Station. Revision

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-01-01

1-3 Rock Quarry .. ..... ....... ....... ..... 1-4 . Fast Ice .. ..... ....... ....... ........ 1-4 Snow-Drift Ice Slabs. .. ....... ....... ...... 1...Chapter 6. Fast p.- The Fortress Rocks, about 3,000 feet ice was found beneath the sewage outfall north of the central McMurdo Station structure in DF-71...concrete aggregate tion from the land (Figure 1-11). Drilling has and fill material in the McMurdo area. This also shown the presence of fast ice on the

Automated classification of Acid Rock Drainage potential from Corescan drill core imagery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cracknell, M. J.; Jackson, L.; Parbhakar-Fox, A.; Savinova, K.

2017-12-01

Classification of the acid forming potential of waste rock is important for managing environmental hazards associated with mining operations. Current methods for the classification of acid rock drainage (ARD) potential usually involve labour intensive and subjective assessment of drill core and/or hand specimens. Manual methods are subject to operator bias, human error and the amount of material that can be assessed within a given time frame is limited. The automated classification of ARD potential documented here is based on the ARD Index developed by Parbhakar-Fox et al. (2011). This ARD Index involves the combination of five indicators: A - sulphide content; B - sulphide alteration; C - sulphide morphology; D - primary neutraliser content; and E - sulphide mineral association. Several components of the ARD Index require accurate identification of sulphide minerals. This is achieved by classifying Corescan Red-Green-Blue true colour images into the presence or absence of sulphide minerals using supervised classification. Subsequently, sulphide classification images are processed and combined with Corescan SWIR-based mineral classifications to obtain information on sulphide content, indices representing sulphide textures (disseminated versus massive and degree of veining), and spatially associated minerals. This information is combined to calculate ARD Index indicator values that feed into the classification of ARD potential. Automated ARD potential classifications of drill core samples associated with a porphyry Cu-Au deposit are compared to manually derived classifications and those obtained by standard static geochemical testing and X-ray diffractometry analyses. Results indicate a high degree of similarity between automated and manual ARD potential classifications. Major differences between approaches are observed in sulphide and neutraliser mineral percentages, likely due to the subjective nature of manual estimates of mineral content. The automated approach presented here for the classification of ARD potential offers rapid, repeatable and accurate outcomes comparable to manually derived classifications. Methods for automated ARD classifications from digital drill core data represent a step-change for geoenvironmental management practices in the mining industry.

ARNOLD MESA ROADLESS AREA, ARIZONA.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wolfe, Edward W.; McColly, Robert A.

1984-01-01

Geologic geochemical, and aeromagnetic investigations and a survey of mines and prospects in the Arnold Mesa Roadless Area, Arizona, provide little evidence for the occurrence of mineral or energy resources. Buried Proterozoic basement rocks are possible hosts of porphyry-type copper and massive sulfide deposits but the thick cover of Paleozoic sedimentary rocks and upper Cenozoic volcanic rocks precluded assessment of this possibility. Chemistry and temperature of spring and well waters suggest that a geothermal resource may exist near the eastern margin of the roadless area, but the anomaly has not been tested by drilling and this resource remains unverified. No other energy resources were identified.

Geohydrologic data from test hole USW UZ-7, Yucca Mountain area, Nye County, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kume, Jack; Hammermeister, D.P.

1990-01-01

This report contains a description of the methods used in drilling and coring of the test-hole USW UZ-7, a description of the methods used in collecting, handling, and testing of test-hole samples; Lithologic information from the test hole; and water-content, water-potential, bulk-density, grain-density, porosity, and tritium data for the test hole. Test-hole USW UZ-7 was drilled and cored to a total depth of 62.94 m. The drilling was done using air as a drilling fluid to minimize disturbance to the water content of cores, drill-bit cuttings, and borehole wall-rock. Beginning at the land surface, the unsaturated-zone rock that was penetrated consisted of alluvium; welded and partially to nonwelded ash-flow tuff; bedded and reworked ash-fall tuff; nonwelded ash-flow tuff; and welded ash-flow tuff. Values of gravimetric water content and water potential of alluvium were intermediate between the extreme values in welded and nonwelded units of tuff. Gravimetric water content was largest in bedded and nonwelded ash-fall tuffs and was smallest in welded ash-flow tuff. Values of water potential were more negative in densely welded ash-flow tuffs and were less negative in bedded and nonwelded ash-fall tuffs. Bulk density was largest in densely welded ash-flow tuffs and smallest in nonwelded and bedded ash-fall tuffs. Grain density was uniform but was slightly larger in nonwelded and bedded ash-fall tuffs than in welded ash-flow tuffs. Porosity trends were opposite to bulk-density trends. Tritium content in alluvium was smallest near the alluvium-bedrock contact, markedly increased in the middle of the deposit, and decreased in the near-surface zone of the deposit. (Author 's abstract)

Formation of ore minerals in metamorphic rocks of the German continental deep drilling site (KTB)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kontny, A.; Friedrich, G.; Behr, H. J.; de Wall, H.; Horn, E. E.; Möller, P.; Zulauf, G.

1997-08-01

The German Continental Deep Drilling Program (KTB) drilled a 9.1 km deep profile through amphibolite facies metamorphic rocks and reached in situ temperatures of 265°C. Each lithologic unit is characterized by typical ore mineral assemblages related to the regional metamorphic conditions. Paragneisses contain pyrrhotite + rutile + ilmenite ± graphite, metabasic units bear ilmenite + rutile + pyrrhotite ± pyrite, and additionally, the so-called variegated units yield pyrrhotite + titanite assemblages. In the latter unit, magnetite + ilmenite + rutile + titanite assemblages related to the lower amphibolite facies breakdown of ilmenite-hematite solid solution also occur locally. Retrograde hydrothermal mineralization which commenced during Upper Carboniferous times is characterized by the following geochemical conditions: (1) low saline Na-K-Mg-Cl fluids with sulfur and oxygen fugacities at the pyrite-pyrrhotite buffer and temperatures of 400-500°C, (2) fluids with CO2, CH4±N2, andpH, Eh, sulfur, and oxygen fugacity in the stability field of graphite + pyrite at temperatures of 280-350° and (3) moderate to high saline Ca-Na-Cl fluids with CH4+ N2; sulfur and oxygen fugacity are in the stability field of pyrrhotite at temperatures <300°C. The latter environment is confirmed by in situ conditions found at the bottom of the deep drilling. Monoclinic, ferrimagnetic pyrrhotite is the main carrier of magnetization which disappears below about 8.6 km, corresponding to in situ temperatures of about 250°C. Below this depth, hexagonal antiferromagnetic pyrrhotite with a Curie temperature of 260°C is the stable phase. Temperature-dependent transformation of pyrrhotite and the reaching of its Curie isotherm within the Earth crust are one of the striking results of the KTB deep drilling project.

Geomechanical Engineering Concepts Applied to Deep Borehole Disposal Wells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herrick, C. G.; Haimson, B. C.; Lee, M.

2015-12-01

Deep borehole disposal (DBD) of certain defense-generated radioactive waste forms is being considered by the US Department of Energy (DOE) as an alternative to mined repositories. The 17 inch diameter vertical boreholes are planned to be drilled in crystalline basement rock. As part of an initial field test program, the DOE will drill a demonstration borehole, to be used to test equipment for handling and emplacing prototype nonradioactive waste containers, and a second smaller diameter borehole, to be used for site characterization. Both boreholes will be drilled to a depth of 5 km. Construction of such boreholes is expected to be complex because of their overall length, large diameter, and anticipated downhole conditions of high temperatures, pore pressures, and stress regimes. It is believed that successful development of DBD boreholes can only be accomplished if geologic and tectonic conditions are characterized and drill activities are designed based on that understanding. Our study focuses primarily on using the in situ state of stress to mitigate borehole wall failure, whether tensile or compressive. The measured stresses, or their constrained estimates, will include pore pressure, the vertical stress, the horizontal stresses and orientations, and thermally induced stresses. Pore pressure will be measured directly or indirectly. Horizontal stresses will be estimated from hydraulic fracturing tests, leak off tests, and breakout characteristics. Understanding the site stress condition along with the rock's strength characteristics will aid in the optimization of mud weight and casing design required to control borehole wall failure and other drilling problems.Sandia National Laboratories is a multi-program laboratory managed and operated by Sandia Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation, for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-AC04-94AL85000. SAND2015-6552A

Estimating Hardness from the USDC Tool-Bit Temperature Rise

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bar-Cohen, Yoseph; Sherrit, Stewart

2008-01-01

A method of real-time quantification of the hardness of a rock or similar material involves measurement of the temperature, as a function of time, of the tool bit of an ultrasonic/sonic drill corer (USDC) that is being used to drill into the material. The method is based on the idea that, other things being about equal, the rate of rise of temperature and the maximum temperature reached during drilling increase with the hardness of the drilled material. In this method, the temperature is measured by means of a thermocouple embedded in the USDC tool bit near the drilling tip. The hardness of the drilled material can then be determined through correlation of the temperature-rise-versus-time data with time-dependent temperature rises determined in finite-element simulations of, and/or experiments on, drilling at various known rates of advance or known power levels through materials of known hardness. The figure presents an example of empirical temperature-versus-time data for a particular 3.6-mm USDC bit, driven at an average power somewhat below 40 W, drilling through materials of various hardness levels. The temperature readings from within a USDC tool bit can also be used for purposes other than estimating the hardness of the drilled material. For example, they can be especially useful as feedback to control the driving power to prevent thermal damage to the drilled material, the drill bit, or both. In the case of drilling through ice, the temperature readings could be used as a guide to maintaining sufficient drive power to prevent jamming of the drill by preventing refreezing of melted ice in contact with the drill.

Petrography of shock features in the 1953 Manson 2-A drill core

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Short, N. M.; Gold, D. P.

1993-01-01

Drilling of Nx core in late 1953 into an anomalous zone of disturbed rocks northwest of Manson, Iowa disclosed presence of extensive breccias including crystalline rocks brought to the surface from depths of 4 km or more. Hole 2-A penetrated breccias dominated by leucocratic igneous and metamorphic lithologies, later interpreted to be part of a general ringed peak complex within a 35 km wide impact structure produced about 65 Ma ago. Proof of this origin was given in 1966 by NMS through recognition of shock metamorphic features in 2-A materials during a cursory examination of samples provided by R.A. Hoppin, University of Iowa. A detailed study of this material now underway has revealed that most breccia clasts in 2-A show abundant and varied evidence of shock damage, including extensive planar deformation features (PDF) in quartz, K-feldspar, plagioclase, and a pyroxene and varying degrees of isotropization and incipient melting in feldspars.

The copper-cobalt deposits of the Quartzburg district, Grant County, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Vhay, John Stewart

1960-01-01

The copper- and cobalt-bearing veins of part of the Quartzburg district are in fracture zones trending about N. 70 degrees E. in folded Permian (?) metavolcanic rocks on the southwest side of a quartz diorite stock. Along many of the veins fine-grained tourmaline and quartz have replaced the country rock. The primary ore minerals are chalcopyrite, glaucodot, safflorite, and cobaltite. The copper- and cobalt-rich parts of the deposits appear to be in separate ore shoots. Gold content is generally higher in the cobalt-bearing parts of the veins than in the copper-rich parts. The Standard mine has developed part of one vein zone. Several other vein zones that crop out may contain as much copper as the Standard vein zone. Further bulldozing and diamond drilling on the surface, and more geologic mapping, sampling, and diamond drilling underground are suggested as means to explore for more ore deposits.

Petrophysical properties, mineralogy, fractures, and flow tests in 25 deep boreholes at Yucca Mountain, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nelson, Philip H.; Kibler, Joyce E.

2014-01-01

As part of a site investigation for the disposal of radioactive waste, numerous boreholes were drilled into a sequence of Miocene pyroclastic flows and related deposits at Yucca Mountain, Nevada. This report contains displays of data from 25 boreholes drilled during 1979–1984, relatively early in the site investigation program. Geophysical logs and hydrological tests were conducted in the boreholes; core and cuttings analyses yielded data on mineralogy, fractures, and physical properties; and geologic descriptions provided lithology boundaries and the degree of welding of the rock units. Porosity and water content were computed from the geophysical logs, and porosity results were combined with mineralogy from x-ray diffraction to provide whole-rock volume fractions. These data were composited on plates and used by project personnel during the 1990s. Improvements in scanning and computer technology now make it possible to publish these displays.

Combined geophysical, geochemical and geological investigations of geothermal reservoir characteristics in Lower Saxony, Germany

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hahne, B.; Thomas, R.

2012-04-01

The North German basin provides a significant geothermal potential, although temperature gradients are moderate. However, deep drilling up to several thousand meters is required to reach temperatures high enough for efficient generation of geothermal heat and electric power. In these depths we have not much information yet about relevant physical properties like porosity or permeability of the rock formations. Therefore the costs of developing a geothermal reservoir and the risk of missing the optimum drilling location are high. The collaborative research association "Geothermal Energy and High Performance Drilling" (gebo) unites several universities and research institutes in Lower Saxony, Germany. It aims at a significant increase of economic efficiency by introducing innovative technology and high tech materials resisting temperatures up to 200 °C in the drilling process. Furthermore, a better understanding of the geothermal reservoir is essential. gebo is structured into four main fields: Drilling Technology, Materials, Technical Systems and Geosystem. Here, we show the combined work of the Geosystem group, which focuses on the exploration of geological fault zones as a potential geothermal reservoir as well as on modeling the stress field, heat transport, coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical processes, geochemical interactions and prediction of the long-term behavior of the reservoir. First results include combined seismic and geoelectric images of the Leinetalgraben fault system, a comparison of seismic images from P- and S-wave measurements, mechanical properties of North German rocks from field and laboratory measurements as well as from drill cores, seismological characterization of stimulated reservoirs, a thermodynamic "gebo" database for modeling hydrogeochemical processes in North German formation waters with high salinity and at high temperatures, stress models for specific sites in northern Germany, and modeling results of permeability and heat transport in different (fractured) media. gebo is funded by the Ministry of Science and Culture of Lower Saxony, Germany and the industry partner Baker Hughes, Celle, Germany.

The geological and petrological studies of the subduction boundaries and suggestion for the geological future work in Japan　- How to avoid ultra-mega-earthquakes -

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishii, T.

2015-12-01

The Pacific plate is surrounded by circum-Pacific active margin, along which volcanic and seismic activities are very high. Ultra-Mega-Earthquakes (=UMEs, M>9.0) are occasionally observed along the margin, where sedimentary rocks of subducting slaves contact with the accreted sedimentary rocks of subducted slaves. But, those UME have never been occured along western Pacific islandarc-trench system including Izu-Ogasawara (=Bonin)-Mariana-Yap-Palau-Philippine-Tonga-Kermadec Trenches. I assume that the geological and petrological characteristics of the subduction boundaries are very important to understand those different seismic activities. Along the above mentioned trench inner wall, especially in the southern Mariana, mantle peridotites are widely distributed. Subducting slave contacts directly with the olivine dominant mantle peridotites of subducted slave, serpentinite layer can be deposited easily under hydrous oceanic sub-bottom environment and very slippery subduction boundaries are left along the subduction zone.On the other hand, those geological evidences give us some ideas on how to avoid UMEs in the Japanese Islands along Japan Trench and Nankai Trough in future. We will be able to change artificially from normal subduction boundaries with asperity zone into slippery subduction boundaries with serpentine layer, by means of serpentine mud injection toward the subduction boundaries interior by combining the following improved drilling technologies A and B. (A) Deep Sea Drilling Vessel CHIKYU has a drilling ability to reach subduction boundary with asperity zone in the Nankai Trough. (B) Advanced drilling technology in the shale gas industry is tremendous, that is, after one vertical deep drilling, horizontal drilling towards several direction are performed, then shale gas is collected by hydraulic fracturing method. I hope that, after several generations, our posterity will be able to avoid UMEs by continuous serpentine mud injection.

Geology and ground-water resources of Washington, D.C., and vicinity

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnston, Paul McKelvey

1964-01-01

The area of this report includes 436 square miles centered about the District of Columbia. The area contains parts of two distinctly different physiographic provinces-the Piedmont and the Coastal Plain. The Fall Line, which separates the Piedmont province on the west from the Coastal Plain Province on the east, bisects the area diagonally from northeast to southwest. Northwest of the Fall Line, deeply weathered igneous and metamorphic rocks are exposed ; to the southeast, these rocks are covered by Coastal Plain sediments; the nonconformity between crystalline rock and sediments dips southeast at an average rate of about 125 feet per mile. The rocks of the Piedmont include: (1) schist, phyllite, and quartzite of the Wissahickon Formation; (2) altered mafic rocks such as greenstone and serpentine; (3) the Laurel Gneiss of Chapman, 1942, and the Sykesville Formation of Jonas, 1928--both probably derived from the Wissahickon ; and (4) later granitic intrusive rocks. Lying upon this basement of hard rocks east of the Fall Line are the generally unconsolidated sediments of the Coastal Plain, which include gravel, sand, and clay, ranging in age from Cretaceous to Recent. These sediments measure only a few inches at their western extremity but thicken to 1,800 feet at the southeast corner of the mapped area. Owing to the great diversity in the geology of the two provinces, the waterbearing characteristics of the rocks also vary greatly. In the Piedmont, ground water occurs under unconfined or water-table conditions in openings and fissures in the hard rocks or in the residual weathered blanket that overlies them. In the Coastal Plain, the shallow wells tap unconfined water, but beneath the upper clay layers the water is contained in the sand and gravel under artesian pressure and must be recovered by deep drilled wells. Wells are of three types--drilled, bored, and dug. Drilled wells furnish a permanent water supply and are the least subject to pollution when properly constructed. Bored or dug wells allow greater storage capacity and are satisfactory for domestic supplies in some locations, but they are polluted easily. If not properly constructed or of sufficient depth, they may fail in dry weather. Ground-water supplies for domestic use, 5 to 10 gpm (gallons per minute), are obtainable in most places. In the Piedmont, recorded yields in drilled wells range from 0.2 to 212 gpm. In the Coastal Plain, wells yield from 1 to 800 gpm. The quality of the ground water in the report area is generally satisfactory for domestic, industrial, and irrigation use. High iron content and corrosiveness are troublesome in places. The water is soft to moderately hard--2 to 175 ppm (parts per million). Water in the Piedmont province is. dominantly the calcium and bicarbonate type; in the Coastal Plain most water is of calcium-magnesium bicarbonate type. In the Piedmont, careful location of wells with respect to the geology (rock type and structure) and to topography usually results in higher yields and may mean the difference between success and failure. In the Coastal Plain, drilled artesian wells are not affected by topography, but the yield obtained depends upon the penetration of a water-bearing sand or gravel bed at sufficient depth. The early settlers obtained water from the springs and streams, and later from dug wells. After Washington was established as the Capital in 1800, water was obtained from public and privately owned wells. Water was piped from some of the springs to government buildings and to private homes and business houses. In 1863 a diversion dam was completed in the Potomac above Great Falls and a conduit was built into the city to furnish a public water supply. This system with modifications has been in use ever since. A new diversion dam and pumping station at Little Falls was put into service in the summer of 1959. In 1961 the total pumpage from Coastal Plain aquifers in the report area was estimate

Summary report on the regional geology, environmental considerations for development, petroleum potential, and estimates of undiscovered recoverable oil and gas resources of the United States southeastern Atlantic continental margin in the area of proposed oil and gas lease sale No. 78

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dillon, William P.

1981-01-01

This report summarizes our general knowledge of the geology and petroleum potential, as well as potential problems and hazards associated with development of petroleum resources, of the area proposed for nominations for lease sale number 78. This area includes the U.S. eastern continental margin from the mouth of Chesapeake Bay to approximately Cape Canaveral, Florida, including the upper Continental Slope and inner Blake Plateau. The area for possible sales and the previous areas leased are shown in figure 1; physiographic features of the region are shown in figure 2. Six exploration wells have been drilled within the proposed lease area (figs. 3 and 4) but no commercial discoveries have been made. All six wells were drilled on the Continental Shelf in the Southeast Georgia Embayment. No commercial production has been obtained onshore in the region. The areas already drilled have thin sedimentary sections, and the deeper rocks are dominantly continental facies. Petroleum formation may have been hindered by a lack of organic material and sufficient burial for thermal maturation. Analysis of drill and seismic profiling data presented here, however, indicates that a much thicker sedimentary rock section containing a much higher proportion of marine deposits exists seaward of the exploratory wells on the Continental Shelf. These geologic conditions imply that the offshore basins may be more favorable environments for generating petroleum.

Geology report for proposed oil and gas lease sale No. 90; continental margin off the southeastern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dillon, William P.

1983-01-01

This report summarizes our general knowledge of the geology and petroleum potential, as well as potential problems and hazards associated with development of petroleum resources, within the area proposed for nominations for lease sale number 90. This area includes the U.S. eastern continental margin from Raleigh Bay, just south of Cape Hatteras, to southern Florida, including the upper Continental Slope and inner Blake Plateau. The area for possible sales for lease sale number 90, as well as the area for lease sale number 78 and the previous areas leased are shown in figure 1; physiographic features of the region are shown in figure 2. Six exploration wells have been drilled within the proposed lease area (figs. 3 and 4), but no commercial discoveries have been made. All six wells were drilled on the Continental Shelf. No commercial production has been obtained onshore in the region. The areas already drilled have thin sedimentary rock sections, and the deeper strata are dominantly of continental facies. Petroleum formation may have been hindered by a lack of organic material and lack of sufficient burial for thermal maturation. However, analyses of drilling and seismic profiling data presented here indicate that a much thicker section of sedimentary rocks containing a much higher proportion of marine deposits, exists seaward of the Continental Shelf. These geologic conditions imply that the basins farther offshore may be more favorable environments for generating petroleum.

Enhancing cuttings removal with gas blasts while drilling on Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zacny, K. A.; Quayle, M. C.; Cooper, G. A.

2005-04-01

Future missions to Mars envision use of drills for subsurface exploration. Since the Martian atmosphere precludes the use of liquids for cuttings removal, proposed drilling machines utilize mechanical cuttings removal systems such as augers. However, an auger can substantially contribute to the total power requirements, and in the worst scenario it can choke. A number of experiments conducted under Martian pressures showed that intermittent blasts of gas at low differential pressures can effectively lift the cuttings out of the hole. A gas flushing system could be incorporated into the drill assembly for assistance in clearing the holes of rock cuttings or for redundancy in case of auger jamming. A number of variables such as the particle size distribution of the rock powder, the type of gas used, the bit and auger side clearances, the initial mass of cuttings, and the ambient pressure were investigated and found to affect the efficiency. In all tests the initial volume of gas was close to 1 L and the differential pressure was varied to achieve desired clearing efficiencies. Particles were being lifted out of the hole at a maximum speed of 6 m/s at a differential pressure of 25 torr and ambient pressure of 5 torr. Flushing tests lasted on average for 2 s. The power required to compress the thin Martian atmosphere to achieve a sufficient gas blast every minute or so at 10% efficiency was calculated to be of the order of a few watts.

Nano-Scale Sample Acquisition Systems for Small Class Exploration Spacecraft

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paulsen, G.

2015-12-01

The paradigm for space exploration is changing. Large and expensive missions are very rare and the space community is turning to smaller, lighter, and less expensive missions that could still perform great exploration. These missions are also within reach of commercial companies such as the Google Lunar X Prize teams that develop small scale lunar missions. Recent commercial endeavors such as "Planet Labs inc." and Sky Box Imaging, inc. show that there are new benefits and business models associated with miniaturization of space hardware. The Nano-Scale Sample Acquisition System includes NanoDrill for capture of small rock cores and PlanetVac for capture of surface regolith. These two systems are part of the ongoing effort to develop "Micro Sampling" systems for deployment by the small spacecraft with limited payload capacities. The ideal applications include prospecting missions to the Moon and Asteroids. The MicroDrill is a rotary-percussive coring drill that captures cores 7 mm in diameter and up to 2 cm long. The drill weighs less than 1 kg and can capture a core from a 40 MPa strength rock within a few minutes, with less than 10 Watt power and less than 10 Newton of preload. The PlanetVac is a pneumatic based regolith acquisition system that can capture surface sample in touch-and-go maneuver. These sampling systems were integrated within the footpads of commercial quadcopter for testing. As such, they could also be used by geologists on Earth to explore difficult to get to locations.

3D geological modelling of the Renard 2 kimberlite pipe, Québec, Canada: from exploration to extraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lépine, Isabelle; Farrow, Darrell

2018-04-01

The Renard 2 kimberlite pipe is one of nine diamondiferous kimberlite pipes that form a cluster in the south-eastern portion of the Superior Province, Québec, Canada and is presently being extracted at the Renard Mine. It is interpreted as a diatreme-zone kimberlite consisting of two Kimberley-type pyroclastic units and related country rock breccias, all cross-cut by coherent kimberlite dykes and irregular intrusives. Renard 2 has been the subject of numerous diamond drilling campaigns since its discovery in 2001. The first two geological models modelled kimberlite and country rock breccia units separately. A change in modelling philosophy in 2009, which incorporated the emplacement envelope and history, modelled the entire intrusive event and projected the pipe shape to depth allowing for more targeted deep drilling where kimberlite had not yet been discovered. This targeted 2009 drilling resulted in a > 400% increase in the volume of the Indicated Resource. Modelling only the kimberlite units resulted in a significant underestimation of the pipe shape. Current open pit and underground mapping of the pipe shape corresponds well to the final 2015 geological model and contact changes observed are within the expected level of confidence for an Indicated Resource. This study demonstrates that a sound understanding of the geological emplacement is key to developing a reliable 3D geological and resource model that can be used for targeted delineation drilling, feasibility studies and during the initial stages of mining.

Big Sky and Greenhorn Drill Holes and CheMin X-ray Diffraction

NASA Image and Video Library

2015-12-17

The graph at right presents information from the NASA Curiosity Mars rover's onboard analysis of rock powder drilled from the "Big Sky" and "Greenhorn" target locations, shown at left. X-ray diffraction analysis of the Greenhorn sample inside the rover's Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin) instrument revealed an abundance of silica in the form of noncrystalline opal. The broad hump in the background of the X-ray diffraction pattern for Greenhorn, compared to Big Sky, is diagnostic of opal. The image of Big Sky at upper left was taken by the rover's Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) camera the day the hole was drilled, Sept. 29, 2015, during the mission's 1,119th Martian day, or sol. The Greenhorn hole was drilled, and the MAHLI image at lower left was taken, on Oct. 18, 2015 (Sol 1137). http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA20272

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mungania, J.

Olkaria Geothermal area is located in the central sector of the Kenya, Rift Valley. A 45MW Geothermal power station has been operational at Olkaria since 1985 supplied by 22 of the 26 wells drilled in the Eastern production field (EPF). Between 1988 and 1993, eight more wells referred to as {open_quote}replacement wells{close_quote} were drilled in the same field to boost steam supply to the station. Petrographic analyses of the drill cuttings is usually done to determine detail stratigraphy of the field, extends of hydrothermal activity, subsurface structures and other parameters which may influence production potential of a well. Analyses ofmore » the drill cuttings from the EPF wells show that: Variations in the whole rock alteration intensities correlate with differences in rocktypes. Permeable horizons, especially the productive feeder zones are well marked by enhanced hydrothermal minerals depositions, mainly quartz, calcite, pyrite and epidote. Other aspects of state of reservoir like boiling are signified by presence of bladed calcite.« less

Physical exploration for uranium during 1951 in the Silver Reef district, Washington County, Utah

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stugard, Frederick

1953-01-01

During 1951 a joint exploration program of the most promising uraniferous areas in the Silver Reef district was made by the U.S. Geological Survey and the u.S. Atomic Energy Commission.  A U.S. Bureau of Mines drill crew, on contract to the Atomic Energy Commission, did 2,450 feet of diamond drilling under the geological supervision of the U.S. Geological Survey.  The purpose of the drilling was to delineate broadly the favorable ground for commercial development of the uranium depostis.  Ten drill holes were located around Pumpkin Point, which is the northeastern end of Buckeye Reef, to probe for extensions of small ore shootsmined on the Point in fine-grained sandstones of the Chinle formation.  Three additional holes were located around teh Tecumseh Hill to prbe for extensions of the small showings of uranium-bearing rocks of Buckeye Reef.

Data transmission element for downhole drilling components

DOEpatents

Hall, David R.; Hall, Jr., H. Tracy; Pixton, David S.; Dahlgren, Scott; Fox, Joe; Sneddon, Cameron; Briscoe, Michael

2006-01-31

A robust data transmission element for transmitting information between downhole components, such as sections of drill pipe, in the presence of hostile environmental conditions, such as heat, dirt, rocks, mud, fluids, lubricants, and the like. The data transmission element components include a generally U-shaped annular housing, a generally U-shaped magnetically conductive, electrically insulating element such as ferrite, and an insulated conductor. Features on the magnetically conducting, electrically insulating element and the annular housing create a pocket when assembled. The data transmission element is filled with a polymer to retain the components within the annular housing by filling the pocket with the polymer. The polymer can bond with the annular housing and the insulated conductor but preferably not the magnetically conductive, electrically insulating element. A data transmission element is mounted within a recess proximate a mating surface of a downhole drilling component, such as a section of drill pipe.

Laboratory Permeability and Seismic velocity anisotropy measurements across the Alpine Fault, New Zealand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faulkner, D.; Allen, M. J.; Tatham, D.; Mariani, E.; Boulton, C. J.

2015-12-01

The Alpine Fault, a transpressional plate boundary between the Australia-Pacific plates, is known to rupture periodically (200-400yr) with large magnitude earthquakes (Mw~8) and is currently nearing the end of its latest interseismic period. The hydraulic and elastic properties of fault zones influence the nature and style of earthquake rupture and associated processes; investigating these properties in Alpine Fault rocks yields insights into conditions late in the seismic cycle. We present a suite of laboratory permeability and P (Vp) and S (Vs) wave velocity measurements preformed on diverse fault rock lithologies recovered during the first phase of the Deep Fault Drilling Project (DFDP-1). DFDP-1 drilled two boreholes reaching depths of 100.6m and 151.4m and retrieved fault rocks from both the hanging wall and footwall, including ultramylonites, ultracomminuted gouges and variably foliated and unfoliated cataclasites. Drilling revealed a typical shallow fault structure: localised principal slip zones (PSZ) of gouge nested within a damage zone overprinted by a zone of alteration, a record of enhanced fluid-rock interaction. Core material was tested in three orthogonal directions, orientated relative to the down core axis and, when present, foliation. Measurements were conducted with pore pressure held at 5MPa over an effective pressure (Peff) range of 5-105MPa, equivalent to pressure conditions down to ~7km depth. Using the Pulse Transient technique permeabilities at Peff=5MPa range from 10-17 to 10-20m2, decreasing to 10-18 to 10-21m2 at Peff=105MPa. Vp and Vs decrease with increased proximity to the PSZ with Vp in the hanging wall spanning 4500-5900m/s, dropping to 3900-4200m/s at the PSZ and then increasing to 4400-5600m/s in the foot wall. Wave velocities and permeability are enhanced parallel to tectonic fabrics e.g. foliation defined by aligned phyllosillicates and quartz- feldspar clasts. These measurements constrain interseismic conditions within the Alpine Fault, a zone of damaged rock pervasively altered with phyllosilicates and carbonates.

Lower crustal section of the Oman Ophiolite drilled in Hole GT1A, ICDP Oman Drilling Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Umino, S.; Kelemen, P. B.; Matter, J. M.; Coggon, J. A.; Takazawa, E.; Michibayashi, K.; Teagle, D. A. H.

2017-12-01

Hole GT1A (22° 53.535'N, 58° 30.904'E) was drilled by the Oman Drilling Project (OmDP) into GT1A of the Samail ophiolite, Oman. OmDP is an international collaboration supported by the International Continental Scientific Drilling Program, the Deep Carbon Observatory, NSF, IODP, JAMSTEC, and the European, Japanese, German and Swiss Science Foundations, with in-kind support in Oman from the Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Water Resources, Public Authority of Mining, Sultan Qaboos University, and the German University of Technology. Hole GT1A was diamond cored in 22 Jan to 08 Feb 2017 to a total depth of 403.05 m. The outer surfaces of the cores were imaged and described on site before being curated, boxed and shipped to the IODP drill ship Chikyu, where they underwent comprehensive visual and instrumental analysis. Hole GT1A drilled the lower crustal section in the southern Oman Ophiolite and recovered 401.52 m of total cores (99.6% recovery). The main lithology is dominated by olivine gabbro (65.9%), followed in abundance by olivine-bearing gabbro (21.5%) and olivine melagabbro (3.9%). Minor rock types are orthopyroxene-bearing olivine gabbro (2.4%), oxide-bearing olivine gabbro (1.5%), gabbro (1.1%), anorthositic gabbro (1%), troctolitic gabbro (0.8%); orthopyroxene-bearing gabbro (0.5%), gabbronorite (0.3%); and dunite (0.3%). These rocks are divided into Lithologic Unit I to VII at 26.62 m, 88.16 m, 104.72 m, 154.04 m, 215.22 m, 306.94 m in Chikyu Curated Depth in descending order; Unit I and II consist of medium-grained olivine gabbro with lower olivine abundance in Unit II. Unit III is medium-grained olivine melagabbros, marked by an increase in olivine. Unit IV is relatively homogenous medium-grained olivine gabbros with granular textures. Unit V is identified by the appearance of fine-grained gabbros, but the major rocktypes are medium grained olivine gabbros. Unit VI is medium-grained olivine gabbro, marked by appearance of orthopyroxene. Unit VII is of fine- to medium-grained olivine gabbros with less olivine.

Implications of Eocene-age Philippine Sea and forearc basalts for initiation and early history of the Izu-Bonin-Mariana arc

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yogodzinski, Gene M.; Bizimis, Michael; Hickey-Vargas, Rosemary; McCarthy, Anders; Hocking, Benjamin D.; Savov, Ivan P.; Ishizuka, Osamu; Arculus, Richard

2018-05-01

Whole-rock isotope ratio (Hf, Nd, Pb, Sr) and trace element data for basement rocks at ocean drilling Sites U1438, 1201 and 447 immediately west of the KPR (Kyushu-Palau Ridge) are compared to those of FAB (forearc basalts) previously interpreted to be the initial products of IBM subduction volcanism. West-of-KPR basement basalts (drill sites U1438, 1201, 447) and FAB occupy the same Hf-Nd and Pb-Pb isotopic space and share distinctive source characteristics with εHf mostly > 16.5 and up to εHf = 19.8, which is more radiogenic than most Indian mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB). Lead isotopic ratios are depleted, with 206Pb/204Pb = 17.8-18.8 accompanying relatively high 208Pb/204Pb, indicating an Indian-MORB source unlike that of West Philippine Basin plume basalts. Some Sr isotopes show affects of seawater alteration, but samples with 87Sr/86Sr < 0.7034 and εNd > 8.0 appear to preserve magmatic compositions and also indicate a common source for west-of-KPR basement and FAB. Trace element ratios resistant to seawater alteration (La/Yb, Lu/Hf, Zr/Nb, Sm/Nd) in west-of-KPR basement are generally more depleted than normal MORB and so also appear similar to FAB. At Site U1438, only andesite sills intruding sedimentary rocks overlying the basement have subduction-influenced geochemical characteristics (εNd ∼ 6.6, εHf ∼ 13.8, La/Yb > 2.5, Nd/Hf ∼ 9). The key characteristic that unites drill site basement rocks west of KPR and FAB is the nature of their source, which is more depleted in lithophile trace elements than average MORB but with Hf, Nd, and Pb isotope ratios that are common in MORB. The lithophile element-depleted nature of FAB has been linked to initiation of IBM subduction in the Eocene, but Sm-Nd model ages and errorchron relationships in Site U1438 basement indicate that the depleted character of the rocks is a regional characteristic that was produced well prior to the time of subduction initiation and persists today in the source of modern IBM arc volcanic rocks with Sm/Nd > 0.34 and εNd ∼ 9.0.

Geological and geochemical studies in the Wadi Bidah District, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, C.W.; Waters, B.C.; Naqvi, M.; Worl, R.G.; Helaby, A.M.; Flanigan, V.J.; Sadek, H.S.; Samater, R.M.

1983-01-01

Geological and geochemical followup studies of airborne electromagnetic anomalies in the Wadi Bidah district, southwestern Saudi Arabia, did not reveal metals of economic grade. Investigation of an anomaly enclosing the Rabathan ancient mine disclosed tightly folded and sheared Proterozoic tuffaceous rocks interlayered mostly with chert, dolomite, carbonaceous rocks, and volcanic wacke including cherty iron-manganese formations slightly anomalous in copper and zinc. Three drill holes placed to test anomalies within these formations yielded negative results. Studies of a long, narrow anomaly north of the Rabathan area indicated a similar geological environment. This northern area also contains limited zones that are highly anomalous in copper and zinc and extensive zones that are slightly anomalous in those metals. Drilling was not undertaken in this area. The Bilajimah airborne electromagnetic anomaly west of Wadi Bidah coincides with a broad synclinorium of layered felsic turfs and gossans. Geochemical studies indicated slightly anomalous copper, zinc, and silver values in gossans within the anomaly area. Two drill holes intersected carbonaceous rock that contained approximately 15 percent pyrrhotite and traces of sphalerite and chalcopyrite. Two geophysically anomalous areas west of Wadi Bidah surround ancient mines at Mahawiyah and Khayal al Masna'ah. Results of geochemical sampling at these workings were positive. An airborne electromagnetic anomaly located in the Assifar area in the southwestern corner of the Wadi Bidah district is underlain principally by metasedimentary rocks that include large linear zones of cherty iron-manganese formation and a few gossans .containing secondary base metal minerals. Detailed mapping and sampling of the Mulhal ancient mine, located west of Wadi Bidah, revealed two types of polymetallic gossans : (1) stratiform deposits interlayered with ignimbrites and mafic volcanic rocks and (2) barite-bearing gossanous material in shear zones that grade into hydrothermally altered shear zones and extend beyond the mine area. The gossans and gossanous shear zones contain anomalous amounts of gold, silver, lead, copper, zinc, barium, and selenium. Two gossans west of Wadi Bidah were mapped and sampled in detail; both gossans are interlayered, with siliceous volcanic rocks. Although the gossan at Jabal Mohr covers a large area, it contains low amounts of precious and base metals. The gossan at Mulhal No. 2 contains moderate to high amounts of gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc.

National Uranium Resource Evaluation. Volume 1. Summary of the geology and uranium potential of Precambrian conglomerates in southeastern Wyoming

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Karlstrom, K.E.; Houston, R.S.; Flurkey, A.J.

1981-02-01

A series of uranium-, thorium-, and gold-bearing conglomerates in Late Archean and Early Proterozoic metasedimentary rocks have been discovered in southern Wyoming. The mineral deposits were found by applying the time and strata bound model for the origin of uranium-bearing quartz-pebble conglomerates to favorable rock types within a geologic terrane known from prior regional mapping. No mineral deposits have been discovered that are of current (1981) economic interest, but preliminary resource estimates indicate that over 3418 tons of uranium and over 1996 tons of thorium are present in the Medicine Bow Mountains and that over 440 tons of uranium andmore » 6350 tons of thorium are present in Sierra Madre. Sampling has been inadequate to determine gold resources. High grade uranium deposits have not been detected by work to date but local beds of uranium-bearing conglomerate contain as much as 1380 ppM uranium over a thickness of 0.65 meters. This project has involved geologic mapping at scales from 1/6000 to 1/50,000 detailed sampling, and the evaluation of 48 diamond drill holes, but the area is too large to fully establish the economic potential with the present information. This first volume summarizes the geologic setting and geologic and geochemical characteristics of the uranium-bearing conglomerates. Volume 2 contains supporting geochemical data, lithologic logs from 48 drill holes in Precambrian rocks, and drill site geologic maps and cross-sections from most of the holes. Volume 3 is a geostatistical resource estimate of uranium and thorium in quartz-pebble conglomerates.« less

Hydrocarbon Source Rocks in the Deep River and Dan River Triassic Basins, North Carolina

USGS Publications Warehouse

Reid, Jeffrey C.; Milici, Robert C.

2008-01-01

This report presents an interpretation of the hydrocarbon source rock potential of the Triassic sedimentary rocks of the Deep River and Dan River basins, North Carolina, based on previously unpublished organic geochemistry data. The organic geochemical data, 87 samples from 28 drill holes, are from the Sanford sub-basin (Cumnock Formation) of the Deep River basin, and from the Dan River basin (Cow Branch Formation). The available organic geochemical data are biased, however, because many of the samples collected for analyses by industry were from drill holes that contained intrusive diabase dikes, sills, and sheets of early Mesozoic age. These intrusive rocks heated and metamorphosed the surrounding sediments and organic matter in the black shale and coal bed source rocks and, thus, masked the source rock potential that they would have had in an unaltered state. In places, heat from the intrusives generated over-mature vitrinite reflectance (%Ro) profiles and metamorphosed the coals to semi-anthracite, anthracite, and coke. The maximum burial depth of these coal beds is unknown, and depth of burial may also have contributed to elevated thermal maturation profiles. The organic geochemistry data show that potential source rocks exist in the Sanford sub-basin and Dan River basin and that the sediments are gas prone rather than oil prone, although both types of hydrocarbons were generated. Total organic carbon (TOC) data for 56 of the samples are greater than the conservative 1.4% TOC threshold necessary for hydrocarbon expulsion. Both the Cow Branch Formation (Dan River basin) and the Cumnock Formation (Deep River basin, Sanford sub-basin) contain potential source rocks for oil, but they are more likely to have yielded natural gas. The organic material in these formations was derived primarily from terrestrial Type III woody (coaly) material and secondarily from lacustrine Type I (algal) material. Both the thermal alteration index (TAI) and vitrinite reflectance data (%Ro) indicate levels of thermal maturity suitable for generation of hydrocarbons. The genetic potential of the source rocks in these Triassic basins is moderate to high and many source rock sections have at least some potential for hydrocarbon generation. Some data for the Cumnock Formation indicate a considerably higher source rock potential than the basin average, with S1 + S2 data in the mid-20 mg HC/g sample range, and some hydrocarbons have been generated. This implies that the genetic potential for all of these strata may have been higher prior to the igneous activity. However, the intergranular porosity and permeability of the Triassic strata are low, which makes fractured reservoirs more attractive as drilling targets. In some places, gravity and magnetic surveys that are used to locate buried intrusive rock may identify local thermal sources that have facilitated gas generation. Alternatively, awareness of the distribution of large intrusive igneous bodies at depth may direct exploration into other areas, where thermal maturation is less than the limits of hydrocarbon destruction. Areas prospective for natural gas also contain large surficial clay resources and any gas discovered could be used as fuel for local industries that produce clay products (principally brick), as well as fuel for other local industries.

Nature Drilling Exposes Deeply Buried Minerals

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-03-08

This image from NASA Mars Global Surveyor and Mars Odyssey spacecraft shows the context for orbital observations of exposed rocks that had been buried on Mars. The area is dominated by the Huygens crater, which is about the size of Wisconsin.

Non-Newtonian fluid flow in 2D fracture networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zou, L.; Håkansson, U.; Cvetkovic, V.

2017-12-01

Modeling of non-Newtonian fluid (e.g., drilling fluids and cement grouts) flow in fractured rocks is of interest in many geophysical and industrial practices, such as drilling operations, enhanced oil recovery and rock grouting. In fractured rock masses, the flow paths are dominated by fractures, which are often represented as discrete fracture networks (DFN). In the literature, many studies have been devoted to Newtonian fluid (e.g., groundwater) flow in fractured rock using the DFN concept, but few works are dedicated to non-Newtonian fluids.In this study, a generalized flow equation for common non-Newtonian fluids (such as Bingham, power-law and Herschel-Bulkley) in a single fracture is obtained from the analytical solutions for non-Newtonian fluid discharge between smooth parallel plates. Using Monte Carlo sampling based on site characterization data for the distribution of geometrical features (e.g., density, length, aperture and orientations) in crystalline fractured rock, a two dimensional (2D) DFN model is constructed for generic flow simulations. Due to complex properties of non-Newtonian fluids, the relationship between fluid discharge and the pressure gradient is nonlinear. A Galerkin finite element method solver is developed to iteratively solve the obtained nonlinear governing equations for the 2D DFN model. Using DFN realizations, simulation results for different geometrical distributions of the fracture network and different non-Newtonian fluid properties are presented to illustrate the spatial discharge distributions. The impact of geometrical structures and the fluid properties on the non-Newtonian fluid flow in 2D DFN is examined statistically. The results generally show that modeling non-Newtonian fluid flow in fractured rock as a DFN is feasible, and that the discharge distribution may be significantly affected by the geometrical structures as well as by the fluid constitutive properties.

Ocean Drilling: Forty Years of International Collaboration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Deborah K.; Exon, Neville; Barriga, Fernando J. A. S.; Tatsumi, Yoshiyuki

2010-10-01

International cooperation is an essential component of modern scientific research and societal advancement [see Ismail-Zadeh and Beer, 2009], and scientific ocean drilling represents one of Earth science's longest-running and most successful international collaborations. The strength of this collaboration and its continued success result from the realization that scientific ocean drilling provides a unique and powerful tool to study the critical processes of both short-term change and the long-term evolution of Earth systems. A record of Earth's changing tectonics, climate, ocean circulation, and biota is preserved in marine sedimentary deposits and the underlying basement rocks. And because the ocean floor is the natural site for accumulation and preservation of geological materials, it may preserve a continuous record of these processes.

Geohydrologic and drill-hole data for test well USW H-1, adjacent to Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rush, F.E.; Thordarson, W.; Bruckheimer, L.

This report presents data collected to determine the hydraulic characteristics of rocks penetrated in test well USW H-1. The well is one of a series of test wells drilled in and near the southwestern part of the Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada, in a program conducted on behalf of the US Department of Energy. These investigations are part of the Nevada Nuclear Waste Storage Investigations to identify suitable sites for storage of high-level radioactive wastes. Data on drilling operations, lithology, borehole geophysics, hydrologic monitoring, core analysis, ground-water chemistry and pumping and injection tests for well USW H-1 are inmore » this report.« less

Effect of Stemming to Burden Ratio and Powder Factor on Blast Induced Rock Fragmentation- A Case Study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prasad, Sandeep; Choudhary, B. S.; Mishra, A. K.

2017-08-01

Rock fragmentation size is very important parameters for economical point of view in any surface mining. Rock fragment size direct effects on the costs of drilling, blasting, loading, secondary blasting and crushing. The main purpose of this study is to investigate effect of blast design parameters such as burden, blast hole length, stemming length, and powder factor on rock fragmentation. The fragment sizes (MFS, K50, m), and maximum fragment size (K95, m) of rock were determined by using the computer software. For every blast, after blasting operation, the images of whole muck pile are captured and there images were used for fragmentation analysis by using the Fragalyst software. It was observed that the optimal fragment size (MFS, K50, m and maximum fragment size, K95, m) of rock depends strongly on the blast design parameters and explosive parameters.

Arsenic behavior in newly drilled wells.

PubMed

Kim, Myoung-Jin; Nriagu, Jerome; Haack, Sheridan

2003-07-01

In the present paper, inorganic arsenic species and chemical parameters in groundwater were determined to investigate the factors related to the distribution of arsenic species and their dissolution from rock into groundwater. For the study, groundwater and core samples were taken at different depths of two newly drilled wells in Huron and Lapeer Counties, Michigan. Results show that total arsenic concentrations in the core samples varied, ranging from 0.8 to 70.7 mg/kg. Iron concentration in rock was about 1800 times higher than that of arsenic, and there was no correlation between arsenic and iron occurrences in the rock samples. Arsenic concentrations in groundwater ranged from <1 to 171 microg/l. The arsenic concentration in groundwater depended on the amount of arsenic in aquifer rocks, and as well decreased with increasing depth. Over 90% of arsenic existed in the form of As(III), implying that the groundwater systems were in the reduced condition. The results such as high ferrous ion, low redox potential and low dissolved oxygen supported the observed arsenic species distribution. There was no noticeable difference in the total arsenic concentration and arsenic species ratio between unfiltered and filtered (0.45 microm) waters, indicating that the particulate form of arsenic was negligible in the groundwater samples. There were correlations between water sampling depth and chemical parameters, and between arsenic concentration and chemical parameters, however, the trends were not always consistent in both wells.

Mapping porosity of the deep critical zone in 3D using near-surface geophysics, rock physics modeling, and drilling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flinchum, B. A.; Holbrook, W. S.; Grana, D.; Parsekian, A.; Carr, B.; Jiao, J.

2017-12-01

Porosity is generated by chemical, physical and biological processes that work to transform bedrock into soil. The resulting porosity structure can provide specifics about these processes and can improve understanding groundwater storage in the deep critical zone. Near-surface geophysical methods, when combined with rock physics and drilling, can be a tool used to map porosity over large spatial scales. In this study, we estimate porosity in three-dimensions (3D) across a 58 Ha granite catchment. Observations focus on seismic refraction, downhole nuclear magnetic resonance logs, downhole sonic logs, and samples of core acquired by push coring. We use a novel petrophysical approach integrating two rock physics models, a porous medium for the saprolite and a differential effective medium for the fractured rock, that drive a Bayesian inversion to calculate porosity from seismic velocities. The inverted geophysical porosities are within about 0.05 m3/m3 of lab measured values. We extrapolate the porosity estimates below seismic refraction lines to a 3D volume using ordinary kriging to map the distribution of porosity in 3D up to depths of 80 m. This study provides a unique map of porosity on scale never-before-seen in critical zone science. Estimating porosity on these large spatial scales opens the door for improving and understanding the processes that shape the deep critical zone.

Listvenite formation from peridotite: Insights from Oman Drilling Project hole BT1B and preliminary reaction path model approach.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Obeso, J. C.; Kelemen, P. B.; Manning, C. E.; Michibayashi, K.; Harris, M.

2017-12-01

Oman Drilling Project hole BT1B drilled 300 meters through the basal thrust of the Samail ophiolite. The first 200 meters of this hole are dominated by listvenites (completely carbonated peridotites) and serpentinites. Below 200 meters the hole is mainly composed of metasediments and metavolcanics. This core provides a unique record of interaction between (a) mantle peridotite in the leading edge of the mantle wedge and (b) hydrous, CO2 rich fluids derived from subducting lithologies similar to those in the metamorphic sole. We used EQ3/6 to simulate a reaction path in which hydrous fluid in equilibrium with qtz + calcite + feldspar + chlorite or smectite reacts with initially fresh peridotite at 100°C (the estimated temperature of alteration, Falk & Kelemen GCA 2015) and 5 kb. Water was first equilibrated with minerals observed during core description in the metamorphic sole at 100°C and 5kb. This fluid is then reacted with olivine enstatite and diopside (Mg#90) approximating the average composition of residual mantle peridotite (harzburgite) in Oman. Secondary minerals resulting from complete reaction are then reacted again with the initial fluid in an iterative process, up to water/rock > 1000. Water/rock close to 1 results in complete serpentinization of the peridotite, with chrysotile, brucite and magnetite as the only minerals. Water/rock >10 produces carbonates, chlorite and talc. Further increasing water/rock to > 100 produces assemblages dominated by carbonates and quartz with minor muscovite, similar to listvenites of hole BT1B that contain qtz + carbonates + Fe-oxyhydroxides + relict spinel ± chromian muscovite and fuchsite. The results of this preliminary model are consistent with the complex veining history of core from BT1B, with carbonate/iron oxide veins in both listvenites and serpentinites interpreted to be the earliest record of peridotite carbonation after initial serpentinization.

Color View of a 'Rat' Hole Trail Inside 'Endurance'

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

This view from the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's panoramic camera is an approximately true color rendering of the first seven holes that the rover's rock abrasion tool dug on the inner slope of 'Endurance Crater.' The rover was about 12 meters (about 39 feet) down into the crater when it acquired the images combined into this mosaic. The view is looking back toward the rim of the crater, with the rover's tracks visible. The tailings around the holes drilled by the rock abrasion tool, or 'Rat,' show evidence for fine-grained red hematite similar to what was observed months earlier in 'Eagle Crater' outcrop holes.

Starting from the uppermost pictured (closest to the crater rim) to the lowest, the rock abrasion tool hole targets are called 'Tennessee,' 'Cobblehill,' 'Virginia,' 'London,' 'Grindstone,' 'Kettlestone,' and 'Drammensfjorden.' Opportunity drilled these holes on sols 138 (June 13, 2004), 143 (June 18), 145 (June 20), 148 (June 23), 151 (June 26), 153 (June 28) and 161 (July 7), respectively. Each hole is 4.5 centimeters (1.8 inches) in diameter.

This image was generated using the panoramic camera's 750-, 530-, and 430-nanometer filters. It was taken on sol 173 (July 19).

Evidence from Ocean Drilling Program Leg 149 mafic igneous rocks for oceanic crust in the Iberia Abyssal Plain ocean-continent transition zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seifert, Karl E.; Chang, Cheng-Wen; Brunotte, Dale A.

1997-04-01

Leg 149 of the Ocean Drilling Program explored the ocean-continent transition (OCT) on the Iberia Abyssal Plain and its role in the opening of the Atlantic Ocean approximately 130 Ma. Mafic igneous rocks recovered from Holes 899B and 900A have Mid-Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB) trace element and isotopic characteristics indicating that a spreading center was active during the opening of the Iberia Abyssal Plain OCT. The Hole 899B weathered basalt and diabase clasts have transitional to enriched MORB rare earth element characteristics, and the Hole 900A metamorphosed gabbros have MORB initial epsilon Nd values between +6 and +11. During the opening event the Iberia Abyssal Plain OCT is envisioned to have resembled the central and northern parts of the present Red Sea with localized spreading centers and magma chambers producing localized patches of MORB mafic rocks. The lack of a normal ocean floor magnetic anomaly pattern in the Iberia Abyssal Plain means that a continuous spreading center similar to that observed in the present southern Red Sea was not formed before spreading ceased in the Iberia Abyssal Plain OCT and jumped to the present Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

Buried Mesozoic rift basins of Moroccan Atlantic continental margin

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mohamed, N.; Jabour, H.; El Mostaine, M.

1995-08-01

The Atlantic continental margin is the largest frontier area for oil and gas exploration in Morocco. Most of the activity has been concentrated where Upper Jurassic carbonate rocks have been the drilling objectives, with only one significant but non commercial oil discovery. Recent exploration activities have focused on early Mesozoic Rift basins buried beneath the post-rift sediments of the Middle Atlantic coastal plain. Many of these basins are of interest because they contain fine-grained lacustrine rocks that have sufficient organic richness to be classified as efficient oil prone source rock. Location of inferred rift basins beneath the Atlantic coastal plainmore » were determined by analysis of drilled-hole data in combination with gravity anomaly and aeromagnetic maps. These rift basins are characterized by several half graben filled by synrift sediments of Triassic age probably deposited in lacustrine environment. Coeval rift basins are known to be present in the U.S. Atlantic continental margin. Basin modeling suggested that many of the less deeply bored rift basins beneath the coastal plain are still within the oil window and present the most attractive exploration targets in the area.« less

Geochemical and microstructural evidence for interseismic changes in fault zone permeability and strength, Alpine Fault, New Zealand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boulton, Carolyn; Menzies, Catriona D.; Toy, Virginia G.; Townend, John; Sutherland, Rupert

2017-01-01

Oblique dextral motion on the central Alpine Fault in the last circa 5 Ma has exhumed garnet-oligoclase facies mylonitic fault rocks from ˜35 km depth. During exhumation, deformation, accompanied by fluid infiltration, has generated complex lithological variations in fault-related rocks retrieved during Deep Fault Drilling Project (DFDP-1) drilling at Gaunt Creek, South Island, New Zealand. Lithological, geochemical, and mineralogical results reveal that the fault comprises a core of highly comminuted cataclasites and fault gouges bounded by a damage zone containing cataclasites, protocataclasites, and fractured mylonites. The fault core-alteration zone extends ˜20-30 m from the principal slip zone (PSZ) and is characterized by alteration of primary phases to phyllosilicate minerals. Alteration associated with distinct mineral phases occurred proximal the brittle-to-plastic transition (T ≤ 300-400°C, 6-10 km depth) and at shallow depths (T = 20-150°C, 0-3 km depth). Within the fault core-alteration zone, fractures have been sealed by precipitation of calcite and phyllosilicates. This sealing has decreased fault normal permeability and increased rock mass competency, potentially promoting interseismic strain buildup.

Petroleum developments in North Africa in 1979

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nicod, M.A.

In the 6 countries covered by this report, the extent of valid petroleum rights, seismic work, and drilling was nearly the same as in 1978. The success rate of wildcat drilling decreased slightly, to 28% (33% in 1978), with 26 oil or gas discoveries. In southwestern Tunisia, the Amoco Sabrina Nord 1 tested 930 bbl of 39/sup 0/ APl oil from Cambrian-Ordovician sandstones - the first oil to come from lower Paleozoic rocks in Tunisia. First commercial oil from Cambrian-Ordovician rocks in western Libya was discovered by Agip A1-NC40 which flowed 1,400 b/d. Highlight of the year in North Africamore » was in the interior basin of Sudan where the Chevron Abu Gabra 1 tested 900 BOPD of 40/sup 0/ APl oil from Cretaceous rocks; 2 other wells, spudded in late 1979 in the same area, have tested 3,200 and 7,300 b/d, respectively, in early 1980. Discovery well of the interior basin was Chevron Unity 1 which tested small amounts of oil in 1978. Oil production in North Africa in 1979 averaged 3,939,500 b/d compared with 3,802,800 b/d in 1978, an increase of 3.6%.« less

Rock Driller

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Peterson, Thomas M.

2001-01-01

The next series of planetary exploration missions require a method of extracting rock and soil core samples. Therefore a prototype ultrasonic core driller (UTCD) was developed to meet the constraints of Small Bodies Exploration and Mars Sample Return Missions. The constraints in the design are size, weight, power, and axial loading. The ultrasonic transducer requires a relatively low axial load, which is one of the reasons this technology was chosen. The ultrasonic generator breadboard section can be contained within the 5x5x3 limits and weighs less than two pounds. Based on results attained the objectives for the first phase were achieved. A number of transducer probes were made and tested. One version only drills, and the other will actually provide a small core from a rock. Because of a more efficient transducer/probe, it will run at very low power (less than 5 Watts) and still drill/core. The prototype generator was built to allow for variation of all the performance-effecting elements of the transducer/probe/end effector, i.e., pulse, duty cycle, frequency, etc. The heart of the circuitry is what will be converted to a surface mounted board for the next phase, after all the parameters have been optimized and the microprocessor feedback can be installed.

Real-Time Fluid and Gas Monitoring During Drilling of the SAFOD Main Hole in Parkfield, CA.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiersberg, T.; Erzinger, J.

2005-12-01

Little is known about the role and origin of fluids and gases associated with the San Andreas Fault zone (SAF). To gain information on fluids and gases at depth, we performed real-time mud gas monitoring during drilling of the SAFOD (San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth) Pilot Hole (PH) and Main Hole (MH). Gas extracted from returning drill mud was piped into a nearby laboratory trailer and analyzed on-line. Permanent gases were detected using a portable mass spectrometer, hydrocarbons with a gas chromatograph, and the 222Rn-activity with a Lucas-Cell detector. When significant amounts of non-atmospheric gases were detected, off-line gas samples were collected from the gas line for further isotope studies. The SAFOD PH and MH were drilled in only a few meter distance, but in contrast to the straight PH, which penetrates through 768 m of sediments into granites down to 2168 m target depth (TD), the nearby MH is deviated towards the SAF and returns into sedimentary strata below 1930 m. The MH drilled sedimentary rocks down to 3987 m TD, approximately 45 m northeast of the surface trace of the SAF. From surface to 1930 m, the depth distribution of gas is similar for SAFOD PH and MH. Shear zones, identified by geophysical logging, are often characterized by elevated concentrations of CH4, CO2, H2, Rn, and He. The same gases were found in the MH below 1930 m, but their concentrations were, with the exception of He, significantly higher: CH4, CO2, and H2 sometimes reach several volume percent. Generally, the gas composition is partly controlled by the lithology. Variation in the methane concentration in several depth intervals reflects the changes in lithology from low gas abundance in clays and silts to more gas rich shales, which are the source rocks for hydrocarbons. Highly porous and permeable sandstone yield the highest concentrations of hydrocarbons (up to 15 vol% methane), and may be regarded as reservoir rocks. We interpret high radon activities in mud gas as indicator for circulating fluids entering the borehole via fractures. These fluids are also rich in hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide, and hydrogen, but only low concentrated in helium. Such intervals could be identified in several depth intervals (2675-2750 m, 2825-2900 m, and 3550-3650 m depth, and below 3700 m). The hydrocarbons in the surrounding rocks show a similar composition as those associated with fault zones. In addition to the low helium concentration, these results demonstrate fluid migration from the nearby with only little evidence for gas migration from a deeper source. A striking observation is the high amount of hydrogen found in these intervals. We can exclude a significant contribution of artificial hydrogen (drilling artifact) and mantle hydrogen. From soil gas studies, it is known that fault zones sometimes show enhanced concentration of hydrogen. As a possible source of hydrogen, the interaction of water with freshly ground rock, caused by fault zone movement, is discussed. Isotopic studies on hydrogen in combination with laboratory experiments are ongoing to test hydrogen synthesis by rock-water interaction. First isotopic studies on δ13C of methane indicate mixing of microbial methane with only small amounts of methane generated by thermal degradation of organic matter in the shallower depth (down to ~2500 m). Below this depth, the concentration of heavy hydrocarbons increases. CH4/(C2H6+C3H8) significantly drops from >100 to values <30 towards the bottom of the MH, and, methane becomes isotopically heavier, which is more typical for thermogenic hydrocarbons.

Rotary Percussive Auto-Gopher for Deep Drilling and Sampling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bar-Cohen, Yoseph; Badescu, Mircea; Sherrit, Stewart

2009-01-01

The term "rotary percussive auto-gopher" denotes a proposed addition to a family of apparatuses, based on ultrasonic/ sonic drill corers (USDCs), that have been described in numerous previous NASA Tech Briefs articles. These apparatuses have been designed, variously, for boring into, and/or acquiring samples of, rock or other hard, brittle materials of geological interest. In the case of the rotary percussive autogopher, the emphasis would be on developing an apparatus capable of penetrating to, and acquiring samples at, depths that could otherwise be reached only by use of much longer, heavier, conventional drilling-and-sampling apparatuses. To recapitulate from the prior articles about USDCs: A USDC can be characterized as a lightweight, low-power jackhammer in which a piezoelectrically driven actuator generates ultrasonic vibrations and is coupled to a tool bit through a free mass. The bouncing of the free mass between the actuator horn and the drill bit converts the actuator ultrasonic vibrations into sonic hammering of the drill bit. The combination of ultrasonic and sonic vibrations gives rise to a hammering action (and a resulting chiseling action at the tip of the tool bit) that is more effective for drilling than is the microhammering action of ultrasonic vibrations alone. The hammering and chiseling actions are so effective that the size of the axial force needed to make the tool bit advance into soil, rock, or another material of interest is much smaller than in ordinary rotary drilling, ordinary hammering, or ordinary steady pushing. The predecessor of the rotary percussive auto-gopher is an apparatus, now denoted an ultrasonic/sonic gopher and previously denoted an ultrasonic gopher, described in "Ultrasonic/ Sonic Mechanism for Drilling and Coring" (NPO-30291), NASA Tech Briefs Vol. 27, No. 9 (September 2003), page 65. The ultrasonic/sonic gopher is intended for use mainly in acquiring cores. The name of the apparatus reflects the fact that, like a gopher, it periodically stops advancing at the end of the hole to bring excavated material (in this case, a core sample) to the surface, then re-enters the hole to resume the advance of the end of the hole. By use of a cable suspended from a reel on the surface, the gopher is lifted from the hole to remove a core sample, then lowered into the hole to resume the advance and acquire the next core sample.

Crater Morphology in the Phoenix Landing Ellipse: Insights Into Net Erosion and Ice Table Depth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Noe Dobrea, E. Z.; Stoker, C. R.; McKay, C. P.; Davila, A. F.; Krco, M.

2015-01-01

Icebreaker [1] is a Discovery class mission being developed for future flight opportunities. Under this mission concept, the Icebreaker payload is carried on a stationary lander, and lands in the same landing ellipse as Phoenix. Samples are acquired from the subsurface using a drilling system that penetrates into materials which may include loose or cemented soil, icy soil, pure ice, rocks, or mixtures of these. To avoid the complexity of mating additional strings, the drill is single-string, limiting it to a total length of 1 m.

Summary of the Issues Regarding The Martian Subsurface Explorer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eustes, A. W., III; Gertsch, L. S.; Lu, N.; Bridgford, E.; Tischler, A.; Stoner, M. S.; Wilcox, B. H.

2000-01-01

This is a summary of research work accomplished to date for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory by the Colorado School of Mines and the Michigan Technological University for the Martian Subsurface Explorer (SSX). The task involved a thorough review of the state of the art in drilling in the petroleum and mining industries in the following areas: 1) Drilling mechanics and energy requirements. 2) Sidewall friction in boreholes. 3) Rock property characteristics of basalt, permafrost, and ice. 4) Cuttings transport and recompaction of cuttings. and 5) Directional control at odd angle interfaces.

Deep Bore Storage of Nuclear Waste Using MMW (Millimeter Wave) Technology, STTR Fast Track Project, Phase I Final Report-Revised

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Oglesby, Kenneth D.; Woskov, Paul; Einstein, Herbert

This report covers the technical work in Phase I of this DOE-Nuclear Program STTR Fast Track project. All key tasks were successfully performed, new tasks were added to utilize DOD-AFRL’s 95 GigaHertz (GHz) gyrotron in Phase II, while other lesser tasks were left for Phase II efforts or were requested to be made optional. This research adds to our understanding of using MMW power to melt and vaporize rocks and steel/ metals and laid plans for future testing in Phase II. This work built upon a prior DOE project DE-EE0005504 that developed the basic waveguide setup, process and instruments. Inmore » this project we were investigating the use of MMW to form rock melt and steel plugs in deep wells to further isolate highly radioactive nuclear waste in ultra-deep basement rocks for long term storage. This technology also has potential for deep well drilling for nuclear storage, geothermal and oil and gas industries. It also has the potential for simultaneously sealing and securing the wellbore with a thick rock melt liner as the wellbore is drilled. This allows for higher levels of safety and protection of the environment during deep drilling operations. The larger purpose of this project was to find answers to key questions in progressing MMW technology for these applications. Phase I of this project continued bench testing using the MIT 10 kilo-Watt (kW), 28 GHz frequency laboratory gyrotron, literature searches, planning and design of equipment for Phase II efforts. Furnace melting and rock testing (Tasks 4 and 5) were deferred to Phase II due to lack of concurrent availability of the furnace and personnel at MIT. That delay and lower temperature furnace (limited to 1650oC) caused rethinking of Task 4 to utilize coordinated rock selection with the DOD testing in Phase II. The high pressure and high power window design work (moved to Phase I Task 3 from Phase II Task 20) and Additive materials and methods (Tasks 7 & 8) performed in Phase I may become patentable and thus little detail can be provided in this public report. A version of that new high pressure, high MMW power window may be built for possible Phase II testing at the DOD site. Most significantly, additional tasks were added for planning the use of the Department of Defense, Air Force Research Laboratory’s (DOD-AFRL’s) System 0 gyrotron in Phase II. Specifically added and accomplished were multiple discussions on DOD and DOE-MIT-Impact goals, timing between ongoing DOD testing, outlining the required equipment and instruments for rock testing, and terms for an agreement. That addition required a visit to Kirtland AFB in Albuquerque, New Mexico to talk to key DOD-AFRL personnel and management. A DOD-Impact-MIT charter (i.e., contract) is now being circulated for signatures. Also added task to Phase I, MIT designed the critical path reflected power isolator screen for Phase II testing. To ensure compatibility, that design was computer simulated for the expected heat load distribution and the resulting temperature increase. Advancing the MMW testing up to the optimum 95 GHz and 100kW (5X higher) power levels was stated in the original proposal to be a key required development step for this technology to achieve prototype drilling, lining, and rock melting/ vaporization for creating sealing plugs.« less

Trace Metal Geochemistry and Mobility in the Marcellus Shale

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Drilling and “fracing” of the Marcellus shale causes fluid‐rock interactions that has the potential to mobilize metals naturally enriched in the shale. While these metal concentrations are low, their mobilization from the solid, is cause for further study

Hazardous Waste Cleanup: Curtiss-Wright in Kearny, New Jersey

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The site is located in Phillipsburg, New Jersey and was operated by Ingersoll Rand Company. Ingersoll Rand began facility construction in 1903 and produced products such as pumps, turbo equipment, air and gas compressors, rock drills, and mining equipment.

A Reference Section through the Lower Fast-spreading Oceanic Crust in the Wadi Gideah (Sumail ophiolite, Sultanate Oman): Drill Sites GT1A and GT2A within the ICDP Oman Drilling Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mueller, S.; Koepke, J.; Garbe-Schoenberg, C. D.; Müller, T.; Mock, D.; Strauss, H.; Schuth, S.; Ildefonse, B.

2017-12-01

In the absence of a complete profile through fast-spreading oceanic crust in modern oceans, we established a reference profile through the whole paleocrust of the Sumail Ophiolite (Oman), which is regarded as the best analogue for fast-spreading oceanic crust on land. For establishing a coherent data set, we sampled the Wadi Gideah in the Wadi-Tayin massif from the mantle section up to the pillow basalts and performed different analytical and structural investigations on the same suite of samples (pool sample concept). The whole sample set contains about 400 samples focusing on both primary magmatic rocks and hydrothermal fault zones to characterize initial formation processes and cooling of the crust. The Wadi Gideah hosts the sites GT1A (lower crust) and GT2A (foliated / layered gabbro transition) where 400 m long cores have been drilled in the frame of the ICDP Oman Drilling Project (OmanDP). Thus, the Wadi Gideah crustal transect is well-suited for providing a reference frame for these two drill cores. Major and trace element data on minerals and rocks reveal in-situ crystallization in the deep crust, thus strongly supporting a hybrid accretion model that is characterized by sheeted sill intrusion in the lower part of the plutonic crust and gabbro glacier features in the upper section. This hybrid model is also supported by results on crystallographic preferred orientations (CPO) of the minerals within the gabbros, which call for distinct formation mechanisms in the upper and lower gabbro sections. A requirement for our hybrid model is significant hydrothermal cooling in the lower crust for the consumption of the latent heat of crystallization. This was facilitated by channelled hydrothermal flow zones, preserved today in faulted zones of extensively altered gabbro cutting both layered and foliated gabbros. These gabbros show higher Sr87/Sr86 ratios if compared to the background gabbro, the presence of late stage minerals (amphibole, oxides, orthopyroxene, apatite) and evidence for hydrous partial melting, as consequence of fluid / rock interaction at very high temperatures. Obviously, these fault zones remained active for channelled fluid flow during the entire cooling stage of the oceanic crust down to low-temperature mineral assemblages.

Hydrogeologic Prospection With Vlf (very Low Frequency) In A Low Potential Hard Rock Aquifer Near Beja (south Portugal)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duque, J.

The use of geophysics prospection in hydrogeology is widely used as a way to find groundwater under difficult hydrogeologic potential rocks. The porphyric rocks lay- ered in the northern part of Beja city, are the most unproductive regional aquifer. Usu- ally this aquifer has an upper layer of 5 to 15 meters deep of weathered rock and a second layer build by fractures rock till 30 metres deep. Above this deep the probabil- ity to find groundwater is extremely low. For instance it is a very superficial aquifer that usually accomplish the topographic surface. The water use is essential for human purposes and here are used mainly for human and cattle supply. In order verify the goodness of a geophysic method and at the same time to supply a large farm called Herdade da Apariça, it was performed the geophysical method of Very Low Frequency (VLF-EM) with ABEM (WADI) equipment, in three areas previously defined by inter- pretation of aerial photography, as zones that have relative hydrogeological potential. It was performed a total of 5 profiles with 1970 m. The geophysic prospecting and hydrogeologic research allowed to drill 5 boreholes, being 4 extraction wells and 1 piezometric well. The productivity of the abstraction wells are between 2,000 L/h and 10,000 L/h, which is a very good yield when compared with the other yield values get from wells inside this aquifer. VLF proved in this conditions to be an essential tool to increment the tax success of drilling wells.

Vertical cross contamination of trichloroethylene in a borehole in fractured sandstone

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sterling, S.N.; Parker, B.L.; Cherry, J.A.; Williams, J.H.; Lane, J.W.; Haeni, F.P.

2005-01-01

Boreholes drilled through contaminated zones in fractured rock create the potential for vertical movement of contaminated ground water between fractures. The usual assumption is that purging eliminates cross contamination; however, the results of a field study conducted in a trichloroethylene (TCE) plume in fractured sandstone with a mean matrix porosity of 13% demonstrates that matrix-diffusion effects can be strong and persistent. A deep borehole was drilled to 110 m below ground surface (mbgs) near a shallow bedrock well containing high TCE concentrations. The borehole was cored continuously to collect closely spaced samples of rock for analysis of TCE concentrations. Geophysical logging and flowmetering were conducted in the open borehole, and a removable multilevel monitoring system was installed to provide hydraulic-head and ground water samples from discrete fracture zones. The borehole was later reamed to complete a well screened from 89 to 100 mbgs; persistent TCE concentrations at this depth ranged from 2100 to 33,000 ??g/L. Rock-core analyses, combined with the other types of borehole information, show that nearly all of this deep contamination was due to the lingering effects of the downward flow of dissolved TCE from shallower depths during the few days of open-hole conditions that existed prior to installation of the multilevel system. This study demonstrates that transfer of contaminant mass to the matrix by diffusion can cause severe cross contamination effects in sedimentary rocks, but these effects generally are not identified from information normally obtained in fractured-rock investigations, resulting in potential misinterpretation of site conditions. Copyright ?? 2005 National Ground Water Association.

Occurrence and availability of ground water in the Athens region, northeastern Georgia

USGS Publications Warehouse

Radtke, D.B.; Cressler, C.W.; Perlman, H.A.; Blanchard, H.E.; McFadden, K.W.; Brooks, Rebekah

1986-01-01

A study was conducted to assess the occurrence and availability of groundwater in the crystalline rocks of the Piedmont area in northeastern Georgia and to determine whether groundwater is a viable alternative or supplemental source for industrial, public and private supplies. The area is underlain by a variety of metamorphic and igneous rocks. The quantity of water that a rock unit can supply to wells is determined by the number, capacity, and interconnection of the secondary openings. Of an estimated 10,000 successful wells drilled in the Athens Region, 972 wells are reported by drilling contractors to supply from 20 to 300 gal/min. Studies of well sites revealed that high yielding wells can be developed only where the water bearing units have undergone significant increases in secondary permeability. This occurs mainly in association with (1) contact zones between rock units of contrasting character, (2) contact zones within multilayered rock units, (3) fault zones, (4) stress-relief fractures, and (5) shear zones. Groundwater may be a viable alternative or supplemental source for industrial, public, and private supplies in much of the Athens Region. In 1980, groundwater made up 38% (18 million gal/day) of the total water used in the area. Yields of 20 to more than 200 gal/min are obtained from wells throughout most of the region, and the water is generally of good chemical quality and is suitable for drinking and many other uses. Concentrations of dissolved constituents are fairly consistent throughout the area. Except for iron, manganese, and fluoride, dissolved constituents rarely exceed drinking water standards. (Lantz-PTT)

The mechanics and physics of fracturing: application to thermal aspects of crack propagation and to fracking.

PubMed

Cherepanov, Genady P

2015-03-28

By way of introduction, the general invariant integral (GI) based on the energy conservation law is presented, with mention of cosmic, gravitational, mass, elastic, thermal and electromagnetic energy of matter application to demonstrate the approach, including Coulomb's Law generalized for moving electric charges, Newton's Law generalized for coupled gravitational/cosmic field, the new Archimedes' Law accounting for gravitational and surface energy, and others. Then using this approach the temperature track behind a moving crack is found, and the coupling of elastic and thermal energies is set up in fracturing. For porous materials saturated with a fluid or gas, the notion of binary continuum is used to introduce the corresponding GIs. As applied to the horizontal drilling and fracturing of boreholes, the field of pressure and flow rate as well as the fluid output from both a horizontal borehole and a fracture are derived in the fluid extraction regime. The theory of fracking in shale gas reservoirs is suggested for three basic regimes of the drill mud permeation, with calculating the shape and volume of the local region of the multiply fractured rock in terms of the pressures of rock, drill mud and shale gas. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Numerical analysis of wellbore instability in gas hydrate formation during deep-water drilling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Huaiwen; Cheng, Yuanfang; Li, Qingchao; Yan, Chuanliang; Han, Xiuting

2018-02-01

Gas hydrate formation may be encountered during deep-water drilling because of the large amount and wide distribution of gas hydrates under the shallow seabed of the South China Sea. Hydrates are extremely sensitive to temperature and pressure changes, and drilling through gas hydrate formation may cause dissociation of hydrates, accompanied by changes in wellbore temperatures, pore pressures, and stress states, thereby leading to wellbore plastic yield and wellbore instability. Considering the coupling effect of seepage of drilling fluid into gas hydrate formation, heat conduction between drilling fluid and formation, hydrate dissociation, and transformation of the formation framework, this study established a multi-field coupling mathematical model of the wellbore in the hydrate formation. Furthermore, the influences of drilling fluid temperatures, densities, and soaking time on the instability of hydrate formation were calculated and analyzed. Results show that the greater the temperature difference between the drilling fluid and hydrate formation is, the faster the hydrate dissociates, the wider the plastic dissociation range is, and the greater the failure width becomes. When the temperature difference is greater than 7°C, the maximum rate of plastic deformation around the wellbore is more than 10%, which is along the direction of the minimum horizontal in-situ stress and associated with instability and damage on the surrounding rock. The hydrate dissociation is insensitive to the variation of drilling fluid density, thereby implying that the change of the density of drilling fluids has a minimal effect on the hydrate dissociation. Drilling fluids that are absorbed into the hydrate formation result in fast dissociation at the initial stage. As time elapses, the hydrate dissociation slows down, but the risk of wellbore instability is aggravated due to the prolonged submersion in drilling fluids. For the sake of the stability of the wellbore in deep-water drilling through hydrate formation, the drilling fluid with low temperatures should be given priority. The drilling process should be kept under balanced pressures, and the drilling time should be shortened.

Development of a Piezoelectric Rotary Hammer Drill

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Domm, Lukas N.

2011-01-01

The Piezoelectric Rotary Hammer Drill is designed to core through rock using a combination of rotation and high frequency hammering powered by a single piezoelectric actuator. It is designed as a low axial preload, low mass, and low power device for sample acquisition on future missions to extraterrestrial bodies. The purpose of this internship is to develop and test a prototype of the Piezoelectric Rotary Hammer Drill in order to verify the use of a horn with helical or angled cuts as a hammering and torque inducing mechanism. Through an iterative design process using models in ANSYS Finite Element software and a Mason's Equivalent Circuit model in MATLAB, a horn design was chosen for fabrication based on the predicted horn tip motion, electromechanical coupling, and neutral plane location. The design was then machined and a test bed assembled. The completed prototype has proven that a single piezoelectric actuator can be used to produce both rotation and hammering in a drill string through the use of a torque inducing horn. Final data results include bit rotation produced versus input power, and best drilling rate achieved with the prototype.

Summaries of FY 1995 geosciences research

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

NONE

1995-12-01

The summaries in this document, prepared by the investigators, describe the scope of the individual programs. The Geosciences Research Program includes research in geophysics, geochemistry, resource evaluation, solar-terrestrial interactions, and their subdivisions including earth dynamics, properties of earth materials, rock mechanics, underground imaging, rock-fluid interactions, continental scientific drilling, geochemical transport, solar/atmospheric physics, and modeling, with emphasis on the interdisciplinary areas. All such research is related either direct or indirect to the Department of Energy`s long-range technological needs.

Deep Geothermal Energy for Lower Saxony (North Germany) - Combined Investigations of Geothermal Reservoir Characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hahne, Barbara; Thomas, Rüdiger

2014-05-01

In Germany, successful deep geothermal projects are mainly situated in Southern Germany in the Molassebecken, furthermore in the Upper Rhine Graben and, to a minor extend, in the North German Basin. Mostly they are hydrothermal projects with the aim of heat production. In a few cases, they are also constructed for the generation of electricity. In the North German Basin temperature gradients are moderate. Therefore, deep drilling of several thousand meters is necessary to reach temperatures high enough for electricity production. However, the porosity of the sedimentary rocks is not sufficient for hydrothermal projects, so that natural fracture zones have to be used or the rocks must be hydraulically stimulated. In order to make deep geothermal projects in Lower Saxony (Northern Germany) economically more attractive, the interdisciplinary research program "Geothermal Energy and High-Performance Drilling" (gebo) was initiated in 2009. It comprises four focus areas: Geosystem, Drilling Technology, Materials and Technical System and aims at improving exploration of the geothermal reservoir, reducing costs of drilling and optimizing exploitation. Here we want to give an overview of results of the focus area "Geosystem" which investigates geological, geophysical, geochemical and modeling aspects of the geothermal reservoir. Geological and rock mechanical investigations in quarrys and core samples give a comprehensive overview on rock properties and fracture zone characteristics in sandstones and carbonates. We also show that it is possible to transfer results of rock property measurements from quarry samples to core samples or to in situ conditions by use of empirical relations. Geophysical prospecting methods were tested near the surface in a North German Graben system. We aim at transferring the results to the prospection of deep situated fracture zones. The comparison of P- and S-wave measurements shows that we can get hints on a possible fluid content of the fracture zone. The assumed elastic rock properties can be evaluated by FD modeling. Geoelectric and electromagnetic investigations of the fracture zone were carried out to investigate their potential to give hints on minerals, brines or hydrothermal fluids within the fracture zone. Measurements of the Spectral Induced Polarization show that anisotropy of phase angles may not be neglected, because otherwise data may be misinterpreted and structural models become unnecessarily complicated. A crucial aspect for the performance of a Geothermal plant is the mineral contents of the formation water. Scalings and corrosion can severely disturb the operation and the properties of the reservoir. Therefore, North German formation waters were analysed and categorized and a thermodynamic database was developed. It allows hydrogeochemical modeling of geothermally used waters and of hydrogeochemically and technically induced processes under North German conditions. Hydromechanical modeling showed that differences of elastic rock properties between neighboring layers does not strongly influence propagation paths of fractures, whereas they significantly influence fracture aperture. On the other hand, differences of mechanical rock properties significantly influence propagation paths of fractures. Existing fractures are also affected by the induced fracture - after stimulation, they propagate further in the direction of maximum shear stress. Furthermore, rock deformation during the production phase depends strongly on the contrast of hydraulic conductivity between highly permeable fracture core and low permeable rock matrix. The projects within gebo-Geosystem are well interconnected. Both the focus area "Geosystem" as well as the whole collaborative research program "gebo" offer different approaches that lead to an improvement of geothermal exploration and exploitation as well as a better understanding of the processes within geothermal reservoirs. Acknowledgement: The gebo project is funded by the "Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur" and the industry partner Baker Hughes, Celle, Germany.

Realtime sensing while drilling using the USDC and integrated sensors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bar-Cohen, Y.; Sherrit, S.; Bao, X.; Chang, Z.

2003-01-01

The search for existing or past life in the universe is one of the most important objectives of NASA's mission. In support of this objective, an ultrasonic based mechanism is being developed to allow probing and sampling of rocks and soil.

Clay Mineral Structure Similar to Clays Observed in Mudstone on Mars

NASA Image and Video Library

2013-12-09

This schematic shows the atomic structure of the smallest units that make up the layers and interlayer region of clay minerals. This structure is similar to the clay mineral in drilled rock powder collected by NASA Curiosity Mars rover.

Physical Properties Data for Rock Salt

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-01-01

11 M ineralogy and Petrology ..................................................... 14 Fluid Inclusions...14 1.4. Mineralog and Petrology ........................................................... 14...StatesGulfCoast arealso poorly known. Most oil- before it is no longer considered to be halite is a subject- well drilling is terminated when the salt beds are

From vein precipitates to deformation and fluid rock interaction within a SSZ: Insights from the Izu-Bonin-Mariana fore arc

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Micheuz, Peter; Quandt, Dennis; Kurz, Walter

2017-04-01

International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) expeditions 352 and 351 drilled through oceanic crust of the Philippine Sea plate. The two study areas are located near the outer Izu-Bonin-Mariana (IBM) fore arc and in the Amami Sankaku Basin. The primary objective was to improve our understanding of supra-subduction zones (SSZ) and the process of subduction initiation. The recovered drill cores during IODP expedition 352 represent approximately 50 Ma old fore arc basalts (FAB) and boninites revealing an entire volcanic sequence of a SSZ. Expedition 351 drilled FAB like oceanic crust similar in age to the FABs of expedition 352. In this study we present data on vein microstructures, geochemical data and isotopic signatures of vein precipitates to give new insights into fluid flow and precipitation processes and deformation within the Izu-Bonin fore arc. Veins formed predominantly as a consequence of hydrofracturing resulting in the occurrence of branched vein systems and brecciated samples. Along these hydrofractures the amount of altered host rock fragments varies and locally alters the host rock completely to zeolites and carbonates. Subordinately extensional veins released after the formation of the host rocks. Cross-cutting relationships of different vein types point to multiple fracturing events subsequently filled with minerals originating from a fluid with isotopic seawater signature. Based on vein precipitates, their morphology and their growth patterns four vein types have been defined. Major vein components are (Mg-) calcite and various zeolites determined by Raman spectra and electron microprobe analyses. Zeolites result from alteration of volcanic glass during interaction with a seawaterlike fluid. Type I veins which are characterized by micritic infill represent neptunian dykes. They predominantly occur in the upper levels of drill cores being the result of an initial volume change subsequently to crystallization of the host rocks. Type II veins are characterized by blocky carbonates and idiomorphic to blocky zeolites. Blocky carbonates locally exhibit zonation patterns. Type III and type IV veins are both assumed to be extensional veins. Type III is characterized by syntaxial growth and elongate blocky carbonate minerals. They predominantly occur as asymmetric syntaxial veins, locally exhibiting more than one crack-seal event. Type IV veins are defined as antitaxial fibrous carbonates. Type II veins commonly show deformation microstructures like twinning (type I/II twins), slightly curved twins, and subgrain boundaries indicative of incipient plastic deformation. Based on these observations differential stresses around 50 MPa were needed to deform vein minerals, presumably related to IBM fore arc extension due to the retreat of the subducted Pacific plate. We acknowledge financial support by the Austrian Research Fund (P27982-N29) to W. Kurz

Why Is There an Abrupt Transition from Solid Rock to Low Crystallinity Magma in Drilled Magma Bodies?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eichelberger, J. C.; Carrigan, C. R.; Sun, Y.; Lavallée, Y.

2017-12-01

We report on a preliminary evaluation, from basic principles of heat and mass transfer, on the unexpectedly abrupt transition from cuttings of solid rock to fragments of crystal poor glass during drilling into magma bodies. Our analysis is based on conditions determined and inferred for the 2009 IDDP-1 well in Krafla Caldera, which entered apparently liquidus rhyolite magma at about 900oC at a depth of 2104 m. Simple conduction would predict some 30 m of crystallization and partial crystallization since the latest time the magma could have been intruded, approximately 30 years prior to discovery by drilling. Option 1: The expected crystallization of magma has occurred but interstitial melt remains. The pressure difference between lithostatic load of about 50 MPa on the mush and 20 MPa hydrostatic pressure in the well causes pore melt to flow from the permeable mush into the borehole, where it becomes the source of the quenched melt chips. To be viable, this mechanism must work over the time frame of a day. Option 2: The expected crystallization is occurring, but high Rayleigh number thermal convection in the magma chamber continuously displaces crystallizing roof magma by liquidus magma from the interior of the body. To be viable, this mechanism must result in overturning magma in the chamber on a time scale that is much shorter than that of crystallization. Option 3: Flow-induced crystal migration away from zones of high shear created during drilling into magma may preferentially produce low-crystal-content melt at the boundary of the borehole, which is then sampled.

Focused shock spark discharge drill using multiple electrodes

DOEpatents

Moeny, William M.; Small, James G.

1988-01-01

A spark discharge focused drill provided with one pulse forming line or a number of pulse forming lines. The pulse forming line is connected to an array of electrodes which would form a spark array. One of the electrodes of each of the array is connected to the high voltage side of the pulse forming line and the other electrodes are at ground potential. When discharged in a liquid, these electrodes produce intense focused shock waves that can pulverize or fracture rock. By delaying the firing of each group of electrodes, the drill can be steered within the earth. Power can be fed to the pulse forming line either downhole or from the surface area. A high voltage source, such as a Marx generator, is suitable for pulse charging the lines.

Calculated in situ rock density from gravity observations, UA-1 (Cannikin) emplacement hole, Amchitka Island, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Healey, D.L.

1971-01-01

Gravity observations were made on the ground surface and at a depth of 5,854 feet in drill hole UA-1. Two attempts to measure the free-air gradient utilizing the headframe over the drill hole were unsuccessful owing to mechanical vibrations in the structure. Because of the uncertainty in the measured free-air gradients these values were discarded and the average value (0.09406 mgal/ft) was used in the calculations. The calculated in situ bulk density is 2.36 g/cc. The weighted average bulk density determined from 47 core samples taken in the adjacent UAE-1 drill hole is also 2.36 g/cc. An analysis of selected portions of density logs provides an in situ bulk density of 2.37 g/cc.

Anomalous gold, antimony, arsenic, and tungsten in ground water and alluvium around disseminated gold deposits along the Getchell Trend, Humboldt County, Nevada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Grimes, D.J.; Ficklin, W.H.; Meier, A.L.; McHugh, J.B.

1995-01-01

Ground-water, alluvium, and bedrock samples were collected from drill holes near the Chimney Creek, Preble, Summer Camp, and Rabbit Creek disseminated gold deposits in northern Nevada. Results of chemical analyses of drill-hole water samples show the presence of hydromorphic dispersion anomalies of Au, As, Sb, and W in the local ground-water systems associated with these deposits. In addition, analysis of sequential dissolution and extraction solutions of drill cuttings of alluvium and bedrock indicate geochemical anomalies of gold and ore-related metals in the overburden at depths corresponding to the location of the present-day water table. This relationship suggests that water-rock reactions around these buried deposits are active. -from Authors

Magnetic properties of cores from the Wenchuan Earthquake Fault Scientific Drilling Hole-2 (WFSD-2), China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, L., Jr.; Sun, Z.; Li, H.; Cao, Y.; Ye, X.; Wang, L.; Zhao, Y.; Han, S.

2015-12-01

During an earthquake, seismic slip and frictional heating may cause the physical and chemical alterations of magnetic minerals within the fault zone. Rock magnetism provides a method for understanding earthquake dynamics. The Wenchuan earthquake Fault Scientific Drilling Project (WFSD) started right after 2008 Mw7.9 Wenchuan earthquake, to investigate the earthquake faulting mechanism. Hole 2 (WFSD-2) is located in the Pengguan Complex in the Bajiaomiao village (Dujiangyan, Sichuan), and reached the Yingxiu-Beichuan fault (YBF). We measured the surface magnetic susceptibility of the cores in WFSD-2 from 500 m to 1530 m with an interval of 1 cm. Rocks at 500-599.31 m-depth and 1211.49-1530 m-depth are from the Neoproterozoic Pengguang Complex while the section from 599.31 m to 1211.49 m is composed of Late Triassic sediments. The magnetic susceptibility values of the first part of the Pengguan Complex range from 1 to 25 × 10-6 SI, while the second part ranges from 10 to 200 × 10-6 SI, which indicate that the two parts are not from the same rock units. The Late Triassic sedimentary rocks have a low magnetic susceptibility values, ranging from -5 to 20 × 10-6 SI. Most fault zones coincide with the high value of magnetic susceptibility in the WFSD-2 cores. Fault rocks, mainly fault breccia, cataclasite, gouge and pseudotachylite within the WFSD-2 cores, and mostly display a significantly higher magnetic susceptibility than host rocks (5:1 to 20:1). In particular, in the YBF zone of the WFSD-2 cores (from 600 to 960 m), dozens of stages with high values of magnetic susceptibility have been observed. The multi-layered fault rocks with high magnetic susceptibility values might indicate that the YBF is a long-term active fault. The magnetic susceptibility values change with different types of fault rocks. The gouge and pseudotachylite have higher values of magnetic susceptibility than other fault rocks. Other primary rock magnetism analyses were then performed to investigate the mechanisms. We consider that the principal mechanism for the high magnetic susceptibility of these fault rocks is most likely the production of new magnetite from iron-bearing paramagnetic minerals (such as silicates or clays). These new magnetites might originate from frictional heating on a seismic fault slip plane or seismic fluid during an earthquake.

Using Deep-Sea Scientific Drilling to Enhance Ocean Science Literacy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Passow, Michael; Cooper, Sharon; Kurtz, Nicole; Burgio, Marion; Cicconi, Alessia

2017-04-01

Beginning with confirmation of sea floor spreading in Leg 3 of the Deep Sea Drilling Project in 1968, scientific ocean drilling has provided much of the evidence supporting modern understanding of the Earth System, global climate changes, and many other important concepts. But for more than three decades, results of discoveries were published primarily in scientific journals and cruise volumes. On occasion, science journalists would write articles for the general public, but organized educational outreach efforts were rare. Starting about a decade ago, educators were included in the scientific party aboard the JOIDES Resolution. These "teachers-at-sea" developed formats to translate the technical and scientific activities into language understandable to students, teachers, and the public. Several "Schools of Rock" have enabled groups of teachers and informal science educators to experience what happens aboard the JOIDES Resolution. Over the past few years, educational outreach efforts based on scientific drilling expanded to create a large body of resources that promote Ocean Science Literacy. Partnerships between scientists and educators have produced a searchable database of inquiry-centered classroom and informal science activities. These are available for free through the JOIDES Resolution website, joidesresolution.org. Activities are aligned with the Ocean Literacy Principles (http://oceanliteracy.wp2.coexploration.org/) and Science Education Standards. In addition to a suite of lessons based on the science behind scientific drilling, participants have developed a range of educational resources that include graphic novels ("Tales of the Resolution" (http://joidesresolution.org/node/263) ; children's books ("Uncovering Earth's Secrets" and "Where the Wild Microbes Grow" http://joidesresolution.org/node/2998); posters, videos, and other materials. Cooper and Kurtz are currently overseeing improvements and revisions to the JR education website pages. The International Ocean Discovery Program continues to offer annual School of Rock professional development workshops to which educators can apply for participation. During these all-expense paid experiences, they learn about IODP science and develop new activities for their audiences. Cicconi and Passow will describe their experiences during some of these programs. European teachers have also participated in "teacher-at-sea" programs sponsored by ECORD aboard the JOIDES Resolution. Burgio participated in Expedition 360 from December 2015 to the end of January 2016 (http://joidesresolution.org/node/4253). This cruise focused on the global effort to drill to the Moho through the Southwest Indian Ridge. As they drilled down to the Moho, scientists obtained new discoveries about life in the crust, interactions between water and rocks, and magmatic processes that build the oceanic crust at very slow spreading ridges. The Education Officers team used a panel of strategies to communicate during the efforts during their two months onboard. She used social media and live-streaming to share the last discoveries about the oceanic crust with students all over the world. Additional materials have been created by teachers and other non-science participants from many countries across the globe. Educational outreach programs associated with scientific ocean drilling provide effective opportunities to enhance Ocean Science Literacy.

High-quality heat flow determination from the crystalline basement of the south-east margin of North China Craton

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Guangzheng; Tang, Xiaoyin; Rao, Song; Gao, Peng; Zhang, Linyou; Zhao, Ping; Hu, Shengbiao

2016-03-01

Very few of heat flow data have come from the crystalline basement in the North China Craton but rather from boreholes in the sedimentary cover of oil-gas basins. Explorations for hot dry rock (HDR) geothermal resources and porphyry gold deposits in eastern China offer now valuable opportunities to study the terrestrial heat flow in the crystalline basement. In this study, we obtained continuous temperature logs from two boreholes (the LZ borehole with a depth of 3471 m and the DR borehole with a depth of 2179 m) located in the south-east margin of the North China Craton. The boreholes have experienced long shut-in times (442 days and 261 days for the LZ borehole and DR borehole, respectively); thus, it can be expected that the temperature conditions have re-equilibrated after drilling and drill-mud circulation. Rock thermal conductivity and radiogenic heat production were measured for 68 crystalline rock samples from these two boreholes. The measured heat-flow density was determined to be 71.8 ± 2.3 mW m-2 (for the LZ borehole) and 91.5 ± 1.2 mW m-2 (for the DR borehole). The heat flow for the LZ borehole is close to the value of 75 mW m-2 determined in the Chinese Continental Scientific Drilling main hole (CCSD MH), both being in the Sulu-Dabie orogenic belt and thus able to verify each other. The value for the DR borehole is higher than the above two values, which supports former high heat-flow values determined in the Bohai Bay Basin.

ChemCam investigation of the John Klein and Cumberland drill holes and tailings, Gale crater, Mars

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jackson, R. S.; Wiens, R. C.; Vaniman, D. T.

The ChemCam instrument on the Mars Science Laboratory rover analyzed the rock surface, drill hole walls, tailings, and unprocessed and sieved dump piles to investigate chemical variations with depth in the first two martian drill holes and possible fractionation or segregation effects of the drilling and sample processing. Furthermore, the drill sites are both in Sheepbed Mudstone, the lowest exposed member of the Yellowknife Bay formation. Yellowknife Bay is composed of detrital basaltic materials in addition to clay minerals and an amorphous component. The drill tailings are a mixture of basaltic sediments and diagenetic material like calcium sulfate veins, whilemore » the shots on the drill site surface and walls of the drill holes are closer to those pure end members. The sediment dumped from the sample acquisition, processing, and handling subsystem is of similar composition to the tailings; however, due to the specifics of the drilling process the tailings and dump piles come from different depths within the hole. This then allows the ChemCam instrument to analyze samples representing the bulk composition from different depths. On the pre-drill surfaces, the Cumberland site has a greater amount of CaO and evidence for calcium sulfate veins, than the John Klein site. But, John Klein has a greater amount of calcium sulfate veins below the surface, as seen in mapping, drill hole wall analysis, and observations in the drill tailings and dump pile. In addition, the Cumberland site does not have any evidence of variations in bulk composition with depth down the drill hole, while the John Klein site has evidence for a greater amount of CaO (calcium sulfates) in the top portion of the hole compared to the middle section of the hole, where the drill sample was collected.« less

Issues and Concerns in Robotic Drilling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glass, Brian

2003-01-01

Exploration of the Martian subsurface will be essential in the search for life and water, given the desiccated and highly oxidized conditions on the surface. Discovery of these, at least in non-fossil form, is unlikely without drilling or other physical access to the subsurface. Hence subsurface access will be critical for both future in-situ science and Mars sample return. Drilling applications present many new challenges for diagnosis and control technology. Traditionally, diagnosis has concentrated on determining the internal state of a system, and detecting failures of system components. In the case of drilling applications, an additional challenge is to diagnose the interactions between the drill and its environment. This is necessary because particular observations of the drilling operation may be consistent with a number of possible problems, including faults in the equipment, but also changes in the material being drilled (for example, from rock to ice). The diagnosis of a particular observation may also depend on knowledge of geological formations previously encountered during drilling, and different remedial actions may be required for each diagnosis. Current 2009 Mars mission scenarios call for no more than 33 sols to be spent drilling. Yet they also call for a baseline of two 2m-deep holes in each of three target areas, for a total of six drilling operations. Using current levels of automation, it is estimated that 15-16 sols would be required to drill each hole. As a result of this, either the drilling part of the mission plan will need to be severely downscoped to no more than two holes total, or on-board automation and robotics must be increased in order to reduce the number of sols required per hole by removing ground control from the drilling control loop. This lecture will discuss salient issues and concerns of robotic drilling automation compares with other applications, and implementation constraints.

ChemCam investigation of the John Klein and Cumberland drill holes and tailings, Gale crater, Mars

DOE PAGES

Jackson, R. S.; Wiens, R. C.; Vaniman, D. T.; ...

2016-05-13

The ChemCam instrument on the Mars Science Laboratory rover analyzed the rock surface, drill hole walls, tailings, and unprocessed and sieved dump piles to investigate chemical variations with depth in the first two martian drill holes and possible fractionation or segregation effects of the drilling and sample processing. Furthermore, the drill sites are both in Sheepbed Mudstone, the lowest exposed member of the Yellowknife Bay formation. Yellowknife Bay is composed of detrital basaltic materials in addition to clay minerals and an amorphous component. The drill tailings are a mixture of basaltic sediments and diagenetic material like calcium sulfate veins, whilemore » the shots on the drill site surface and walls of the drill holes are closer to those pure end members. The sediment dumped from the sample acquisition, processing, and handling subsystem is of similar composition to the tailings; however, due to the specifics of the drilling process the tailings and dump piles come from different depths within the hole. This then allows the ChemCam instrument to analyze samples representing the bulk composition from different depths. On the pre-drill surfaces, the Cumberland site has a greater amount of CaO and evidence for calcium sulfate veins, than the John Klein site. But, John Klein has a greater amount of calcium sulfate veins below the surface, as seen in mapping, drill hole wall analysis, and observations in the drill tailings and dump pile. In addition, the Cumberland site does not have any evidence of variations in bulk composition with depth down the drill hole, while the John Klein site has evidence for a greater amount of CaO (calcium sulfates) in the top portion of the hole compared to the middle section of the hole, where the drill sample was collected.« less

Experimental research data on stress state of salt rock mass around an underground excavation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baryshnikov, VD; Baryshnikov, DV

2018-03-01

The paper presents the experimental stress state data obtained in surrounding salt rock mass around an excavation in Mir Mine, ALROSA. The deformation characteristics and the values of stresses in the adjacent rock mass are determined. Using the method of drilling a pair of parallel holes in a stressed area, the authors construct linear relationship for the radial displacements of the stress measurement hole boundaries under the short-term loading of the perturbing hole. The resultant elasticity moduli of rocks are comparable with the laboratory core test data. Pre-estimates of actual stresses point at the presence of a plasticity zone in the vicinity of the underground excavation. The stress state behavior at a distance from the excavation boundary disagrees with the Dinnik–Geim hypothesis.

Drill-back studies examine fractured, heated rock

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wollenberg, H.A.; Flexser, S.; Myer, L.R.

1990-01-01

To investigate the effects of heating on the mineralogical, geochemical, and mechanical properties of rock by high-level radioactive waste, cores are being examined from holes penetrating locations where electric heaters simulated the presence of a waste canister, and from holes penetration natural hydrothermal systems. Results to date indicate the localized mobility and deposition of uranium in an open fracture in heated granitic rock, the mobility of U in a breccia zone in an active hydrothermal system in tuff, and the presence of U in relatively high concentration in fracture-lining material in tuff. Mechanical -- property studies indicate that differences inmore » compressional- and shear-wave parameters between heated and less heated rock can be attributed to differences in the density of microcracks. Emphasis has shifted from initial studies of granitic rock at Stripa, Sweden to current investigations of welded tuff at the Nevada Test Site. 7 refs., 8 figs.« less

Investigation and development of an effective, economical and efficient concrete pile splice.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-06-01

Structures such as bridges or tall buildings often require deep foundations in order to reach soil or rock strata capable of resisting the associated high loads. In Florida, concrete elements such as driven piles, drilled shafts or other cast-in-plac...

30 CFR 33.3 - Consultation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 30 Mineral Resources 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Consultation. 33.3 Section 33.3 Mineral Resources MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR TESTING, EVALUATION, AND APPROVAL OF MINING PRODUCTS DUST COLLECTORS FOR USE IN CONNECTION WITH ROCK DRILLING IN COAL MINES General Provisions...