Reverse Circulation Rotary Drilling

 Beck Drilling and Environmental Services Ltd has been utilizing the reverse circulation rotary drilling technique for 20 years. This unique system utilizes a flush jointed dual wall drill pipe. Highly pressurized air (5000 ft/sec) flows down the outer pipe, with samples instantly lifted to the surface via the inner pipe, never contacting the wall of the drill hole.

Direct benefits in Mineral Exploration or Geotechnical Investigation include:

• Continuous, virtually uncontaminated representative sample of geological formations, even when drilling through caving or eroding formations.
  • Conventional methods (circulation) send air down centre, sample up against wall of hole. Sample may become lodged in caving formations, or be contaminated by upper-hole erosion.
• No loss of circulation, therefore no loss of geological sample.
• Air, water or combination used as drilling fluid - no additives, no contamination.
• ODEX Eccentric Casing advancing system allows drilling through overburden formations.
• Because drill bit sub fits over body of drill bit
  • Bore hole can be cut with minimum clearance.
  • No loss of drilling fluid (between dual wall drill pipe and wall of bore hole).
• Immediate results - sample returned from drill bit to surface in under 1 second
  (air pressure = 3000 - 5000 ft/sec).

Cyclone Sample Collection Unit

Discharges air, collects solid sample in bag or drum. Available with the following options:

• 3-tier splitter.
• Additional mini-cyclone attachment.
  • Further separate samples, create 5 ft plastic bag of zoned geological samples.

• Drill through cavity.

• Short break in sample.
• Immediately determine when drill bit strikes base of mine tunnel.
• Immediately determine whether shaft bottom is natural formation, or layered with contaminants.
• Drill pipe penetrates shaft directly - no need to case off large void or fill with drilling mud.
• Conventional drilling method - sample fills shaft, is not returned to surface

Equipment

• Reichdrill manufactured drill unit
• Equipped with 850 CFM and 350 PSI air compressor
• 450 m reverse circulation drill pipe
• Reverse Circulation Tricone Bits, or
• Pneumatic Operated Down Hole Hammer

See Also

Air Rotary Equipment