Drilling rig head

Well drilling is the process of drilling a hole in the ground for the extraction of a natural resource such as ground water, natural gas, or petroleum. Drilling for the exploration of the nature of the material underground (for instance in search of metallic ore) is best described as borehole drilling, or 'drilling'. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 524 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1508 × 1724 pixel, file size: 352 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Work by Rama File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 524 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (1508 × 1724 pixel, file size: 352 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Work by Rama File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Illustration of a physical process: a geyser in action. Process (lat. ... Groundwater is any water found below the land surface. ... Natural gas is a gaseous fossil fuel consisting primarily of methane but including significant quantities of ethane, butane, propane, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, helium and hydrogen sulfide. ... Pumpjack pumping an oil well near Lubbock, Texas Ignacy Łukasiewicz - inventor of the refining of kerosene from crude oil. ... Iron ore (Banded iron formation) Manganese ore Lead ore Gold ore An ore is a volume of rock containing components or minerals in a mode of occurrence which renders it valuable for mining. ...

The earliest water wells were probably shallow pits dug by hand in regions where the water table approached the surface, possibly with masonry walls lining the interior to prevent collapse. Modern drilling techniques utilize long drill shafts, producing holes much narrower and deeper than could be produced by human labor. Cross section showing the water table varying with surface topography as well as a perched water table The water table or phreatic surface is the surface where the water pressure is equal to atmospheric pressure. ... Masonry in action; a Mason at work. ...

Drill bits

Depending on the soil condition different drill bits are utilised. There are three main categories: soft, medium and hard formation bits. Soft formation rock bits are used in unconsolidated sands, clays, soft lime stones, red beds and shale, etc. Medium formation bits are used in calcites, dolomites, lime stones, and hard shale, while hard formation bits are used in hard shale, calcites, mudstones, cherty lime stones and hard and abrasive formations.

Historically there were two types of drill bits used in oil or natural gas drilling rigs, a drag bit, and a rock bit: An oil well is seen in Texas. ... Natural gas is a gaseous fossil fuel consisting primarily of methane but including significant quantities of ethane, butane, propane, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, helium and hydrogen sulfide. ... A drilling rig is a structure housing equipment used to drill into underground reservoirs for water, oil, or natural gas, or into sub-surface mineral deposits. ...

1. a drag bit is used for soft rocks, like sand and clay. The drill stem is rotated, and teeth on the bit shear the rock.
2. a rock bit (also called a roller cone bit) consists of teeth on wheels which turn as the drill stem is rotated. These teeth apply a crushing pressure to the rock, breaking it up into small pieces.

The original patent for the rotary rock bit was issued to Howard Hughes Sr. for his dual cone roller bit in 1909. It consisted of two interlocking wheels. Walter Benona Sharp worked very closely with Hughes in developing the Rock Bit. The success of this bit led to the founding of the Sharp-Hughes Tool Company. A drag bit [1] is a soft formation bit that consists of a drill pipe connector attached to blades on the end. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... A patent is a set of exclusive rights granted by a state to a patentee for a fixed period of time in exchange for a disclosure of an invention. ... Howard R. Hughes, Sr. ... Walter Benona Sharp was born on December 12, 1870, in Tipton county, Tennessee. ... Hughes Tool Company was established in 1909 when Howard R. Hughes, Sr. ...

In 1933 two Hughes engineers invented the tricone bit. This bit has three wheels and is still the dominant bit in the market today. The Hughes patent for the tricone bit lasted until 1951, after which time other companies started making similar bits. However, the Hughes’s market share was still 40% of the worlds drill bit market in 2000.

In today's modern industry the two main types of drill bits are now classed as PDC (polycrystalline Diamond Compact) and Roller Cone; although the tri-cone dominates, bi-cone and mono cone bits do exist. Natural and synthetic diamonds are used in coring bits, as well as for very hard rock drilling with mud motors and turbines. Drag bit type bits are used for mining and construction and also for oil and gas workover wells. A drag bit [1] is a soft formation bit that consists of a drill pipe connector attached to blades on the end. ...

The technology of both bit types has advanced significantly to provide improved durability and rate of penetration of the rock. This has been driven by the economics of the industry, and by the change from the empirical approach of Hughes in the 1930s, to today's time domain Finite Element codes for both the hydraulic and cutter placement software.

In 2005 market shares were roughly 30% each for Hughes Christensen and Smith Bits, ReedHycalog with 27%, and the remainder of the market with Security-DBS, and smaller companies such as Varel, TSK,Focusrocbit, Walker-Mcdonald et al, Ulterra, and Lone Star Bit.

Tricone bit for well drilling (medium worn-out) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...	PDC bit for well drilling Image File history File links Hughesbit. ...	Multiple Tricone Bits Image File history File linksMetadata Drill_bits-italy. ...	Tricone Bit Image File history File linksMetadata Drill_bit_2-italy. ...
Drill Bit Image File history File linksMetadata Drill_bit_3-italy. ...	Damaged Drill Bit, pieces missing on the left hand cone Image File history File linksMetadata Damaged_drill_bit-italy. ...

Evaluation of the dull bit grading is done by a uniform system promoted by the International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC). See Society of Petroleum Engineers / IADC Papers SPE 23938 & 23940. See also PDC Bits

See also

• Drilling rig
• Driller (oil)
• Drag bit
• Deep well drilling
• Blowout (well drilling)
• Water well
• Underbalanced drilling
• Geolograph