How to Prevent Drilling Equipment from Being Stuck in a Bore

You may be wondering about what you can do to prevent drilling equipment from being stuck in a bore that you are drilling on your property. This article discusses some of the measures that a hobbyist may take in order to prevent drilling equipment from being stuck.

Ground Conditions

Water is usually pumped into a core that is being drilled. That water may keep the drilling equipment cool and safe from premature wear. However, the pumped water may mix with clay soil underground. That clay may expand and cause the drilling equipment to be stuck.

Alternatively, the drilling equipment can be stuck when it encounters sand during the drilling process. The sand may shift and prevent the drilling equipment from rotating freely.

Drilling equipment may also be stuck in case there are faults (cracks and holes) within the ground where drilling is taking place. The water that is cooling the drilling equipment can flow into those faults before reaching the drilling equipment. This can cause some components of the drilling equipment, such as the drill rod, to overheat and melt. The equipment may become fused with the solid rock as it melts.

These ground conditions can be prevented from causing your drilling equipment to be stuck by the use of different drilling fluid additives. For instance, you may buy an additive that can help to stabilise sandy soil so that it does not collapse around your drilling equipment. These additives can be bought from drilling supply shops or online.

Equipment Failures 

Equipment failures may also cause drilling equipment to be stuck. For instance, a drill rod string may wear out and break. This can bring drilling operations to a halt because the drill bit will drop to the bottom of the core. A water pump may also malfunction. The result of such a malfunction is that there will be poor circulation of water within the bore. This can cause the drilling equipment to overheat and melt.

The best way to prevent equipment failures from disrupting drilling activities is to inspect each piece of equipment before work begins. That inspection will help you to identify which component needs to be repaired or replaced so that work is not affected by stuck equipment.

Successful drilling depends on many factors working together to allow the process to be concluded without suffering any setbacks. Such a task should be undertaken with the help of a drilling contractor who has experience in controlling all the factors that may stand in the way of the drilling activity. You should therefore seek for professional help in case you encounter a problem that you cannot solve on your own as you drill on your property.