posted by the Epiroc Exploration & OreBody Solutions team
October 9, 2018
Over the course of the time I’ve been writing this blog, I have written about acronyms in the diamond drilling world as well as terms and jargon that drillers should know. As time goes on, more and more young drillers are joining the industry. I often get requests about learning more about diamond drilling and knowing the terminology is part of that. This blog includes a list of additional terms that newcomers may not know but should know.
Chamfer:
A chamfer is a symmetrical sloping surface at an edge or corner, like an angled or beveled edge. On a core bit, the outer diameter of the crown can have a chamfer to it or it can be at a 90 degree angle to the face of the bit.
Galling:
When referring to rod threads, galling is a form of adhesive thread wear that can occur between two sliding surfaces. Sometimes referred to as cold welding, it occurs when the two meeting surfaces are under extreme pressure. High torque or loading without proper thread compound can cause galling of the drilling rod threads. This can also occur when there is dirt and dust on the threads, when the wrong kind of thread lubricant is used or when not enough of it is used. You need to be careful when you are making a joint to make sure there is no overheating or misalignment of the threads.
Flocculant:
A flocculant is a product that is used to treat water by help in the decantation of the drill cuttings if you are drilling without drilling additives. The main purpose of a flocculant is to form strings out of particles that are either positively or negatively charged. Once they are attached together in a string, they are heavier and will drop to the bottom of a tank like sediment. This effect is even more amplified when the particles above bring the particles underneath down with them as they settle on the bottom.
SPC:
This acronym stands for “stones per carat” and is used to describe a grade of surface set core bits. It represents the number of stones per carat) and not the quality of the stones.
Pull: (as in a rod pull)
Pulling the rods refers to the act of removing the drill rods from the bore hole because the bit needs to be changed, the hole is complete, or other in-hole issues.
Trip: (as in trip the rods)
When you trip the rods, you are pulling them out of the borehole. This is simply another way of saying you are pulling the rods, e.g. “I’m tripping out” meaning the rods are coming out of the hole, not to be confused with “I’m tripping in” meaning rods are going back down the hole.
Bean pump:
This refers to a type of piston pump made by John Bean and used in many drilling applications. It was the standard type of pump for many years but in recent years newer models are available made of nickel-plated stainless steel and aluminum. This makes the new models lighter and easier to transport, but provide equal flow and pressure.
Core shack:
A core shack is where core samples are stored and cut.
Wedge:
A wedge is a directional tool that can help steer the borehole. It is a tapered piece of solid steel, oriented and placed into a borehole to help the core bit change directions and begin a new hole on a new trajectory at the desired depth. You will need a wedge if your equipment that is stuck in the hole or because of a request by the geologist.
Fish:
Fishing is the process of removing down-hole equipment that has become stuck, lost, or broken off in the hole. The term fish refers to the actual lost rod that you are trying to retrieve.
We know that there are many ways of saying the same thing sometimes. Keep your eyes open as we cover more terms and other items of interest for newer diamond drillers. Our goal is to help make drillers’ lives easier and to improve drilling performance. Our technical field support team is always ready to answer questions and provide guidance.
