Information on Hydraulic Fracturing

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Information on Hydraulic Fracturing an open pathway to the well. This allows the oil migration of fluids associated with oil and gas and gas to seep from the rock into the pathway, development. After it is determined that the well up the well and to the surface for collection. In is capable of producing oil or natural gas, a Colorado, the targeted formations for hydraulic production casing is set to provide an added fracturing are often more than 7,000 feet layer of separation between the oil or natural underground, and some 5,000 feet below any gas stream and freshwater aquifer. A well drinking water aquifers. survey called a cement bond log is performed to ensure the cement is properly sealed around the The process of hydraulic fracturing has been casing. Additionally, the COGCC requires that used for decades in Colorado, dating to the prior to hydraulic fracturing, the casing be 1970s. Hydraulic fracturing continues to be pressure tested with fluid to the maximum Colorado Department of Natural Resources refined and improved and is now standard for pressure that will ever be applied to the casing. virtually all oil and gas wells in our state, and The well’s construction design is reviewed by across much of the country. Hydraulic fracturing the professional engineering staff at the has made it possible to get the oil and gas out of COGCC. Any flaw in the design will be Information on rocks that were not previously considered as corrected prior to issuing the required drilling likely sources for fossil fuels. permit. Hydraulic Fracturing Common questions and answers about Q: What kinds of fluids do operators use to What is hydraulic fracturing? hydraulic fracturing. hydraulically fracture wells? Hydraulic fracturing is the process of creating Q: Can hydraulic fracturing open up pathways A: Approximately 99.5% of the fracturing fluid small cracks, or fractures, in deep, underground for oil and gas to reach ground water zones volume is water and sand. The remaining geological formations to liberate oil or natural where water wells are producing? portion is made up of a variety of chemicals. gas and allow it to flow up the well for capture There are chemical additives used to reduce and use in heating our homes, fueling our cars A: The distance between the oil and gas friction during pumping and prevent corrosion of and providing the electricity we all use for our formation and the water formations is the steel, biocide to kill bacteria in the water and televisions, computers and other devices. substantial. In the case of the Niobrara and the surfactant to promote water flowback. The exact Fox Hills Aquifer in northeast Colorado, for formulation may vary depending on the well and To fracture the formation, fracturing fluids – example, the separation is about 5,000 feet – or the objectives of the specific fracturing mostly water and sand, with a small percentage roughly a mile – of bedrock. treatment. Fracturing chemicals are similar to of chemical additives – are injected down the other industrial chemicals which must be well bore into the formation. The fluid, injected Q: How do you ensure the fracturing fluid, handled properly. For certain chemicals, safe under pressure, causes the rock to fracture including the chemical additives, don’t escape work practices, proper site preparation, and along weak areas. the oil and gas wellbore and impact nearby attentive handling are required to ensure that water wells? employees, the public, and the environment are The fluids that create the initial fractures are protected. then mixed with thicker fluids that include sand A: The COGCC requires all wells to be cased and gelatin. These thicker fluids lengthen the with multiple layers of steel and cement to COGCC rules require that operators publicly openings in the rock. When the fractures are isolate fresh water aquifers from the disclose the ingredients and concentrations of complete, and pressure is relieved, the fluids hydrocarbon zone. The steel casing and fracturing chemicals for each well within 60 days flow back up the well where they are captured surrounding layers of cement protect the of completion. That information is required to be and stored for later treatment or disposal. drinking water aquifers that the wellbore posted on the website www.fracfocus.org, which penetrates. Surface casing is required to extend is searchable by county, operator and well. The As the fluids flow back up, sand remains in the 50 feet below the base of the deepest website also provides information on chemicals fractures and props the rock open, maintaining freshwater aquifer to seal it off from any possible used and their purpose. to several days depending on the number of suspected impacts by the drilling or hydraulic Q: How are these fluids managed on the fracture zones. You will not feel the fracture of fracturing of oil and gas wells. surface? the rock because of its very low energy and depth of the formation. The equipment noise is How do I obtain baseline water samples? A: Large volumes of fluids are maintained on the the most noticeable occurrence during the drill site during the drilling and hydraulic operations. The COGCC provides baseline sampling on a fracturing process. Operators must take great case-by-case basis based on proximity to new care to prevent spills; operators are charged The COGCC has rules that are specific to or existing drilling activity. Please contact the with protecting environmental resources and hydraulic fracturing. For more information on COGCC at 303-894-2100. spills violate state law. The fluids are blended on these rules, visit: http://cogcc.state.co.us site in equipment that adjusts the mix of sand, The Colorado Oil & Gas Association (COGA), an water and chemicals at different stages of the • Rule 205 Inventory chemicals industry trade group, has a voluntary baseline operation. The blended mix is sent to pumping • Rule 205A Chemical disclosure ground water quality sampling program units to raise the pressure and send the fluid • Rule 317 Well casing and cementing; http://www.coga.org/index.php/BaselineWaterSa down the well. Like spills, operators must Cement bond logs mpling. prevent leaks. In addition to complying with • Rule 317B Setbacks and precautions state regulations, leaks and spills would create Under the COGA program, samples are near surface waters and tributaries that costly delays, providing additional incentive for collected from two existing groundwater are sources of public drinking water operators to ensure all fittings and connections features, such as wells or springs, within one- • Rule 341 Monitoring pressures during are pressure tested with clean water before any half mile of the surface location of new oil and stimulation operations begin. gas well pads, or new wells on existing pads. • Rule 608 Special requirements for coal- These samples require landowner consent and After the fracturing is completed, fluids return to bed methane wells will be collected before drilling begins. A second • the surface as “flowback.” These fluids are now Rules 903 & 904 Pit permitting, lining, round of sampling will be collected from each considered exploration and production waste monitoring, & secondary containment feature within one to three years after drilling is and must be treated accordingly in compliance • Rule 906 Requires COGCC notify completed. Results of all samples will be with state regulations. Production fluids, CDPHE and the landowner of any spill provided to landowners within three months of including oil and related substances, also rise to that threatens to impact any water of the collecting the sample. The laboratory results will the surface. All of these fluids must be state also be submitted to the COGCC for inclusion in separated and contained in impervious vessels a water quality database that will be available to and waste fluids must either be recycled or Where can I get further information? the public through the COGCC website. properly disposed of under regulatory oversight. The FracFocus website – www.fracfocus.org – Water well owners can also either sample their contains detailed explanations on how hydraulic own water wells or contract a qualified individual Q: What can neighbors expect to experience fracturing works, how groundwater is protected, to collect samples for baseline testing. Most during the fracture stimulation work? what chemicals are used, and how to find a well analytical laboratories can provide sampling near you. The COGCC has additional along with analytical services. A list of A: After the drilling rig is moved off site, water information on its hydraulic fracturing information laboratories offering these services can be found tanks are brought to the site and water-hauling page at its website: http://cogcc.state.co.us under Laboratories-Analytical or Laboratories- trucks arrive. The day the operation is to begin, Testing in the phone directory. the sand haulers, pump truck, blender and the What is the purpose of baseline water sampling? control van arrive. The equipment will all be The Colorado Department of Public Health and connected together and then connected to the The purpose of baseline water sampling is to Environment also offers analytical laboratory well head with high pressure hoses. After testing collect data before any drilling operations at services. Call 303-692-3090 for additional the equipment, the actual fracture stimulation individual well sites to demonstrate the pre- information. will begin. The operation may take several hours drilling conditions of a water well. This provides http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/lr/water.htm a reference point for future evaluations of any .
Recommended publications
  • Hydraulic Fracturing
    www.anadarko.com | NYSE: APC The Equipment: From Rig to Producing Well Hydraulic Fracturing Producing Well: 20+ Years Drilling Rig Anadarko Petroleum Corporation 13 www.anadarko.com | NYSE: APC Horizontal Drilling . Commences with Common Rotary Vertical Drilling . Wellbore then Reaches a “Kickoff Kickoff Point Point” ~6,300 feet Entry Point . Drill Bit Angles Diaggyonally Until ~7,000 feet the “Entry Point” . Wellbore Becomes Fully Horizontal to Maximize Contact Lateral Length with Productive Zones Anadarko Petroleum Corporation 14 www.anadarko.com | NYSE: APC Horizontal Drilling – Significant Surface‐Space Reduction Traditional Vertical Wells Horizontal Drilling Anadarko Petroleum Corporation www.anadarko.com | NYSE: APC Hydraulic Fracturing . Essential Technology in Oil and Natural Gas Production from Tight Sands and Shales . Involves Injecting a Mixture of Water, Sand and a Relatively Small Multiple Layers of 1+ Mile Separates Aquifer Amount of Additives Protective from Fractured Formation Under Pressure into Steel and Cement Targeted Formations . Pressure Creates Pathways, Propped Open by Sand, for Oil or Natural Gas to Flow to the Wellbore Anadarko Petroleum Corporation 16 www.anadarko.com | NYSE: APC Hydraulic Fracturing Equipment Water tanks Blender Blender Frac Van ellheadW ellheadW SdtkSand tanks Pump trucks 17 Anadarko Petroleum Corporation 17 www.anadarko.com | NYSE: APC Hydraulic Fracturing Technology Equipment Water Tanks Pump Trucks Sand Movers Blenders Frac Design Primarily Water and Sand Additives Include: . Gel (ice cream) . Biocide (bleach) . Friction reducer (polymer used in make‐up, nail and skin products) Anadarko Publicly Shares the Ingredients of All Hydraulic Fracturing Operations at www.FracFocus.org Anadarko Petroleum Corporation 18 www.anadarko.com | NYSE: APC Hydraulic Fracturing is Transparent .
    [Show full text]
  • Drilling Deeper
    Drilling deeper Nia Kajastie looks at the evolution of underground drilling machinery and technologies, as well as the latest equipment releases for exploration, development and production applications Nia Kajastie 19 Dec 2016 10:00 Feature Underground drilling is a vital part of exploration and hard-rock mining activities across a wide range of applications, from diamond coring, short-hole drilling for development and long-hole drilling for production, to ground support to install rock bolts or cable bolts, secondary drilling and blasting to reduce oversize, or simply utility drilling. In line with the variety of possible functions, the Figure 1A Joy DR-1SB hydraulic jumbo drill, which features Intelsense drilling control system and hydrostatic drive for a requirements of drilling equipment for lower profile and tighter turning radius exploration, development and production are dependent on a number of factors. When it comes to exploration drilling, for example, target hole depths and core size are critical to choosing the best rig and tooling. The size of the drilling stations or tunnels is also important to the selection process. According to Boart Longyear, tooling is specific to the core size required. Rods come in different lengths – so you can use 5ft (1.5m) rods if you are drilling in a confined space. Likewise, core barrels come in 5ft or 10ft lengths (1.5m and 3m). On smaller, less powerful rigs, the company recommends freer cutting bits, while also considering the geological formation. The other factor to consider when selecting the right method, rig and tooling is the angle or dip of the hole.
    [Show full text]
  • Reserve Pits Mortality Risks to Birds
    U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Reserve Pits Mortality Risks to Birds What is a Reserve Pit? How Do Reserve Pits A reserve pit is an earthen pit Kill Birds? excavated adjacent to a drilling rig and If the reserve pit is commonly used for the disposal of contains oil or oil- drilling muds and fluids in natural gas based products (i.e. or oil fields. The contents of a reserve oil-based drilling pit depends on the type of drilling mud fluids), the pit can used, the formation drilled, and other entrap and kill chemicals added to the well bore during migratory birds and the drilling process. other wildlife. During the drilling process, What is in a Reserve Pit? reserve pits probably Drilling fluids in reserve pits contain do not attract aquatic barium sulfate or barite, bentonite clay, migratory birds such lignosulfonates, and lignites. Drilling as waterfowl due to fluids in reserve pits can also contain human activity and diesel, mineral oil, glycols, chromium, noise. However, once zinc, polypropylene glycol, and the drilling rig and acrylamide copolymers. other equipment are Pedro Ramirez/USFWS Pedro removed from the Reserve pits remaining after well completion attract Fluids used in the hydraulic fracturing well pad, the reserve birds and other wildlife. of a well are sometimes stored in pit is attractive to reserve pits. Hydraulic fracturing birds and other wildlife. entraps birds in the pits and they die fluids can contain surfactants and from exposure and exhaustion. Birds other chemicals used to stimulate oil or Birds are attracted to reserve pits and other wildlife can also fall into natural gas flow.
    [Show full text]
  • Trends in U.S. Oil and Natural Gas Upstream Costs
    Trends in U.S. Oil and Natural Gas Upstream Costs March 2016 Independent Statistics & Analysis U.S. Department of Energy www.eia.gov Washington, DC 20585 This report was prepared by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), the statistical and analytical agency within the U.S. Department of Energy. By law, EIA’s data, analyses, and forecasts are independent of approval by any other officer or employee of the United States Government. The views in this report therefore should not be construed as representing those of the Department of Energy or other federal agencies. U.S. Energy Information Administration | Trends in U.S. Oil and Natural Gas Upstream Costs i March 2016 Contents Summary .................................................................................................................................................. 1 Onshore costs .......................................................................................................................................... 2 Offshore costs .......................................................................................................................................... 5 Approach .................................................................................................................................................. 6 Appendix ‐ IHS Oil and Gas Upstream Cost Study (Commission by EIA) ................................................. 7 I. Introduction……………..………………….……………………….…………………..……………………….. IHS‐3 II. Summary of Results and Conclusions – Onshore Basins/Plays…..………………..…….…
    [Show full text]
  • Standard Operating Procedure Nine Drilling
    STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE NINE DRILLING METHODS Modified from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Environmental Response Team Response Engineering and Analytical Contract Standard Operating Procedures Drilling and Monitoring Well Installation at Hazardous Waste Sites in South Dakota SOP 2150 Version 2.0 (3/18/2003) TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1.0 SCOPE AND APPLICATION ...............................................................................................1 2.0 METHODS .............................................................................................................................1 2.1 Drilling Methods .............................................................................................................2 2.1.1 Hollow-Stem auger...............................................................................................2 2.1.2 Solid-Stem auger...................................................................................................3 2.1.3 Bucket auger .........................................................................................................4 2.1.4 Direct-Mud rotary.................................................................................................5 2.1.5 Reverse-Air rotary.................................................................................................6 2.1.6 Cable tool..............................................................................................................7 3.0 ADVANTAGES, DISADVANTAGES, AND INTERFERENCES OF THE DRILLING METHODS..........................................................8
    [Show full text]
  • Drilling Activity
    Oil and Gas Wells: Drilling Activity What is Drilling? In the oil and gas industry, drilling is a process that utilizes a mechanical rig Certificate of Restoration (CoR) - that is configured to bore a hole into the earth’s subsurface. Well activities are A CoR is a document issued by the Commission most commonly associated with drilling as wells are used in drilling operations certifying that an abandoned wellsite has been 17.4% for obtaining, developing, storing, injecting and/or the production of oil and restored to meet regulatory requirements. gas. Drilling Operations Abandoned - A well that is permanently closed off when no viable hydrocarbons are discovered or it Drilling operations require an enormous amount of resources, preparation, 13.0 % is depleted and no longer capable of producing expertise and personnel. A number of steps are required to prepare a location profitably. for drilling, to operate a drill site and finally to ultimately reclaim the site. A drilling rig typically consists of power system, hoisting system, rotating Inactive - A well that has not been decommissioned system and circulating system. The power system provides the main power but has not been active for 12 consecutive months. for the rig. The hoisting system raises and lowers the drill string in and out 28.9 % This number includes suspended wells which may of the hole and controls the weight on the drill bit during drilling. The rotating still have equipment on site as the permit holder may system turns the drill string and the drill bit to break the formation rocks. resume drilling in future.
    [Show full text]
  • Oil Depletion and the Energy Efficiency of Oil Production
    Sustainability 2011, 3, 1833-1854; doi:10.3390/su3101833 OPEN ACCESS sustainability ISSN 2071-1050 www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability Article Oil Depletion and the Energy Efficiency of Oil Production: The Case of California Adam R. Brandt Department of Energy Resources Engineering, Green Earth Sciences 065, 367 Panama St., Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305-2220, USA; E-Mail: [email protected]; Fax: +1-650-724-8251 Received: 10 June 2011; in revised form: 1 August 2011 / Accepted: 5 August 2011 / Published: 12 October 2011 Abstract: This study explores the impact of oil depletion on the energetic efficiency of oil extraction and refining in California. These changes are measured using energy return ratios (such as the energy return on investment, or EROI). I construct a time-varying first-order process model of energy inputs and outputs of oil extraction. The model includes factors such as oil quality, reservoir depth, enhanced recovery techniques, and water cut. This model is populated with historical data for 306 California oil fields over a 50 year period. The model focuses on the effects of resource quality decline, while technical efficiencies are modeled simply. Results indicate that the energy intensity of oil extraction in California increased significantly from 1955 to 2005. This resulted in a decline in the life-cycle EROI from ≈6.5 to ≈3.5 (measured as megajoules (MJ) delivered to final consumers per MJ primary energy invested in energy extraction, transport, and refining). Most of this decline in energy returns is due to increasing need for steam-based thermal enhanced oil recovery, with secondary effects due to conventional resource depletion (e.g., increased water cut).
    [Show full text]
  • EXPLORING for OIL and GAS the Earliest Access to Oil and Gas Was Through Surface Such As Canada, Tar Sands Are Mined Similarly to the Expressions
    EXPLORING FOR OIL AND GAS The earliest access to oil and gas was through surface such as Canada, tar sands are mined similarly to the expressions. Shallow deposits, along with shallow way coal and metal ores are mined. Today, however, faulting, allowed oil and gas to migrate to the surface almost all commercial oil and gas exploration is from of the land. Societies have accessed oil and gas for wells many thousands of feet deep. (Daniel Yergin, millennia. The Bible, for example, records Noah The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money and Power, covering the ark with pitch. Similarly, Moses was Free Press, New York, 1990) delivered from death in a basket coated with tar and pitch. Historians believe that the Chinese drilled brine Conventional oil and gas deposits, as opposed to resource plays such as shale oil and gas, are located in (notmodern oil and oil well, gas) drilledwells as by early “Colonel” as 2000 Edwin B.C. TheDrake first permeable rocks, such as sandstone, and are held in near Titusville, Pennsylvania, in 1859 was placed place by a trap. A trap is simply a means of preventing near oil seeps, which were known to both Native further migration of the oil or gas. Four simple traps Americans and European settlers. In some regions, are illustrated (FIGURE 1). FIGURE 1. OIL AND GAS NATURAL GAS TRAPS OIL NATURAL OIL GAS FAULT ANTICLINE TRAP FAULT TRAP FAULT SALT DOME NATURAL NATURAL OIL GAS OIL GAS OIL TRAPS ON SALT DOME FLANKS STRATIGRAPHC TRAP 2 FIGURE 2. SEISMIC SURVEY RECEIVERS RECEIVERS SOURCE A development team, consisting of geoscientists specially equipped to provide the vibrational and engineers, will study the subsurface, consider energy (FIGURE 2).
    [Show full text]
  • Safety on a Drilling Rig: Is It Safety Culture? Jonathan Wade Henson Eastern Kentucky University
    Eastern Kentucky University Encompass Online Theses and Dissertations Student Scholarship January 2013 Safety On A Drilling Rig: Is It Safety Culture? Jonathan Wade Henson Eastern Kentucky University Follow this and additional works at: https://encompass.eku.edu/etd Part of the Occupational Health and Industrial Hygiene Commons Recommended Citation Henson, Jonathan Wade, "Safety On A Drilling Rig: Is It Safety Culture?" (2013). Online Theses and Dissertations. 178. https://encompass.eku.edu/etd/178 This Open Access Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Scholarship at Encompass. It has been accepted for inclusion in Online Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Encompass. For more information, please contact [email protected]. SAFETY ON A DRILLING RIG: IS IT SAFETY CULTURE? By JONATHAN HENSON Bachelor of Science Excelsior College Albany, New York 2006 Associates of Science Tidewater Community College Portsmouth, Virginia 1995 Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate School of Eastern Kentucky University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE August, 2013 Copyright © 2013 Jonathan Henson All Rights Reserved ii DEDICATION This thesis is dedicated to my wife, Patty Jean Henson who has given me all the support I could ask for and encouragement during the low spots we all endure for such projects. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS To my former employers, Maersk Drilling USA and present employer, BG- Group, for providing me with the time, survey pool and resources to complete this thesis. This subject matter is valuable to this author and hopefully to those who do the hard work of extracting hydrocarbons from the earth in hazardous conditions.
    [Show full text]
  • Appendix C: Well Drilling Procedure
    Table L1. Proposed CO2 Injection Well – Casing Specifications Tensile Depth Size Weight Collapse/ TUBULAR Grade Thread Body/Joint (ft) (in) (lb./ft) Burst (psi) (X 1000 lbs.) Conductor 0 - 40 13-3/8 48 H-40 ST&C 770/1,730 541/322 Surface Casing 0 – 965 9-5/8 36 J-55 ST&C 2,020/3,520 564/394 Protection Casing 0 – 4,000 5-1/2 15.5 J-55 LT&C 4,040/4,810 248/217 Well Drilling Program The following sections contain the proposed step-by-step program for drilling and completing the proposed CO2 Injection Well. The CO2 Injection Well will be used for baseline monitoring and characterization, injection of the CO2 fluid during the active experiment, and post-injection monitoring of the intervals of interest. DRILLING PROCEDURE CONDUCTOR HOLE 1. Prepare surface pad location and install well cellar. 2. Mobilize drilling rig. Perform safety audit during rig-up to ensure that equipment setup complies with project requirements. 3. Notify Arizona Oil and Gas Conservation Commission at least 48 hours prior to spudding the well. 4. Drill mouse and rat holes. 5. Drill 17-1/2” conductor hole to +/-40 feet. Install 13-3/8” casing and grout annular space from set depth to surface with concrete. 6. Wait on concrete to cure for 12 hours. SURFACE HOLE 7. Rig up mud logging unit and test equipment. Collect and save 10-foot samples from 40 feet to total depth. A set of samples is required to be submitted to the Oil and Gas Administrator, Arizona Geological Survey, within 30 days of completion of the well.
    [Show full text]
  • 2014 Statewide Drilling Rig Emissions Inventory with Updated Trends Inventories
    2014 STATEWIDE DRILLING RIG EMISSIONS INVENTORY WITH UPDATED TRENDS INVENTORIES FINAL REPORT TCEQ Contract No. 582-15-50416 Work Order No. 582-15-52832-05 Prepared for: Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Air Quality Division Prepared by: Eastern Research Group, Inc. July 31, 2015 ERG NO. 0345.00.005.002 2014 Statewide Drilling Rig Emissions Inventory with Updated Trends Inventories Final Report TCEQ Contract No. 582-15-50416 Work Order No. 582-15-52832-05 Prepared for: Mr. Michael Ege Texas Commission on Environmental Quality Air Quality Division Building E, Room 245S Austin, Texas 78711-3087 Prepared by: Mike Pring Rick Baker Regi Oommen Diane Preusse Eastern Research Group, Inc. 3508 Far West Blvd., Suite 210 Austin, TX 78731 July 31, 2015 Table of Contents Section Page List of Acronyms ................................................................................................................ v 1.0 Executive Summary ............................................................................................ 1-1 2.0 Introduction ....................................................................................................... 2-1 3.0 Drilling Rig Overview ......................................................................................... 3-1 4.0 Literature and Database Review ........................................................................ 4-1 4.1 RigData® Database ................................................................................. 4-1 4.2 Drilling Company Websites ...................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Design of a Portable Hydraulic Water Borehole Drilling Rig
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by International Institute for Science, Technology and Education (IISTE): E-Journals Innovative Systems Design and Engineering www.iiste.org ISSN 2222-1727 (Paper) ISSN 2222-2871 (Online) Vol.4, No.14, 2013 Design of A Portable Hydraulic Water Borehole Drilling Rig A.R.S. Dienagha1, G.C. Ikenyiri2 and Steve Odi – Owei2 1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Niger Delta University, Amassoma, Bayelsa State, Nigeria. 2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Rivers State University of Science and Technology, P.M.B. 5080, Port Harcourt, Nigeria. * E-mail [email protected] ABSTRACT: One of mankind’s most important needs – water has been a very scarce commodity in Nigeria. Federal, State and Local Governments are not doing enough to provide portable water for the Nigerian populace hence borehole drilling has become a big business. Water boreholes are being drilled with manual methods using the tripod and seismic systems. These methods do not produce high quality potable water. Borehole drilling rigs that can produce appropriate quality of water are imported and are costly and borehole drillers can hardly afford them. It therefore became imperative for Nigerian Engineers to design and produce effective and cheaper water drilling rigs. Consequently, a hydraulic water drilling rig has been designed. The design satisfies the requirements of drill diameter and depth and has economic advantage over the imported rigs. The manufacture of the rig in Nigeria will also enhance the technological development of the country. KEY WORDS: Design, Portable, Hydraulic, Water, Borehole, Drilling, Rig.
    [Show full text]