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Methods and systems for drilling boreholes

  • US 9,194,183 B2
  • Filed: 10/03/2013
  • Issued: 11/24/2015
  • Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2009
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A system for drilling a borehole, comprising:

  • a drill rig comprising a drill including a drill bit, an air injection system, and a water injection system; and

    a control system operatively associated with said drill rig, said control system;

    monitoring drill parameters comprising drill rotational speed, drill torque, drill depth, hoist speed and number of drill retractions;

    receiving information from said drill rig relating to at least one drill parameter,controlling each of said drill, said air injection system and said water injection system,storing program steps for program control, and processing data; and

    said control system processing information relating to the drill parameter, determining whether the drill parameter is within a predetermined specification for at least one monitored drill parameter for a drilling phase or a retraction phase, the retraction phase following completion of the drilling phase, choosing a hole defect mitigation routine based on the at least one monitored drill parameter when the at least one drill parameter is outside the predetermined specification, said hole defect mitigation routine comprising at least one drilling phase defect mitigation routine for implementation during the drilling phase, said drilling phase defect mitigation routine comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of rotary stall protection, end-of-hole spin-out, and end-of-hole water control, and at least one retraction phase mitigation routine for implementation during the retraction phase, said control system controlling said drill rig to implement said rotary stall protection routine when for a predetermined period of time one or both of said monitored drill rotational speed is outside a predetermined specification for rotational speed and said drill torque is outside a predetermined specification for drill torque, said rotary stall protection routine comprising;

    retracting the drill bit;

    rotating the drill bit; and

    resuming the drilling phase with of at least a reduced down-force until drill penetration rate stops changing.

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