Directional drills are becoming increasingly complex, and with that comes a growing demand for advanced measurement tools that provide greater insight into the drilling process. Brownline has developed the Weight-on-Bit as an add-on to our Drillguide Gyro Steering Tool. In addition to accurate positional measurements by the GST, this development allows us to offer accurate measurement equipment for the forces affecting the drill head downhole.
How the Weight-on-Bit works
The Weight-on-Bit (WoB) is a compact add-on that can be attached to the Drillguide Gyro Steering Tool. During drilling, it measures push/pull force and torque in real time.
The measurements are received on a display for the driller, along with the values measured by the Gyro Steering Tool which include pitch, azimuth, vibration, and mud pressure. All of this information enables drillers to make a better assessment of the soil conditions, and to gain an understanding of the risks. This understanding is key to optimizing the drilling process.
By comparing, among other things, the push/pull forces measured downhole with those of the rig, it is possible to determine which forces are lost due to friction on the drill rods.
The perfect tool for complex drills
Every drill job has its own challenges and risks that make the job complex. The performance of the bit is highly dependent on the external factors applied to the drill head.
Using the Weight-on-Bit, it is possible to determine the optimal push/pull and torque forces for each individual bore. By doing so, excessive wear and tear can be prevented, and the drilling speed (Rate of Penetration) can be increased. The WoB thus enables a new step in optimizing the drilling process, in order to carry out pilot drill operations as efficiently as possible.
The WoB is very suitable for the optimization of HDD operations in hard rock formations, where the impact on the drill head can be monitored to prevent damage. But the WoB also provides clear added value in, for example, clay conditions, by providing insight into the effect of expansive clay that sticks to the drill rods and causes friction. In sum, the Weight-on-Bit is the perfect tool for every type of complex drill job.