Abstract
Rock drilling is the process of penetrating and crushing rocks, which is characterized by the low rate of penetration (ROP) and drilling rate because of the amount of cuttings that remain in the drilling environment and the thermal stresses generated at the bit-rock interface. Any improvement in ROP and drilling rate can be of great technical and economic value for drilling projects. ROP can be improved through the proper use of cooling-lubricating fluids during drilling. ROP is a key indicator of drilling performance and the ability to predict this rate can be very useful for mining projects. ROP prediction can also be used to estimate the total cost of a drilling operation. ROP depends on a variety of parameters, which, when available, can be used to estimate ROP. To reach a better understanding of the parameters affecting ROP and how it can be optimized, in this study, the results of 492 laboratory drilling tests were analyzed by linear and nonlinear multivariate regression in SPSS to build a number of models for ROP prediction. These tests were conducted on seven soft and hard rock samples while using six fluids as the cooling-lubricating agent. The tests were performed with a laboratory-scale drilling rig on cubic specimens at several different rotation speeds and thrust forces. The results showed that the drilling achieved significantly higher ROP in the presence of the cooling-lubricating agent. After reviewing the results, several models that were able to produce ROP predictions with the lowest average estimation error were picked as suitable choices for predicting ROP in the presence of cooling-lubricating fluids. The results of statistical tests of these models showed with over 90% confidence that they can produce highly accurate ROP estimates based on mechanical properties of the rock, physical characteristics of the cooling-lubricating fluid, and operating parameters of the drilling rig.
Highlights
Drilling is one of the most important operations of the mining industry, frequently performed in all stages of exploration and extraction (Bhatnagar and Khandelwal, 2012)
In a series of studies by Bhatnagar et al (2010, 2011) on whether the performance of diamond drilling operations can be improved by using mixtures of non-ionic polymers and water as the cooling lubricating fluid, the results showed that using this mixture instead of plain water increased rate of penetration (ROP) at all drill rotation speeds and thrust forces (Bhatnagar et al, 2010; Bhatnagar et al, 2011)
Given the importance of ROP prediction for improving drilling cost, rate, and efficiency, this study investigated the simultaneous effect of mechanical properties of the rock, properties of the cooling lubricating fluid and operating parameters of the drilling rig on ROP prediction
Summary
Drilling is one of the most important operations of the mining industry, frequently performed in all stages of exploration and extraction (Bhatnagar and Khandelwal, 2012). Drilling operations play a major role in the cost efficiency and general performance of many mining and oil industry projects (Moraveji and Naderi, 2016). Given the high cost of drilling operations and machinery, it is crucial to optimize these operations; an effort that will require proper knowledge of all the parameters involved in the drilling process. With an accurate estimate of the rate of penetration (ROP), one can predict the total cost of drilling. Such predictions can be utilized to determine the most suitable type of drilling rig for certain conditions
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