Cable Drill Tools

Cable drill tools have been around the drilling industry for a long time. They were originally used for drilling brine holes, but eventually they became useful in oil drilling. Essentially a cable drill is a percussion drill that uses a method of repeated penetration to break though a surface. A cable drill tool is made up of several key components to maximize its drilling capabilities.

History and Future

• While cable drilling tools and rigs are not used as often as they were in their glory days of oil drilling, they still have their place in the current drilling landscape. As long as companies keep manufacturing them and drillers continue to learn the art of using them, cable drilling tools should also have a place in the future.

The Components

• A vital aspect of a cable drill is, of course, the cable. The cable is used for lifting and turning the tool, and also controls the tool's range of motion. A swivel socket connects the cable to the tool and permits the cable to loosen. There is a drill stem providing weight to guide the bit in the direction of the desired drilling, as well as a drill bit responsible for breaking through the tough surfaces. Cable drills also have a driving case to provide the force of the clamp. Additional components that are not crucial to a cable drill may consist of a drilling jar to keep tools from jamming and a shock absorber.

Advantages of Cable Rigs

• While rotary rigs have several variations, there is only one basic cable tool rig. Cable drill rigs offer some advantages over rotary rigs. For starters, cable rigs cost less than most rotary rigs and require less maintenance. Cable rigs also require fewer people to operate them, and they can often be handled by a person or two. Transportation and arrangement also require less effort. Plus sampling and formation logging are simple and accurate.

Disadvantages

• There are some drawbacks to using cable drilling tools. They have a limited range of depth and penetration. The method is also strictly limited to drilling vertical holes. But perhaps the biggest disadvantage is the fact that cable drilling requires a certain amount of artisan-like skill that many drillers simply do not have anymore. Finding experienced personnel can prove to be a troublesome task.

Manufacturers and Current Uses

• While much of the drilling community relies on rotary drilling, there are still various companies that manufacture the old-school cable drill tools. Atlas Copco, Ingersoll Rand, and Terex all still manufacture some type of cable drilling tools. Even though rotary drill tools are more common, some engineers propose the use of cable tool rigs in geothermal production zones because cable rigs have the ability to assess downhole conditions. These engineers also believe that drilling mud can adversely affect low- and moderate-temperature geothermal wells.