Multi-purpose drill rig system seen as a major innovation for the

Hailed by some as the most exciting and innovative development in the drilling industry since the introduction of the wire-line core system, the multi- purpose drill rig system is expected to adapt well to North American applications. The concept originated in Australia in 1978 when an Australian drilling firm, alarmed at rising exploration drilling costs, sponsored a seminar to seek solutions.

The motivating idea was to determine the specifications of a new, modern, and innovative drill for exploration.

Required parameters included the ability to perform high-production core drilling; rotary drilling using a mud or air flush; down-the-hole hammer drilling using high pressure air; and finally, dual-tube reverse circulation core or chip drilling, using either an air or mud flush. Essentially, the quest was to design the “Swiss Army Knife” of drill rigs.

Behind the design concept was the exploration company’s desire to reduce drilling costs and improve productivity, as well as to achieve a wide range of flexibility in a rig which could drill a number of different types of holes.

The larger objectives of the drilling contractors were to increase productivity, broaden the scope of service to the industry and increase their capital-plant utilization, with the end result being an increase in profits.

The general idea was to study conventional single-purpose drills, adopt their best features, and engineer them into a single drill.

The result is what has become known as the Universal series of multipurpose drill rigs made by the Universal Drill Rig division of JKS * Boyles International.

The desired combination of drilling modes meant that the structural design had to incorporate the most demanding application while the power utilization had to cope with a wide range of requirements.

Because of the flexibility required in its multipurpose function, a hydraulic power transmission had to be used (versus a direct couple).

A hydraulic transmission involves converting the torque and revolutions of the drill engine to hydraulic pressure and flow by means of a hydraulic pump. The pressure and flow is then transmitted by hoses to a hydraulic motor or cylinder.

Universal rigs use three open- loop hydraulic circuits: one for rotation speed, torque, and winching power; the second for all hydraulic cylinders; and the third for providing auxiliary power.

For the explorer, the multipurpose drill allows the company to hire one drilling contractor and by using a single drill, evaluate a property using one or a combination of chip and core samples.

Where, in many cases, a company will want to core only a portion of a hole, a multipurpose rig allows this to be done with a single machine, negating the need for a second machine and perhaps, a second contractor.