Bohrmeister 101: What are Drilling Rigs Used For?

DrillPower QLD, and Australian drilling company with 15 years of drilling experience, shares valuable insights into the world of drilling in this article. We’re not talking about the type you perform with a hand drill when putting up paintings or bookshelves. Drilling rigs are complicated pieces of machinery that, for all intents and purposes, keep the world as we know it running smoothly.

Simply put, according to DrillPower QLD, “A drilling rig is a machine that makes holes in the earth’s surface. The drilling rigs can be very big structures that hold equipment that is used to make water wells, natural gas extraction wells, or oil wells.”

Drilling rigs are used extensively in many industries, including drilling for crude oil and natural gas below the Earth’s surface. Drilling rigs can be solid immovable structures or portable rigs attached to trucks. Below are a few types of drilling rigs that are currently in use:

Coiled Tubing Drilling Rig

Used instead of regular drilling rigs when environmental impact is of concern, coiled tubing drilling uses coiled tubing instead of regular pipes to minimise drilling waste that ultimately ends up in the environment. Coiled tubing drilling rigs are used where drilling equipment impact is an issue in environmentally sensitive areas such as nature reserves, conservancy land and naturally occurring forests. This type of drilling is best used to re-enter wells and the like.

Land Based Drilling Rig

As far as exploration drilling goes – when looking for new oil deposits, natural gas shales, or underground water deposits – land based drilling rigs are the preferred drilling apparatus. Land based drilling rigs are a lot smaller and more efficient than the rigs of yesteryears, and for this reason drillers are able to mount land based drilling rigs to trucks for portability when exploring. This negates the need for setting up and packing down the rigs, making the exploratory drilling process more efficient.

Jackup Drilling Rig

As the global society uses up more and more land surface area, drillers looking for commodities have had to take their drilling to the open water. Jackup drilling rigs are deployed at aquatic locations where water depth is 100 feet or less. This variety of drilling rig comes in the form of a floating barge that floats the drilling rig – with support legs attached that can be lowered or raised.

“The Jackup is usually towed to its location. These rigs are very strong because they can hold through strong waves and ocean storms. They are considered cost effective because they are easy to move if a storm comes and they are also very strong and durable, even in the worst conditions.”

Drill Ship Drilling Rig

When an exploratory drill takes drilling companies to the open ocean, a rather advanced drilling rig is needed. This comes in the form of a drill ship which enables drillers to penetrate the Earth’s surface at depths of 10,000 feet! Drill ships can either be attached to the bottom of the ocean or use an anchoring system to remain in place while drilling. Modern technologies have made it possible for drill ships to utilise what is known as ‘dynamic positioning’ which negates the need for anchoring when drilling is on the go.

Drilling Rigs in South Africa

With the South African drilling industry booming thanks to the discovery of oil and natural gas reserves in our corner of the world, Bohrmeister is able to custom build drilling rigs and drilling accessories for exploratory drilling, directional drilling and horizontal drilling. We pride ourselves on our equipment’s rugged reliability, low maintenance, adaptability and excellent performance no matter the drilling job undertaken. Get in touch with us today for all your drilling rig requirements in Southern Africa!