Designing a geothermal drilling tool that can take the heat
Thursday, July 21, 2016 - 19:31
in Earth & Climate
A drilling tool that will withstand the heat of geothermal drilling has now been developed by scientists. The downhole hammer attaches to the end of a column of drill pipe and cuts through rock with a rapid hammering action similar to that of a jackhammer. Downhole hammers are not new -- the oil and gas and mining industries have used them since the 1950s -- but the older design, with its reliance on oil-based lubricants, plastic and rubber O-rings, isn't suited for the hotter temperatures of geothermal drilling.