Precussion Drilling

Percussion drilling is a drilling technique in which a drill bit attached to rope or cable is repeatedly raised and lowered, impacting soil and rock and making the hole deeper. Frequently used to drill wells or during mineral prospecting activities, percussion drilling has been used for thousands of years and is adaptable to whatever technology is available. Percussion drills may be simple apparatuses consisting of a heavy drill bit and a rope, and operated by hand. Modem percussion drilling may also be called cable drilling and uses an engine and cable to drill holes that may be hundreds of feet deep.

One use of percussion drilling is in third-world countries as a cheap and reliable way to drill water wells. Equipment is easy to build, transport, and simple to use. Percussion drills introduce less contamination than conventional hand drilling methods. This technique can drill a narrower and deeper hole than hand drilling through many different types of soil and rock.

If the substance being drilled through is sturdy enough, drilling can continue until water is reached. If drilling occurs in loose soil or sand, a pipe may need to be inserted to keep walls from collapsing. After the well is deep enough, permanent casing is installed, too.