Aircore Drilling is a modern, high-efficiency method of drilling wells. Air Rotary rigs create a core sample which is then cored with a sidewall coring system. This creates a true diameter hole for casing placement and other downhole equipment. Air Rotary drilling is an excellent choice for any non-proppant well application where accurate, clean cores are required to ensure the integrity of the wellbore or zone being drilled into. Some benefits include:
Minimizes environmental impact due to minimizing disturbance to the surrounding area during the drilling process
Reduces surface pollution caused by dust control on larger Mud Rotary rigs
Coring allows individual pieces of formation cuttings to be collected and analyzed by geologists — offering better evaluation data than traditional drilling methods
What Is The History Of Aircore Drilling?
Aircore Drilling began in the 1950s to use compressed air instead of water to circulate formation cuttings up and out of a wellbore during drilling. This significantly reduced contamination by cutting fluid (Mud) common with Mud Rotary rigs used at the time for open-hole rotary coring applications.
The first Air-Rotary rig was not introduced until 1981 when it was adapted for coiled tubing drilling operations. At this time, many successful field tests were completed demonstrating the efficiency and accuracy of the method over conventional drilling techniques.
In 1997, Halliburton Energy Services patented a new coring system for Air-Rotary drilling called the LASER, or Longitudinally Assembled Side Rotary. Since then, it has been adopted by many companies as a standard downhole tool for all good applications.
Today, multiple companies produce Air-Rotary rigs designed specifically for oil and gas exploration and well servicing to provide accurate, clean cores with minimal environmental impact.
What Is The Future Of Aircore Drilling?
With the increasing interest in horizontal and deep wells and increased focus on limiting environmental impacts during drilling operations, we expect to see continued growth within the industry. New technologies constantly being adapted, such as smart casing, will offer increased value across product lines.
We are excited to be a part of the future of Aircore Drilling and look forward to working with you today.
“Aircore Drilling Was Our First Choice For Downhole Equipment.”- Halliburton Energy Services, Inc.
How Does Air Core Drilling Work?
An Air Rotary rig uses compressed air instead of circulating fluid (Mud) to drill the well. The bit is attached directly to the bottom of the tubing string with no joints in between, allowing for increased efficiency during drilling operations through reduced friction and lower torque requirements.
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