WorldWide Drilling Resource

49 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® MARCH 2015 Valve-Installed Hammer Confronts Two Problems at Once Adapted from Information by Wildcat Rock Drilling Wildcat Rock Drilling Tools of South Korea spe- cializes in manufacturing down-the-hole hammers. Since the company was established in 1993, well- trained engineers have been at work in a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility apply- ing the most effective mate- rials to get drilling jobs done in the most effective way. When a Wildcat customer was faced with a geothermal project requiring multiple holes to be drilled 1640 feet deep, Wildcat was ready for the chal- lenge. The client had been drilling with a standard 8-inch hammer with an IR380 shank-style bit. After drilling down 490 feet, large volumes of water would be- come problematic. So much water was being produced that drilling could not continue with the same hammer. The bit’s foot valve also kept breaking when operators tried to penetrate the hole using an additional com- pressor and booster against the water and varying rock formation. The customer needed a hammer that would solve both problems. Wildcat answered the cal l by creating a larger air volume ham- mer with a valve installed inside the hammer bar- rel. Airflow between the piston and bit is con- trolled by the valve inside rather than the foot valve on the bit. After the foot 8” valve- installed hammer from Wildcat Rock Drilling Tools Wildcat Rock Drilling Tools has a state-of-the-art facility in South Korea. Wildcat hammers & bits valve was removed from the bit at the drill site, the hammer could drill with the IR380 shank-style bit. This enabled the customer to finish the sequence of holes wi th two compressors and a booster without anymore problems. After the first successful trial in June 2013, the hammer’s design was modified to the current design which has been exported to several countries in the Middle East and built a solid rep- utation with customers. Valve-installed hammers are being manufactured by Wildcat in a variety of forms. Total product lineup ! !!+ ( *+%& ! $(% & !,,%)(, 2 (-!+- %('!(- !#.& -%)(, ( (")+' -%)( 2 ((. & !!-%(# +%&&%(# %#, ( !/ ! $()&)#1 %,*& 1, )+ )+! (")+' -%)( )(- - +)& +,)( $)(! ' %& // 0*&)+(!- )'