Experimental suction drilling in basalts at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Idaho
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Geology topics
Publications and source records attributed to R.R. Pemberton.
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This paper describes experiments using wireline-rotary air-coring techniques conducted in the Bandelier Tuff using a modified standard wireline core-barrel system. The modified equipment was used to collect uncontaminated cores of unconsolidated ash and indurated tuff at Los Alamos, New Mexico. Core recovery obtained from the 210-foot deep test hole was about 92 percent. A standard HQ-size, triple-tube wireline core barrel (designed for the passage of liquid drilling fluids) was modified for air coring as follows: (1) Air passages were milled in the latch body part of the head assembly; (2) the inside dimension of the outer core barrel tube was machined and honed to provide greater clearance between the inner and outer barrels; (3) oversized reaming devices were added to the outer core barrel and the coring bit to allow more clearance for air and cuttings return; (4) the eight discharge ports in the coring bit were enlarged. To control airborne-dust pollution, a dust-and-cuttings discharge subassembly, designed and built by project personnel, was used. (USGS)