Cable Tool Drilling

This series of videos demonstrates cable tool drilling.   It is not a technique that you can do yourself without a rig but I included it so you could see how similar it is to the Baptist Method.   This technique is used by some commercial drillers.  It is a very old technique, slow but steady and only requires one person to operate the rig.

A derrick is raised to support the cable tool.  The cable tool is a drilling “bit” that is repeatedly raised and dropped in the hole to break up any formation encountered.  Then the cable tool is swapped out and a bailer is lowered into the hole.  The bailer has a valve so that the slurry created by the pounding of the cable tool, can be bailed out of the hole.   As the bailer goes down, the valve opens and slurry goes into the bailer.  The valve closes as the bailer is raised.  The bailer is removed from the hole and emptied.  Then it is put back in the hole until enough slurry is bailed.  At that point, the cable tool bit, is put back in the hole and the pound begins again.

CABLE TOOL DRILLING PRIMER

A BUCYRUS ERIE CABLE TOOL RIG IN ACTION  

BORING A WELL

In Sierra Leone, wells are bored using an inexpensive kit.  The mud is removed from the well using a bucket that also functions as a drill bit.  The drilling of a new well is a big deal and the whole village gets involved.  This video was produced by FreshHope Ministries International.

BORING A WELL BY HAND