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Directional Drilling





Directional Drilling

TonaTec management has 40 years of combined experience in directional drilling in the mining industry. This technology can be utilized in a wide variety of applications including; multiple target intercepts from a single trunk hole, drilling around stuck pipe, tight tolerance vertical pilot holes and acquiring targets that would otherwise be inaccessible due to poor surface access.

The directional drilling motor is a hydraulically driven, positive displacement motor (PDM), utilizing the Moineau principle of driving a drill bit without rotating the drill string. PDM's are comprised of five basic assemblies and a drill bit:

1. Top Sub

Connects the stator power section to orientation sub, non-magnetic rods, and/or drill rods.

2. Power Section Assembly

Comprised of two elements, the rotor and stator, these elements are driven by hydraulic inflow of drilling fluid to operate the drive shaft bit.

3. U-Joint Assembly & U-Joint Housing

Two joints change eccentric rotation of rotor and stator to a concentric rotation at the drive shaft, a straight or slightly bent (¼° through 2½°) housing. Directional control of the motor is achieved with the bent u-joint housing.

4. Drive Sub Bearing Assembly

A drive shaft (sub) that is housed by upper and lower bearing housings, which contain radial and thrust bearings. This assembly transfers the rotation and torque form the power section through the u-joint assembly to the bit.

5. Drill Bit

The bit and the lower end of the drive sub bearing assembly are the only externally rotating components of the motor including the drill pipe. The “side-tracker” bit is adaptable to all diamond sets and types or polycrystalline or thermal insert configurations and has proved extremely adaptable for directional deflection and control.