Drilledshaft Constructionat Crownpoint, New Mexico

Chapter 34
DRILLEDSHAFT CONSTRUCTIONAT CROWNPOINT, NEW MEXICO
by Hassell E. Hunter
Senior Staff Engineer

Production Engineering Services
Conoco Inc. , Houston, Texas
ABSTRACT
The Wyoming Mineral-ConocoCrownPoint Projectrepresent the first time that big

hole drillinghas been exclusivelyused to develop totallya privatelyfinancedmine
below a depth of 1000 feet.
Three shafts, one ten feet in diameter and two six feet in diameter, were
successfully drilled to depths of 22431, 2188!and 21889respectivelyand cased with
hydrostaticdesigned steel casing. The largest shaft is to be used to handle muck
and water from stationexcavationand enlargementof the other two shafts.
A reverse circulation system with potassium chloride base mud was used for
drilling. The mud was cleaned by settling in steel lined tanks with assistanceby
cyclone type separators. Deviationwas monitored by gyroscopicsurveyingat 30 foot
intervalsand did not exceed 16 inches off plumb. Casing was designsd to withstand
hydrostatic pressures with a 1.5 safety factor to the large shaft and 1.25 safety
factor for the smaller shafts. All oaglng welds we= x-ray teated prior to lowering
the easing in the hole. Cementing the annular space completedthe operation.
The total time to mobilize,drill snd move off the three shafts was 363 days. The
drillingoperationwas completedahead of scheduleand under budget.
INTRODUCTION
The CrownpointProjectis a joint venture between Wyoming Mineral Corporationand

Conoco Inc. The operator of the Crownpoint Project is Conoco Inc. Reference
hereafter to the CrownPoint Project is intended to mean the joint venture in this
paper.
The Crownpoint Project i9 located in the Grants Mineral Belt approximately 60

mileS northwest of Grants, New Mexico, in Section 24, T17w, R13W,McKinleyCounty,
about1I2 milewestof townsite
of Crownpeint,
NewMexieo.
PROJECTOBJECTIVES
The objectiveof the CrownpointProjectis to develop an undergrounduranium mine

in the Uestwaterformationat en approximatedepth of 2180 feet below the surface.
544
SHAFT CONSTRUCTION AT CROWNPOINT, NM 545
The plan requiresthat one hole be used as a work shaft to enlarge the other two
holes which will become the main productionghaft and the ventilationsha~t.
Shaft No. 1 has been completed in a 120-inchdiameter hole drilled to a depth of

2243 feet and cased with 85-inch I.D.steel caging. This hole will bacome the work
or developmentshaft.
Shaft No. 2 has been completed in a 72-inch diameter hole drilled to a depth of
2188 feet and caaed with 36-inch steel casing. This hole will be enlarged to a
finleheddiameternf 1E-feetto bacome the main productionshaft.
Shaft No. 3 has been completed in a 72-inch diameter hole drilled to a depth of
2188 feet and cased with 36-inch steel casing. This hole will be enlarged to a
finisheddiameterof 18-feetto bacome the ventilationshaft.
The three large diameter shafts drilled 100-feetapart will ba joined togetherat
the station level at abnut 2180-feet. All muck and water encounteredin enlarging
Shafts No. 2 and 3 will fall downward throughthe 36-inchsteel casing to the station
hft?l and thereafterbe removed throughShaft NO. 1 back to the surface for disposal.
Figure No. 1 illustratesthe CrownPointdrilled shaft developmentconcept.
120,
HOLE W HOLE 7Y HOLE I DEV.
SHAFT
MAIN
SHAFT
VENT.
SHAFT II
DEv.
SHAFT
MAIN
aHAFT
VENT.
SHAFT
I DEV.
SHAFT
MAIN
8HAFT
vENT.
SHAFT II
DEV.
SHAFT
MAIN
SHAFT ::::+1~
CROWNPOINT
SHAFT
DEVELOPMENT
CONCEPT
. ..-.., . ... . . . . .
Figure No. 1
546 1983 RETC PROCEEDINGS, VOLUME 1
DRILLINGMANAGEMENT
The drillingsupervisionteam was providedthroughCOnOCO’SProductionEngineering

Houston, Texas. See Figure No. 2 for Organizationchart. P.E.S.
Services, (P.E.S.),
furnishedall the necessarytechnicaland supervisiondrillingpersonnelto engineer
and direct all the large diameter drilling activit. i’2S. The P.E.S.effort was
coordinatedwith the CFownpointmanagement staff.
.wL@i3B&@.lJE.R-...
E.!!WK
.JML4WLWEE,!!
CROWNPOINT PROJECT
DRILLING ORGANIZATION
C4N1RAOS
I
1
_&!&A&&
mlm?MAN
“C-,ra.w -
I
I I
‘--- I L-1 I
f“-- C2M!.NTONG .. —-
M“o
..— -— — DIULLING
. . . . .. —-.
y’- 11”””--”
——
-’’---1
+>...
*-U
.......—
1:1 I -..-!.-.,!9----- &wNGJf!gl?Q
.“ -
.
mbJ,lL,z,w-_ ~r.sh
$.(.
W.nl..
T.d
I I - -1 v.”-.
c.Asww.&LEXALM_5
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_w.En.lQ#a WLL.CYLG_
L.CI+-8*PV. .- ImO!” -*. ..- A“
EE51 Figure No. 2
The drilling management and supervisionteam consisted of four persons. Those

persons by functionaltitle and name are as follows:
1. DrillingMamger - Hassell E. Hunter
2. DrillingSuperintendent- W. E. CUIUIlnghSm
3. DrillingForeman - Thomas A. McAllister
u. DrillingForeman - Marion C. Hunt
The Drilling Mamger had overall responsibilityfor engineering, planning and

direction of the drilling project. The Drilling Superintendentwas specifically
responsiblefor the physical drilling operationsat the drill site. The Drilling
Foremandirectedthe daily drillingoperation.
One or more of the above four persons were on locationat all times, The drilling
operation was supervised by P.E.S.around the clock, (24 hours a day/seven days a
week] for tbe durationof the Crownpnintdrilling.
The CrownpointProject was organizedto bs executed in a manner quite similar to

other Conoco oil Field drilling operations. The drilling operation was planned and
directed by Conoco drilling personnel and the drilling plan was executed through
several coordinatedcontractorsworking in harmony with each other. Figure No. 2
identifies the function performed by each contractor. All contracts were prime
contracts to COnOcO. There were no gubcontractorg. All riskg of successful
completionwere borne by Conoco through total directionof tbe drillingoperations.
DRILLINGSHAFT NO. 1
Shaft No. 1 commenced mobilization on April 1, 1980. Drilling of a 120 inch

diameter hole, began on April 13, 1980 and reached a total depth of 2243’RKB in 129
days ending August 20, 1980.
Upon reaching total depth, a caliper log was run and thereafter 85-inch ring
stiffened casing was run to a setting depth of 2194 ground level measurement and
cemented back of surface. The casing was pumped and bailed dry to complete the
drillingand casingoperation. Shaft No. 1 was completedin 183 days.
CROWNPUINT PROJECT
eOTTO+.4 HOLE ORILLING ASSEMBLY
e4’< m 0’ w*ts
120” Da e,t
I II
m
+-’
mm
1
,
‘[-
L— ——-.. —__L L+.—. -L .\-
1
“-q=— + “<” —
Figure No. 3
Drilling Equipment
The basic rig consistedof a 112 ft. maat with a hook load capacityof 1,000,000
lbs. The substructurewas 6-1/2 ft. high with sliding rotary beams that enable the
bit and bottom hole drilling aasembly to be pulled thrnugh the substructureinto the
mast.
The 120 inch bettom hole drilling assembly was degigned to accomplish two basic
purposee. To apply weight to the bit and to keep the hole straight. Both purposes
are accomplishedby use of an extremely heavy drill collar assembly having a weight
in mud of about 360,000 lbs. Figure No. 3 illustrates two different. bottom hole
assembly arrangements used in the drillingShaft No. 1 and Shafts 2 & 3.
The prime mover for the drill rig consistsof two CaterpillarD-379 turbo-charged
diesel engines rated at 615 hoigting horsepower each. These engines drive the
drawworks and rotary table througha torque cawerter and a compound.
The circulation system is activated with three Atlas-Copco rotary compressors

rated at 1200 cubic feet par minute at a maximum effectivepressure of 290 pgi,The
drill pipe sections were 13-3/8inch O.D. by 30 foot long.
Bit Weight & Rotary Speed
Weight on the hit and rotary speed are controlled drilling parameters by the
Canoco drilling supervisor. The shale formations are the hardest to drill so the
highest weight on the bit will be used with a RPM to run smooth without excessive
vibrationor bit chatter.
The sand formations drill quite rapidly and u9ually penetrationrates had to be
held to 4 to 5 feet per hour to prevent overloading the circulation system with
excessivedrilled cuttings. The RPM sometimes was also slowed down as a vibration
limitingfactor.
Hole straightnessand Penetrationrate are controlledby weight on the bit and the
gpeed of rotation. The objective at Crownpoint was to achieve a reasonable
penetration rate while keeping the hole as perpendicular as possible. This ie
accomplishedby Uging a heavy bottom hole assembly and using approximately30$ or tne
Weight of the drill collar as weight on the bit and the remaining 70$ acting like a
pendulumto keep the hole straight.
Maximum penetrationrates and maximum hole straightnessare seldom achievedat the

same time. In order to achieve ❑ aximum penetrationrates,most nf the weight of the
drill collar would ha carriedon the bit. This would minimize the pendulumeffect of
the bottom hole assembly and cauee the hole departure to increase. The horizontal
departureof the hole is usually in an updip direction. The two roller stabilizers
help keep the bit headed in the same directionthue minimizinghole departure,but it
is still largely due to the pendulum effect of the heavy drill collar that keeps the
hole straight.
The weight on the bit and the rotary spaed were determinedby the P.E.S.drilling
supervisor and executed through the drilling contractor. There are other
considerationswhen determining a weight on bit and rpm. The rotary table is the
weakegt link in the rotary drive. Increasesin weight on the bit cauge increasesin
the torque that the rotary table must trsnsmit to the drill String. It is possible
to increaee this torque to a point where the rotary table will fail. Another
objective in selecting the correct weight on bit and rotsry speed is to keep the
string together and nOt leave any part of the drilling agsembly in the hole.
Combinations of weight and rpm are often changed tn achieve smooth rotating
conditions.
PenetrationRates
There were twelve bit runs made on Shaft No. 1 to a total depth of 2243’ RKB
measurements. The rotatinghours during the drilling of the hole was 2294.75hours
or 96 days out of a total of 129 drilling days. This amounts for about 70$ of the
time on bottom rotating. Average penetrationrate was 0.98 feet per hour or 17.39
feetperdayoverall.
There were nine bit runs made on Shaft No. 2 to a total depth of 2188! RKB
measurements. The rotatinghours during the drillingof the hole was 1212 hours or
51 days out of a total of 62 drillingdays. This amounts for about 80$ of the time
on bottom rotating. Average penetrationrate was 1.8feet per hour or 36.46feet per
day overall.
There were eleven bit runs made on shaft No. 3 to a total depth of 2188? RKB
mea.vurements.The rotatinghour.vduring the drillingof the hole was 1258.5hours or
52 days out of a total of 66 drilling days. This amounts for about 79$ of tbe time
on bottOm rotating. Averagepenetrationrate was 1.7feet per hour or 34.Ig feet per
day overall.
Mud
The top portion of Shaft No. 1 was drilled using a freshwatergel mud. This was
done in the interest of economy. The mud system wag converted to a potassium
chloride system at 638 feet before enteringinto the Mancos Shale. The Mancos is a
bentonlticshale that swells and heaves upon contact with freshwater. A KCL system
is the best drillingfluid to inhibit this swelling situation.
The entire mud plan was predicated on inhibiting shale swelling. Hole
stabilizationwas the objectiveof the mud program. The hole could hsve been drilled
with water bad it not have been necessaryto stabilizethe walls of the bole.
Drilling
progessis shownin TableNo. 1 showing the time to drill Shaft No. 1.
TABLE 1. DrillingProgressShaft No. 1
TiMe to Complets
Mobilization 12 days
Drill 120n hole from bb~ to 22Q3V 129 days
PrepareRig To Run 85 inch Casing 5 dayg
Run 85 inch Casing to 2194 G .L. 21 days
Cement Casing 10 days
Total Shaft No. 1 183 days
CIRCULATINGSYS’E14
All large diameter drilling operations require some type of air assiet method.
The rever9efluid air s.vsistcirculationsystem used on the CrownpolntProject is the
siMplCStof all air assist circulationmethods. No fluid pumps are used.
The hole is kept full througha gravityreturn line from the pits. Circulationis
createdby injectingair into a 3 l/~ line suspendedinside the drill pipe below the
hole fluid level in the annulus at about 32o feet. The column of fluid inside the
drill pipe is aerated md the 00IuMn Of fluid in the ann”lu~ is not aerated. The
Unequal hydrostatic heads of fluid inside and outside the drill pipe at the bit
result in a reverse flnw across the face of the bit. Cuttings are picked up and
returned to the surface at a velocity of about TOO feet per minute. At tbe
CrOWUpOiUtProject,air injectedat the rate of 2000 cfmproduced mudreturngof river
4000gpm.
The cuttings are dischargedout the blooie line into the working pits wherethe
cuttings
areremoved andhauled awayt,o a Wast,edi.epogalarea. CuttineaF-o-1 ‘“om
the~Ud is largely due to s~tt~ing in tne surface working puts and removed with a
crane and clamshell. Further cuttingsremoval is made with cyclone typs separators.
How The ReverseFluid Air-Assi9tSystemWorks
The air lift pump may be describedin its most basic terms as a ‘U” tubs havinE
unequal legs as shown in Figure No. 4. If the ‘UW tube is submerged in a tank Of
water as in Figure No. 4 where the shorter leg of the tube IS flooded, and air is
injected at some point into an outlet on ths longer leg, flOw will OcOur uP tbe
longer leg to en elevatedpoint. F1OW win occur only if the hydrostaticpressureOf
the longer leg is less than that of the shorter leg. ——

This is .
the fundamental
principle of
———air lift pumpingj a hydrostatic pre9sure imbalance caused by the
injectionof air into one leg of the ‘Un tube.
Tbe amount of flow depends on several predicableparameters. The height of the

dischargeabove the static reservoirlevel, the amount of air injected, the depth of
submergenceof the air inlet below the static fluid level, and the pressureall have
an effect on the amount of flow. Fortunately, most of these parameters can be
calculated within reasonable accuracy to achieve maximum efficiency. The
descriptIons and equationsthat follow are the result of experience,Ingarsoll-Randrs
extensive testing data, field test experiment results made by the Atomic Energy
Commission and field performancedata from ConocolsFlorence,Arizona,project. The
reader should be cautioned that air pumping 1s not an exact science and that field
ad.iustmentsmav be reauired to achieve maximum efficiencyin actual Practice. The
equation.vfairly well match the field data so adjustmentsshould be minor.
AIR INLET
I
< _@’1 o—
0 0
Q
0
0
0
0 0
0
0
8
0
0
0° 0 ~
u-TuBE Vd Vc
L EGENO
A - DEPTM8EL LW’STA TIC FLUID LEVEL

B - TOTAI FLUID L if?
C - LlfTABOW S7ATIC FLUIO LEVEL
D- DEPTMFi?X STATIC FLUID LEVEL TO AIR INLET
TYPE OF AIR LIFT PUMFS
Figure No. U
Types Of Air PUMPS
There are two types of air lift pump systems but the pumping principleis the sane
as the U-tube, as illustratedin Figure No. 4. One system requires an outside air
line which is run in the annular space batween the hole and the tubing. The Outside
air line sygtem, or VA gystem, has the air flow line and the production tubing
running side by side in the well. Because of the nature of this parallel tubing
configuration, this system is not conducive to rotation of the tubing that is
required in a drillingsystem. While this, the VA type, is slightlymore efficient
than the other concentricstring tyw system (VC), it will not be stressed in this
paper. The second type is the concentricstring type, or VC eystem, where the air
line is suspendedinside the productiontubing becomes drill pipe in a rotatingmode.
The suspendedair line string should have left hand thread to lessen the possibility
of backingoff the couplingas the drill etring rotates to the right. The VC system
ie ellgbtly less efficient than the VA system because of the increased friction
caused by the concentricstrings having less then the full open diameter In the VA
type. However, the VC system lends itself to rotation and is used by most
contractorswho are engaged in drillinglarge diameter holes. It was with this type
circulatingsystem that the Atomic EnergyCommissiondrilleda 90* diameterhole to a
depth of 6200!in a single pass. This is the deepest large diameter hole that has
been drilled to date. The same gystem was used to drill 10 foot diameter hole to
5500 feet.
Figure NO. 5
Terminology
The fOllOWing glossary Of terms and equations originallydeveloped for a water

well applicationhave been modified to relate to a drillingsituation. Tbe opereting
modes are almost identioal. Terminology of the reverse fluid air assisted
circulatingsystemillustrated in Figure No. 5 i9 as follows:
Level ie the leVel of the discharge pipe above the ground. This is the
Discharge
height of ~ooseneck attached to the swivel in the suspensionsystem, and varies
in height above ground level as the kelly is raised and lowered.
StaticFluid Level is the distancefrom ground level to the fluid surface in a etatic
air T=atic fluid level ghould be near ground level.
Pumpln&Fluid
.— Level is the same as the Static Fluid Level except in unusual
conditions such ag lost circulation. Hole i9 kept full by either pumps or gravity
flow return lines.
Air InletLevelia thedistamce frnmgroundlevelto thedisoharge

pointat theair
linetubingsuepandedinside the drill pipe.
Lift Alwfe Groumd is the distamcefrom the ground to the top of the gooseneck.
Kelly-Down la the distance the kelly travels while drilling down a joint of drill
Pipe while circulatingat rated capacityfrom the static or pumpingfluid level.
Minimum PumpinE Lift ia the distanoe from the static water level to the top of the
gooseneckdiachar~utlet when the kelly is in the down pnsition.
l.laximum
Pumpin& Lift la the digtancefrom the pumping fluid level to the top of the
gooseneckdischar~outlet when the kelly is in the up position.
Minimum Submergence is the distance from the pumpingfluid level to the air inlet
level when the kelly ie in the up position.
Maximum Submergenceis the distance Prom the pumping fluid level to the air inlet
level when the kelly is in the down position.
Notations:
The symbolsthat apply in the formulasthat follow are:
A, = Net insidearea of dischargepipe at top, sq. in.
AQ . Net insidearea of dischargePips at bottcea,sq. In.
B . Atmosphericpressure,psi A
c = EfficiencyConEtant
E , Expansionof air volume par foot of dischargePipa, cfm
f = Air line friction leas, pai
L = Maximum pumping lift, ft.
% z Hud or fluid wai@ , Ppg

P= = Startingminimum submergenceair pressure,psi G
Pm . Maximum submergenceair pressure,Psi G
Qal . Volume of dense air at air inlet level,cfh
Qa2 z Voluma of dense air at air inlet level, cfta

Q . Volume of fluid flew, cfm
r = Air compressionratio at air inlet level, dimensionless
s = Pumpingsubmergence,ft.
$s = Percent
pumping
submergence,
S
~ : WdnIum eutme,gence,ft.
T= Totalfreeairrequired,
cfm
‘a = Quantity
of freeairrequired
pargal.,cfmlgpm
Vd = Dischargevelocity,ft.frain.
Ve : rntranoe
velocity,
ft./rein.
SHAFT CONSTRUCTION AT CROWNPOINT, NM
Basic Equations:
Percent pumpin8 submergence,S
SS = 100s (Eq. 1)
E
Total Free air required,cfio
T= cla2 = V*W (24. 2)
Air compressionratio at the footpiece
r, (.052)(fQ)(S) + 1 (ml. 3)
B
Volume of fluid ~low, g!xn
%= (Eq. 4)
&
Volume of air at top of dischargePipe, cti
Qa2 = T (Eci. 5)
Volume of dense air at inlet level, or-m
Qal = ~ (Eq. 6)
P
Expansionof air volume per foot of dischargepipe, cfm
(Eq. 7)
Maximum submergenceair pressure,Psi G
pm = (.052)(~)(~) + f (Eq. 8)
Startingminimum wtmergence air pressure, psi G
Ps = (.052)(~)(S) (Eq. 9)
Dischargevelocity,fpm
vd = & (~ + ‘aaZ) (Eq. 10)

A,
Entrancevelocity,fpn
‘e = & (q + Q) (Eq. 11)

AU
Quantity
of free air rewired, cfmlg!m
‘a =
c ,Cg,o <s+ = i’s (Eq. 12)
Sasic Thecry
In crder to estimate the amount of air required, depth of submergence, air

pressure and pipe sizes to achieve cptimum values, the first number that must be
determined is how much lift above the pumping fluid level will be necessary. This
will usuallybe from near grcund level tc the top cf the gocseneckwith-the kelly in
the up pogition. Generally, this will be 50 to 70 feet abcve the pumping/static
fluid level.
The depth of submergenceis the next item that must be determined. Submergenceis
usually expressedas a per~ntage of the total length of the air line tubing. Thus,
so sir line string 200 feet long with 140 feet submerged below the ststic or pumping
fluid level with 60 ak+ve the fluid level would have a submergencepercentageof 70$
as calculatedby Equation 1.
%s = loos = (100)(140) = 70s

Ks (6o) + (140)
The best percentagesubmergencefor maximum efficiencyfor most drillingrigs will

be 65-70$. With this optimum known, Eauation 1 can ba rearrathzedto determine the
footage submergence required on SOY gi-venrig when the total‘pumping lift (L) 1s
known as follows:
s. ($S)(L) = (70)(60) : 1401

100 (1-ss) 100 ( l-~)
100
The amount of Free air required in cubic feet of air per gsllan of fluid pumped
can k estimatedempiricallyfrom Equation 12.
The air volume requirementEquation 12 above can ba modified ’20)to account for
higher fluid densitiesaggociatedwith the lifting of the drilling mud and outtingg
for large diameterrotary drilled holes. The modifled equationis as follows:
Va ‘ L x SP. Gr (Eq. 13)
c ‘og’o(?)
Equation 13 was used to caloulate the cubic feet of air required to produce a
gallon of drillingfluid on the CrownWint Project.
Tha ConstantC in Equation 12 & 13 may be taken from the Table No. 2, balou:
TABLE 2. Constant for Air Volume Formula
From Loomis(2)
Inside Air Outside Air

%Submergence Line
— Line
—
30 135 188
35 160 216
40 186 245
45 214 272
50 24o 295
264 316
Z 288 336
65 305 345
70 320 357
75 330 367
80 335 375
Allen[ 20) noted that. the Constant ‘Cw changes to a 10wer value with increases in
air volume and further, that the system efficiency
*llen( factorthe
20) ca~a~lated is value
not applicable
of factorfor
“C”
drilling operationsat great depths.
with air volumes of 1000 cfm, 1500 cfm and 2000 Cfm in the fOllOwingTable No. 3:
TABLE 3. System EfficiencyConstants
Frem Allen(20)
Mud Weight = 9.o ppg
Drill Pipe = 13 3/8n O.D.
Inside Air Line
Air Volume . 1000 cfm
Submergenae$: 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90
nCn Value
—— : 250 285 316 337 335 310 265 219 205
Air Volume . 1500 cfm
Submergence: 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90
-cm Value
—— : 200 217 230 238 237 222 193 172 185
Air Volume = 2000 Mm
submergence%: 50 55 60 65 70 75 80 85 90
‘C” Value
—— : 158 173 182 186 181 170 155 139 125
This unreliabilityof the factor nCn was noted further in the Crownunintdrillinu
as it was calculateddaily. Time does not permit a thoroughanalysis kf Equation 1>
& 13 with the publicationof this report, but it is suggestedthat further study is
neca9.9aryto determinethe effect of frictionin the circulatingsystem.
Substitutingvalues in Equation 12,an estimate of cfm/gPm at maximum PumPing lift

with the kelly up and minimum submergenceis obtainedas follows:
Va . 60
320 10g ,0 140 + 34
3Q )
. 0.26 Cfm/ISPM
This estimate does not consider friction and the air required (cfm/gpm) will be
increaseddue to the high volume and high velocitycreated in a drillingapplication.
The start-uppumping pressureof the above example is determined from Equation B

assumingthe use of a 9 ppg mud:
P~ . (.052)(~)(S)
, (.052)(9)(140) (Eq. 8)
= 66 psi
The CrounpointCirculatingSygtem
The complete circulatingsystem conceptfor the CrownpointProject is illustrated

in Figure No. 6.
The collar shaft was completedto a depth of approximately60,in all three shafts
when the concretefoundationfor the rig was constructedby others. The working pits
were lined with steal plate into 8 separatecompartmentscontaininga total volume of
10,150 barrels. The hole is kept full of fluid through a 30” PiPe with cOnnects
between the last working pit compartmentand the hole.
When the ken y is drilled down, the maximum submergencepumping air Pressure is
estimatedwith Equation 9.
556 19S3 RETC PROCEEDINGS, VOLUME 1
Pm. (.052)(Mw)(SW)
+f (Eq. 9)
: (.052)(9)(180) + 10
, 90 psi
The loss of preseure due to the friction of gas flowing through the pipe can be
calculated from the basic Fanning equation. In the preceding example, the air
friction pre.saurelo.vse.s
were estimated at 10 psi. Conversely,the drill pipe and
air line SiZe9 should ba selected to keep the frl~tion IOS,SeSbetween 5 ~d Io p.gi.
Sizing of the drill pipe is an im~rtant function in the design of the efficient
operationof a reverse fluid air assist circulatingsystem. There are two types of
losses in the pipe; (1) the slippage of air through the drilling fluid and, (2)
norimalfriction losees of the drilling fluid with the pipe. As the fluid velocity
increases,the air slippagethrough the fluid will deoreaseand frictionlosses will
increase. The reverse is true as velocity deoreaseg, Friction losses will decrease
and air slippagewill increaseuntil at some pnint heading or intermittentunloading
will occur. This 19 an undesirable situation and adjustments are necessary to
increase velocity to obtain a steady flow. A constantpipevelocitycannotbe
achieved becauge velocitieswill increasefrom the fOotpieceto the eurface beca”~e
of the expansionof the injected air bubbles, The footpieceat the end of the air
line is essentiallya perforatednipple that dispersesthe injectedair into ae many
small bubbles as ie possible. Friction losses can W reduced by the use of larger
diameterdrill pipa oppositethe lengthof maximum air line submergence. The hole is
always the same level as the fluid level in the last pit.
BLOOIE LINE<
STEEL PITA
GROUND LEVEL PITSA
RETURN FLOW LINE
CROWNPOINT CONCEPT
REVERSE FLUID AIR ASSIST
CIRCULATING SYSTEM
FLOW DIRECTION
+
13 3/8”
Figure NO. 6
The air was suppliedby 3-AtlaS COPCYJrOtarY screw compressorsrated at 1200 cfm
at 310 psig. ~ch ~tary ~mpressor ie powered by a G.M. 16V-71internalcOmbustiOn
engine rated at 532 brake horse~wer. At the Crown@nt altitudeeach oonpressorbad
an output of ~~ut 1000 Cfm at tbe 170 psi operating pressure required ‘o activate
the circulatingsystem.
557
SHAFT CONSTRUCTION AT CROWNPOINT, NM
Two oompre9sors were used to activate the circulatingsystem while the third
compressorwas standbycapabilitywhen either of the other two compressorswere down
for any reason.
Because of the predetermined air volumes and pressures available in the

compressorsselectedfortheproject, a submergence of 90%was chosenforuseon the
CrownpolntProject. Basic theory from the literatureas discussedabove states that
a submergenceof 70$presentsthe optimum use of air and horsepower. The CrOWnWint
Project used a submergence of 90$ which was determined through trial and error in
obtaining maximum flow with the available equipment selected to furnish the air
requirements. While this is a higher percentage of submergence above the 701
submergenceset out in the literature,it did providemaximum practicalfluid returna
for the CrownpointProject.
Measurementof Fluid Returns
The Crownpoint PrOjOCt was carefully planned where fluid returns in the
circulatingsystem could be accurately measured. In fact, this is the first time
that mud returns, air input and pressurehave bsen accurately❑ easured on any large
diameterhole.
The fluid or mud returns from the hole carrying drilled cuttings first passed
through a mud-air sepsrator to remove aa much air as possible before the cutting
laden drilling fluid entered tbe fA.rstcompartment in the working pits. The flow
from one compartment to another was through a 1* x 5* ❑easuring weir. By measuring
the height of the fluid flowing throughthe weir.,the volume of fluid returningfrom
the hole could be accuratelymeasured.
Solids Removal
Approximately90S of the drilled cuttingsdropped out of suspensioninto the first

pit compartment. These cuttingswere removed from the pit by use of a crane and clam
shell and hauled away with a dump truck to a waste disposalarea. The remaining 10%
of the cuttingseither settled out in the remaining pits or remained in the mud Ln
suspension.
Further solids removal was achieved through the use of hydrocyclnne type
separators. At first Only one 1fJwLinatex 9eparatorwas used on Shaft #1. This was
increased to 3 units on Shafts #2 h #3. Each hydrocyolone separator bad an input
slurry capacity of 730-910 gpm. This solids removal equipment effectivelyremoved
fine particlesfrom the aystem helping the mud weight low.
The CroWUpointField Test
On February 27, 1981, a test was conduotedon Shaft 93 to determinethe change in

the flow rate by varying the air input. This was accomplished by u9ing one
corn
presser, f nllnwing with two compressors and finally three oom.presserswhile
❑easuringthe stabilizedfluid returnsat the weir in the working pits.
Table 4 and Figure 7 shows the results of this flow test during routine drilling
operationsat a depth of 1958feet. The depth of submergence(S)of the air line was
337 feet and lift (L) was 32 feet above hole annulus fluid level. Percent
submergencewas 91g.
TABLE4. FlowRateTest- ShaftNn. 3

February
27, 1981
Constant
cm GM PSI CFWGPM ncm
3260 158 0.31 105

1000
168 0.50 64
2000 3956
205 0.68 48
3000 4412
It should ba noted tht the increasein air volume and horsewwer by a faCtOr Of 3
prodUCed only a 355 increase in drilling fluidreturns.Note,also, that Constant
.CW in Equstion 1 and 2 does not correlatewith data from Tables 2 and 3.
CROVVNPOINT
PROJECT
Fbw Rata Test
C.F.M. shaft No. 3
2-27-SI
5000
cm!
4000
3000
200D
1000 3260
0
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5(
G.P.M.
Figure NO. ~
CASING DESIGN SHAFT NO. 1
Large diameter ring stiffened steel casing was desigaed to withstand a

predeterminedcollapse environment. The collapse parameter chosen for the 85 inch
I.D. casing for the Shaft No. 1 was 1 1/2 timeg a full hydrostatichead of water.
Design consideration for collapse are determined by the thicknessof the steel
plate,the casingdiameter- plate thicknessratio, the strengthof the material,out
of the roundness tolerance, the height and length of the stiffener rings and the
spacingof the stiffenerrings.
Tbe initialdesign for the Crownpointcasing is tabulatedin brief in Table No. 5.
The 85-inchcaging weight in air waa over 3,000,000pounds. The ca.eingdesign was
later modified in part in order to expeditetimely delivery.
TABLE 5. 85-inchCaaing Design
Dasign wall Stiffner Ring

Pressure Thickness I!xQl ~ Material
22019 1976, 1428 >-1)8* A-588

1976’ 1436v 1166 15f16” k-588
1436’ 10?6v 932 15116m k-588
IO?6’ ?25’ 697 13/16” A-588
613’ b70 11{160 A-441
725’
4961 398 1/2” A-441
613’
A-441
4961 320’ 321 1/2”
1/2” A-uul
3201 o’ 207
RUNNING & WELDING CASING
Running and welding of the 8S inch diameter casing is a combinationof effort

between the welding contractorand the drilling contractor. The casing joints are
moved to the rig by the welding contractor,upended intn the mast and lowered into
the hole by the rig after welding operationsare complete. The casing is designedas
a closed pressure vessel having a hemisphericalsteel head as the shoe joint. The
casing is floated into the hole by controllingthe buoyed weight of the casing. The
rig nnly carriesa portionof the total casing vIeight.
The entire casing string is run into the drilledhole before any oementingnperatinns
are commenced.
After mobilizationis complete, the welding contractor~sfirst responsibilityis

to attach four 3-l/211O.D.grout line guides on 90° oenters on all Oasing jOintS to
bs run.
The welding contractorarranges the casing into its running sequenceduring grnut
line guide installation. He furnishesa crane and Low-boy truck to transport the
casing from the storageyard to the rig.
The welding contractors crane places one set of casing elevatnrsonto the casing
joint in front nf tbe rig and lifts the Joint into the V-donr whereby the rig crew
can attach tbe elevatorslings to the elevator.
The rig hoists tbe casing into a vertical positionwhile the welders crane holds
the oppositeend of the casing. Alignmentof the casing joint is the naxt task after
up-ending the caging. The closure pass or root bead is the first weld. The root
bead is inspactedusing radiographicproceduresbefore further welding is permitted.
The circumferentialweld is completedusing seven weldersworking simultaneously.
Quality control fnr welding was provided througha separate contractorreporting

to Conoco drilling. The QC persnmel consistedof one welding inspectorand two X-
ray technicians.
After the weld is cnmplete and the casing elevatoris removed from the joint that
has just been welded, four splice joints are placed in the area occupied by the
elevatorsto make each grout line guide continuous.
A fifth grOUt line guide is welded in place near one of the other grout line
guides.
The purpose of the fifth line is to prnvide free and independentaccess to the
annulus for the Nuclear AnnuluS InvestigationLog which is run on a wireline during
cementingoperations.
The hole is kept full of drilling fluid during the entire casing operation. As
the forty foot joint is lowered in the hole, the casing string will gain buoyancy
which is equal to the weight of the fluid which has been displacedfrom the hole into
the pits.
When the casing is lowered 40 ft., about 120,000lbs, of buoyancy is gained per
joint, thereby reducingthe rig load. Thereafter,water is added inside the casing
to cancel out the buoyancy effect and bring the rig back to a pick up load of
approximately
330,000
lbe.
This procedure is repeatedeach fc.reach joint to maintain a cc.nstmtrig 10ad.
There are two pieces of casing handlingequipment which are mandatoryThe

in running
casing
casing. These are the casing elevators and the casing strongback.
~levatopsystem consistsof two sets of elevatorsfor the casing size being r~) One
set of cable slings and a lifting yoke.
The casing strongbackis a structuralbox with a cover Plate u~n which the casinS
elevatormust bear.
LOGGING
There are two types of geophysicalelectric logs used in large diameter drilling.
A CaliPer log is run upon reaching total depth of the hole. The purpose of the
caliper log is to determinehole configurationand hole volume.
The Nuclear AMUIUS InvestigationLog, (NAIL)la used during cementing operations

to determine the top of the oement slurry. It is a wireline tool which measures the
differencein density between the cement slurry and the drilling mud in the annulus
to determine the interface between the different density fluids. All three large
diamaterholes drilledat the Crownpointsite had identicalloggingprograma.
SURVEYING
Hola gtraightneaswas measured on the Crownpointdrilledshafts throughthe use of

gyroscopicdirectionalsurveys run on a wire line inside the stabilizeddrill collar.
Horizontaldisplacementfrom perpendicularon the completed three large diameter

shafts is as follows:
HorizontalDisplacement
Feet
— Direction e
Shaft No. 1 1.03~ S30 Deg. 171W 22U3t
Shaft No. 2 1.331 S21 Deg. 1’7!W 2188’
Shaft No, 3 0.84* s75 Deg. 38*u 2188~
All three shafts were drilledwithin the hole straightnesscriteriaestablishedby

the WNC/conocoMinerals Department.
Directionalborehnlesurveyingwas provided by Sperry-Sun. The contraotrequired

Sperry-Sunto provideall down hole gyroscopiceurveyingtc-alsand a residentsurvey
engineer to remain on call at all times. The engineer did in fact reside in a
SperFy-SLUI
trailerhouse in the Conoco trailer park.
CQ4ENTING
Three types of cement slurries were used. Chem ComP is a cement which axpands
when setting UP. The expanding cement was used on all three shafte to cover The
Westwatar Formation and other sand sections in the hole. The objective of the
expandingcament was to achievea good bond in the 9hale sectionsbetween major sand
formations. Prehydated2% gel cement was used on Shaft No. 1 on stagea requiring
only a filler cement. Neat aement was used as a filler cement on Shafta No. 2 and 3.
The cementing plan called for one cementing stage per day. The amount Of cement
that could be pumped in 2 1/2 hours was about 6500 sacks or 1550 barrals of cement
slurry per stage. Satting time for the cement was five hours. Only 1/2 of the time
was used for pumping and the other 1/2 of the time was used in pulling the four
tubing lines out and above the cement level in the annulua.
All cement slurries were displaced throush four 1.9 inch O.D. tubing lines
simultaneously. The tubing was rwn inside the 3 1/2 inch O.D.grout line guides that
were att.sohedto the casing when the casing was welded and run into the hola. The
5th 6r0ut line guide was used to run a wireline Nuclear !+nnulusInvestigationLog
(NAIL)to monitor the location of’the interface between the cement slurry and the
drilling fluid in the hole during cementing operations. Figure 8 illustrate the
second stage of cement in procese. The 1.9 inch tubing is pulled up and above the
cement level when each stage 19 complete.
The time between stages was used to refill the cement bulk storage bins on
location. Two 9tages of bulk cement were maintained on location fnr flexibilityin
case of interruptionsin logistice or weather. The cementing contractorfurniabed
15,500cubic feet of bulk gtorage space for the cement. Often, half of the storage
was filled with Chem CemP and Type I Class A in the other half.
CROWNPONW PROJECT
CEMENTING
\ ----
‘r
I 85 I.D. CASING
1-
OUTSIDE
GROUTING LINES
TOP
OF
I
SECOND&
SUBSEQUENT
CEMENTING
STAGES
. HEMISPHERICAL
. HEAO
Figure No. 8
Cementingequipmentconsistedof three pumping units, oement .SI1OS,an instrument

bus, Instrumentedmanifold,water surge tank, compressorsnd oement flow lines. The
cementingcontractorfurnishedall cementingmaterial deliveredto the 9ite.
The snurry volume requiredto cement the annulus of Shaft No. 1 wag 55,160cubic
feet; Shaft No. 2 was 42,5U7 cubic Peet; Shaft No. 3 was 44,047 cubic feet.
PUMPINGAND BAILINGCASING
Upon completion of the cementing operation, the inside of the large diameter
casing is full of fresh water. The final operationto ha performedis the removal of
water from the casing.
A centerliftcentrifugalpump is run into the 85W casing tn bottom on P tubing,

O.D.body,520 horsepower
The pump used waa 10-3/411 tandummotor,with 17 stages
ratedat 1675gpm.
Waterwag pumpedout of the sasingin a few hours and then the centerliftpump was
removed from the casing. The water remaining in the casing was removed by runninga
30H x 20! fabricateddart bailer on a wireline.
DRILLINGSHAFT NO. 2
The concreterig foundationcontaininga gfjnfinishedinS~de d~aneter collar shaft

(SUrfaCe hole) cased with CMP pipe t. a depth of 60 ft. W.L.,~~a~ cOm~tructedby
\\% ~kfik?~~contractor. The collar ahaft hole was+exoavatedwith an auger rig.
The drill pad was releasedto the drilling contractoron September 30, 1980. Ris
Up was complete an~ Shaft No. 2 was 9pudded ‘n ‘Ctober 6’ ‘980” ‘rilling commenced
at a depth of zg feet rotary kelly bushingmeasurement(RKB)o
Using a drill
The 72 inch bottom hole drilling assembly shnwn in FiW’e No. 3-
abut 260,000lbs. only about Its of this
collar.assembly having a weight in mud
to Of
achieve a satisfactorypenetrationrate.
weight is used for weight on the bit
A reverse fluid air agsist circulatingsystem was used to circulatecuttingsfrom

the hole. The method was exactly the same as used on Shaft No. 1 as discussed above.
The cfm air input and spm return were almost identicalin behavioras in Shaft No. 1.
Shaft No. 2 was drilled to a total depth of 2188’RKB. Thereafter, 36 inch ring
gtiffened casing was run to a setting depth Of 2146! RKB (2132 ground level)
measurement and the annul us was cemented back into the collar shaft. Casing design,
running and welding casing and cementingcasing were similar to that discussedabove
fop Shaft No. 1.
The caaing design for Shafts No. 2 and 3 had a unique feature that was different
from Shaft No. 1. Off the shelf 36n line pipe complying to API 5L, Grade B,
standardswas ring stiffenedwith A-36 steel. The orlzinalcaairuz -. specificationsare
tabulated in Table 6.
TABLE 6. 36-Inch Casing Dasign
W Design wall Stiffner Ring Material

From
— ~ Pressure Thickness m Spacin& API-5L
2200~ 1960! 1191 3/ bn 2* x l-3/4W 12n B
1960! 17201 1060 3/4~* 2* x l-3/4n 14~ B
17201 13601 931 5/8n z- x l-3/4n 14- B
1360! 10401 736 518V 2“ x 7-3/4n 18m B
10UO* 720’ 563 5/8n zn x 1-1/211 zln B
720s 520’ 390 518n Zn x l-1/2n ~4t, B
520t 320t 281 5/811 2N x 1-112w 3on B
320 I o! 173 l/2n 2W x l-1/2n 40W B
After cementingoperationhad been completed,the casing was pumped and bailed dry
of fluid.
Drilling progressincludingthe locationmove is tabulatedin Table 7 showing the

time to drill Shaft No. 2.
TABLE 7. DrillingProgressShaft No. 2
Time to
Shaft No. -2
—— Complete
Locationto locationmove 7 days

Drill 72n hole from 59’ to 2188’ 64 days
Preparerig to run 36 inch casing 2 days
Run 36 inch casing to 21321 G .L, 8 days
Cement casing 5 days
Pump and bail casing dry ~1
DRILLINGSHAFT NO. 3
The concreterig foundationcontaininga 9611finishedinside diametar collar shaft

(surfacehole) cased with CMP pipe to a depth of 60 ft. (G.L.)was constructedby the
general contractor. The collar ahaft hole was excavatedwith an auger rig.
The drill pad was released to the drilling contractoron Decembsr 27, 1980. Rig
up was completeand Shaft No. 3 wasspudded cm January1, 1981at 0700hours.
Drillingcommencedat a depth of 56 feetrotarykellybushing

measurement
(RKB).
The72 inchbottomholedrilling
assemblywa3 identical
to thatused on Shaft No.
Themudprogram
2 illustratedin Figure 3. alsowasidentical to ShaftNo.2.
Shaft No. 3 was drilled to a total depth of 2188!RKB. Thereafter, 36 inohring
stiffenedcasingwas run to a settingdepthof 2145!RKB, (2131groundlevel)
rneagurernent
andtheannulus was cemented backintothecollarahaft.Casingdesign,
running
andweldingcaaingandcementing casingwasalmostidentical to thatof Shaft
No.2.
After the cementingoperationhad been oompleted,the casing was pumped and bailed
dry of fluid.
Drilling progressincludingthe locationmove is tabulatedin Table 8 showing the

time to drill Shaft No. 3.
TABLE 8. DrillingProgre9sShaft No. 3
Time to
Shaft No. .3
—— Complete
LOcationto locationmove U days

Drill 72N hole from 561 to 2188’ 66 days
Preparerig to run 36 inch casing 1 day
Run 36 inch casing to 2131! G.L. 7 days
Cement easing 7 days
PUMPandSailCasingDry 2 days
Demobilize ~~
FISHING
There were two quickly solved fishing jobs. The 3 l/~ air line separated and
dropped on Shaft No. 1 and a cutter was lost off the bit on Shaft No. 2.
The air injection line on Shaft No. 1 separated at the gooaeneok and dropped
inside the drill pipe to the bit. The 3 1/2” tubing was recoveredwith an overshot
run on 2-7f8W tubing. The fishing job was oomplete In nine houre includingdelivery
time of the rented overshottool.
A cutter was lost at 1406~in shaft No. 2 due to a bit saddle failure. A 66-inch
rotating side door basket was fabricatedon the Crownpoint site. The cutter and
broken saddle were recoveredon the first fishingrun into the hole. The fishingjob
required 75 hours to complete including the time to acquire the steel plate and
rolling the plate into a 66 inch tube. Welding consumed about 28 hours of the time
to fabricatethe fishing basket. The run into the hole to catch the fish and come
out of the hole coneumed eight hours.
TIME AND COST
Mobilization of the drill rig on Shaft No. 1 commenced on April 1, 1980,

Demobilizationof the rig from Shaft No, 3 was final
on March.29,1981. A lapsed
time Of 363 days Wae used fromthebeginning
to theend eq d.%yxi~~ T.c.%%vLtY. The
drillIng constructionwas finished 205 days ahead of the project plan schedule and
19.6$under budget.
A comparativecost-percentof total analysiais presentedin Table 9 and Table 10.

TABLE 9. Comparative Cost - Percent of Total
Site Preparation 6.91

Rig 20.2
Air 3.6
Bits& Stabilizers 10.9
Mud 5.3
Logging& Surveys 1.4
CuttingsDi.sPosal 1.9
casing 21.0
CasingUelding 12.0
QualityControl 1.2
CasingElevators
& Strongbaok 1.9
Cementing 6.9
Fue1 2.6
Supervision 2.9
Taxes and other 1.3
—
Total 100.0 $
TABLE 10. Shaft Cost
Percent
Of Total
——
Shsft #1 53
Shaft #2 24
shaft #3 ~
Total 100 $
Acknowledgement
The authoris gratefulto ConocoInc.and WyomingMineralCorporationfor

permission
to publish
thispaper.
REFERENCES
1. O!Neil, F. W., 1960,
mCompressed Air Data,w Editor, Fifth Edition, Ingersoll-
Rand Company, New York, Chapter VII, page 113.
2. Loomis, A. U., 1980, ‘CompressedAir and Gas Data,m Third Edition, IngersOll-
Rand company,Washington,New Jersey,Chapter 31,page 31-1.
3. Hunter, H. E., 1972, ‘AdvancedDrilling Assemblies solve Unique Shags in Big

Holes,W Oil and Gas Journal,February 14, 1972.
4. Hunter, H. E., ‘DevelopingSuper Big Rigs,W DrillingDCW, MaY 1976.
5. Hunter, H. E., 1977, wigging for Coal and Uranium,“ Drilling DCW, September
1977.
6. Hunter,H. E.,1974,‘LargeDiameterDrilledShafte,Conoco*sFlorencePilot
COPper Mine:,”PSSReportD-21-74,October,
ConOCoInc.,unpublished.
7. Hunter, H. E., 1976, “ReverseFluid-Air Assist CirculatingSystem,“ PES Report
T-1-76, February, Conoco Inc., unpublished.
8. Hunter, H. E,, 1977, ‘Specifications for 12 1/2 Foot Diameter Shaft, Crownpoint
Project,”PES ReportT-4-’I7, October,COnOOOInc.,Umpubliehed.
9. Hunter, H. E., 1978, ‘Rig Selection Procedure, Part I,” PES RePOrt T-2-?8>
March, Conoco Inc.,unpublished.
10. Hunter, H. E., 1978, ‘Rig Selection Procedure, Part II,” PES Report T-3-78,
Awust , Conoco Inc., unpublished.
11, Hunter,Ii.E., 19’79,

‘Specificationsfor 120-inchsod 60-inch Diameter Drilled
Shafts, Crownpoint Project,m PES Report T-?-79, May, Conoco Inc.,
unpublished.
12. Hunter, H. E., 1979, “Specificationsfor 85-inch Diameter Steel Caging,nPES

Report T-3-79, July, Conoco Inc.,unpublished.
13. Hunter,H. E., 1979,“Specifications

for WeldingServiceson 85-inchSteel
Casing, CrownpnintProject,~ PES ReportT-4-79,October,COrIOCO
InC.,
unpublished.
14. Hunter, H. E., 1980, ‘Specification for 36-inchDiameterSteelCasing,m
PES
Report T-2-80, June, Conoco Inc.,unpublished.
15. Hunter, H. E., 1980, “Specifications for Welding services on 36-inch Casing,
CrownPointProject,tiPSS Report T-3-80,October,Conoco Inc.,unpublish
ed.
16. Hunter, H. E., 1981, ‘Drilling Record, Shaft No. 1, Crownpoint Project,n PES
Repnrt T-1-81, June, Conooo Inc.
17. Hunter, H. E., 1981, ‘Drilling Record, Shaft No. 2, Crown point Project,w PES
18. Hunter, H. E., 1981, ‘Drilling Record, Shaft No. 3, Crownpoint Project,n PES
19. Lackey, M. D.(Duane),1980, “Big Hole Drilling at the Nevada Test Site,” 1980,
Drilling TechnologyConferenceof the InternationalAssociationof Drilling
Contractors,March, Dallas, Texas.
20. Allen, J. H., 1976, “Improvements in BottomHole Cleaning ?or Large Diameter
Rotary Drilling Bits,nPh.D.dissertation,
Dscember, Sii Smith Tool Co.
21. Presley, C. K., 1981,‘The Drilled Shaft Approach to Development of a New

Uranium Mine,~ 38th Annual Canadian Association of Diamond Drilling
Contractors,April, Winnipsg Manitoba,Canada.
22. Hunter, H. E., 1981, ‘Shaft Drilling- CrownPaintProject,nSME/AIME 5th Annual

Uranium Seminar, September,Albuquerque,N.M.

Drilledshaft Constructionat Crownpoint, New Mexico

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Chapter 34

DRILLEDSHAFT CONSTRUCTIONAT CROWNPOINT, NEW MEXICO

Senior Staff Engineer

The Wyoming Mineral-ConocoCrownPoint Projectrepresent the first time that big

The CrownpointProjectis a joint venture between Wyoming Mineral Corporationand

The Crownpoint Project i9 located in the Grants Mineral Belt approximately 60

The objectiveof the CrownpointProjectis to develop an undergrounduranium mine

Shaft No. 1 has been completed in a 120-inchdiameter hole drilled to a depth of

Figure No. 1 illustratesthe CrownPointdrilled shaft developmentconcept.

The drillingsupervisionteam was providedthroughCOnOCO’SProductionEngineering

EE51 Figure No. 2

The drilling management and supervisionteam consisted of four persons. Those

1. DrillingMamger - Hassell E. Hunter

3. DrillingForeman - Thomas A. McAllister

u. DrillingForeman - Marion C. Hunt

The Drilling Mamger had overall responsibilityfor engineering, planning and

The CrownpointProject was organizedto bs executed in a manner quite similar to

Shaft No. 1 commenced mobilization on April 1, 1980. Drilling of a 120 inch

The circulation system is activated with three Atlas-Copco rotary compressors

Bit Weight & Rotary Speed

Maximum penetrationrates and maximum hole straightnessare seldom achievedat the

Total Shaft No. 1 183 days

How The ReverseFluid Air-Assi9tSystemWorks

the longer leg is less than that of the shorter leg. ——

Tbe amount of flow depends on several predicableparameters. The height of the

A - DEPTM8EL LW’STA TIC FLUID LEVEL

TYPE OF AIR LIFT PUMFS

Types Of Air PUMPS

The fOllOWing glossary Of terms and equations originallydeveloped for a water

Air InletLevelia thedistamce frnmgroundlevelto thedisoharge

The symbolsthat apply in the formulasthat follow are:

A, = Net insidearea of dischargepipe at top, sq. in.

AQ . Net insidearea of dischargePips at bottcea,sq. In.

E , Expansionof air volume par foot of dischargePipa, cfm

f = Air line friction leas, pai

L = Maximum pumping lift, ft.

% z Hud or fluid wai@ , Ppg

Pm . Maximum submergenceair pressure,Psi G

Qal . Volume of dense air at air inlet level,cfh

Qa2 z Voluma of dense air at air inlet level, cfta

r = Air compressionratio at air inlet level, dimensionless

Percent pumpin8 submergence,S

Total Free air required,cfio

T= cla2 = V*W (24. 2)

Air compressionratio at the footpiece

Volume of fluid ~low, g!xn

Volume of air at top of dischargePipe, cti

Volume of dense air at inlet level, or-m

Expansionof air volume per foot of dischargepipe, cfm

Maximum submergenceair pressure,Psi G

Startingminimum wtmergence air pressure, psi G

vd = & (~ + ‘aaZ) (Eq. 10)

‘e = & (q + Q) (Eq. 11)

In crder to estimate the amount of air required, depth of submergence, air

%s = loos = (100)(140) = 70s

The best percentagesubmergencefor maximum efficiencyfor most drillingrigs will

s. ($S)(L) = (70)(60) : 1401

Va ‘ L x SP. Gr (Eq. 13)

TABLE 2. Constant for Air Volume Formula

Inside Air Outside Air

TABLE 3. System EfficiencyConstants

Air Volume . 1000 cfm