See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

net/publication/345999431

Penetration Rate Prediction Models for Core Drilling

Article  in  Mining Metallurgy & Exploration · September 2020

DOI: 10.1007/s42461-020-00322-6

CITATIONS READS

3 215

2 authors, including:

Niyazi Bilim
Konya Technical University
39 PUBLICATIONS   137 CITATIONS   

SEE PROFILE

All content following this page was uploaded by Niyazi Bilim on 22 December 2021.

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (2021) 38:359–366
https://doi.org/10.1007/s42461-020-00322-6

Penetration Rate Prediction Models for Core Drilling

Niyazi Bilim 1 & Emre Karakaya 1

Received: 22 November 2019 / Accepted: 23 September 2020 / Published online: 30 September 2020
# Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration Inc. 2020

Abstract
Boreholes are used for many purposes in mining operations, petroleum engineering, and construction works. Numerous factors
affect the performance of drilling equipment. Researchers continue to work on the variable drilling parameters that can be
adjusted in order to reach more efficient drilling operations. Penetration rate is an essential indicator in drillability analysis and
estimating. This parameter is of great importance in mining projects. There are almost no models that can estimate the penetration
rate for core drilling operations. Under the abovementioned circumstances, this paper focuses on developing models that allow
estimating the penetration rate based on rock material properties. During the conduct of this study, drilling experiments under 11
different pressure forces were performed on 8 different rock units, and the equations which estimated the penetration rate
depending on the physico-mechanical properties of the rock samples were derived. Experiments were carried out under different
pressure forces to investigate the effect of the pressure force on the derived estimation models. The obtained results allowed
deriving equations that ensured estimating the penetration rate based on the physico-mechanical properties of the rocks and the
applied pressure force. Using these equations, the penetration rate in core drilling operations can be estimated.

Keywords Drillability . Core drilling . Penetration rate . Rock drilling

1 Introduction fundamental for an efficient planning and operating of the

Drilling operations are widely used in mining and numerous
other engineering operations. Drilling operations are crucial
for opening holes in the ground (blastholes, injections, bore-
holes, diamond wire holes in natural stone mines, groundwork
constructions), during the development and production activ-
ities of underground and open-pit mines together with the
construction of dams, tunnels, roads, and sewerage systems.
The first step is to collect the necessary information about
the formation to be drilled to ensure efficient drilling opera-
tions. Furthermore, selecting the appropriate drilling equip-
ment together with implementing well studied drilling param-
eters (thrust, pressure, rotational speed, flushing) positively
affect the drilling process.
Drilling is one of the most essential operations in the re-
source industry, starting from exploration phase and continu-
ing throughout all the stages of production process to the end
of the mine life. Predicting the drillability of rocks is
* Niyazi Bilim
nbilim@ktun.edu.tr
1
Department of Mining Engineering, Konya Technical University,
Konya, Turkey
drilling process. Several factors can affect drilling. Among
these factors, the most important are the geological and me-
chanical properties of the formation to be drilled [1–6].
Determining the penetration rate is crucial in project planning
and calculating operational costs. Predicting the drilling pro-
cess affects the selection of drilling equipment, the efficiency
of these equipment, the project costs, and the conduct of dril-
ling operations.
Rock drillability depends on rock hardness, abrasion
strength, brittleness, the presence of discontinuities, and rock
mass properties. Numerous drilling machine parameters affect
the drillability of rocks, for example, rotary speed and torque,
water, slurry or air pressure (for cleaning the bore hole), pres-
sure force and speed (pulldown force and speed), bit diameter
and type, drill rig type, and depth and diameter of hole [7].
Today, two different drilling methods are used: rotary drilling
and percussive drilling. Therefore, the designs are made ac-
cording to the drilling system to be selected among these
methods.
Since the drilling systems of these methods are different
from each other, the drillability analysis should be done sep-
arately for each method. Therefore, drillability estimation
models to be developed must also be derived separately for
each method. Diamond rotary drilling is one of the most com-
monly used drilling techniques in deep mineral exploration,
360
while percussive drilling has been extensively used in open-
pit mines, quarries, and construction sites [7].
The drillability (penetration rate) of the rock is defined as
the speed at which a drill can progress in the rock [8].
Drillability is the penetration of the drill bit at a certain time
in the rock. Penetration rate is the progression of the drilling
bit into the rock in a certain period of time, which is generally
expressed as “m/min.” The penetrability of a rock can be
defined in many ways, such as the penetration rate of the drill
bit and the specific energy spent in the drilling working.
Drillability and penetration rate can be defined as similar
terms. While the drillability indicates whether the penetration
is easy or hard, the penetration rate indicates whether it is fast
or slow [9].
Penetration rate is an important value that should be deter-
mined for project planning and cost calculations. Estimating
the drillability value affects the correct choice of the drilling
equipment, the working performance of the drill machine, the
regular functioning, and the cost of the project. Drillability
cannot be calculated by measuring a single quantity in a single
test. It is influenced by many variables that include both con-
trollable and uncontrollable parameters [10]. Parameters relat-
ed to the drilling equipment (the bit type and diameter, the
rotational speed, the thrust, the blow frequency, and flushing)
together with the operating parameters can be variable and
controllable. However, parameters such as the rock properties
and geological conditions are uncontrollable [7, 11, 12].
The parameters related to the equipment (type of drilling
machine, rotation speed, pressure force, chisel type, operator
experience, etc.) together with the parameters related to the
drilling process (drilling method, operation and maintenance
of the machine, machine operator’s experience, etc.) are con-
sidered changeable parameters, whereas geological parame-
ters (rock type, mechanical properties of rocks, discontinuity,
mineral composition) are considered unchangeable
parameters.
Examining the studies conducted so far highlights that the
most important parameters affecting the drillability are Mohs
hardness, textural structure of the rock (grain size and shape),
rock mass properties, porosity, density, abrasion, P wave ve-
locity speed, elastic and plastic properties, Young modulus,
uniaxial compressive strength, point load index, Schmidt
hardness, tensile strength, structure of the rock mass (joints,
cracks, and bedding), and RQD value [7, 13–19]. The param-
eters related to rock material, rock mass, and the drilling ma-
chine affect the drilling performance and wearing. The most
used parameters for drillability prediction are uniaxial com-
pressive strength, tensile strength, Young modulus, hardness,
density, and Schmidt hardness [7].
Many researchers have theoretically or empirically investi-
gated rotary or percussive drilling. They correlated the pene-
tration rate of drills with various rock properties. [20] studied
an open-pit phosphate mine in Algeria and proposed an
Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (2021) 38:359–366
estimation model by investigating the parameters that affect
the penetration rate of the drilling machine used for drilling the
blasting holes. They developed a mathematical model based
on the pressure force and rotational speed of the drilling ma-
chine and stated that this model could be used to increase the
efficiency of the drilling machine and to minimize drill wear.
Rock drillability characterization index (RDCI) is proposed
to predict the penetration rate for different drilling methods.
This drillability model incorporates the uniaxial compressive
strength of intact rock, the P wave velocity, and the density of
rock [7]. [21] performed drilling tests on natural stones in
order to analyze the relationship between the rotational speed
of the drilling machine and the drillability. As a result, they
concluded that the drill rotation speed was one of the most
effective parameters during drilling.
[22] conducted drillability tests on 10 different rock types.
They found significant relations between the penetration rate
and uniaxial compressive strength, density, porosity, P wave
velocity, and Schmidt hardness. [23] investigated the relations
between the penetration rate and uniaxial compressive
strength, Brazilian tensile strength, point load strength, and
Schmidt hardness.
[24] conducted DRI tests on 32 different rock types. The
relations between the mineralogical-petrographic properties of
rocks, strength tests (uniaxial compressive strength and indi-
rect tensile strength), and index tests (Schmidt hardness, Shore
hardness, axial and diametrical point load strength) have been
investigated. The study demonstrated that the hardness,
strength, and brittleness of rocks affect the drillability, while
the influence of the petrographic properties is relatively low.
[25] developed a multiple regression model for the predic-
tion of the penetration rates of rotary blasthole drills using data
obtained from field observations. The results indicated that the
parameters significantly affecting the penetration rate of rotary
blast hole bits were the weight on the bit, the rotational speed,
the bit diameter, and the compressive strength. [26] empha-
sized good relations between physical properties, mechanical
properties, and DRI index. [27] argued that drilling rate is a
substantial index value in drilling and excavation operations at
mining. It is not only helpful in determining the physical and
mechanical features of rocks, but also allows delivering strong
estimations about the instantaneous cutting rates.
Core drilling system is widely used in mining and tunnel-
ing activities in order to not only determine the characteristics
of the formation but also for the modeling of the rock mass.
Having an idea about the drillability of the formation to be
drilled provides great benefits in selecting the drilling equip-
ment, calculating the cost and the project duration together
with estimating excavation and production amounts. The main
parameters affecting the drillability of the formation are the
properties of the drilling equipment and the physico-
mechanical properties of the rock to be drilled. The physico-
mechanical properties of the rocks directly affect the
Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (2021) 38:359–366 361

drillability. Therefore, it is necessary to develop estimation
models based on rock properties in order to estimate the drill-
ability characteristics of the rocks.
As stated above, uniaxial compressive strength, tensile
strength, density, hardness, and Schmidt hardness values are
generally used in drillability prediction models. The aim of
this study is to investigate the relations between the physico-
mechanical properties of the rocks and the penetration rate. In
addition, this paper examines the effect of the drill bit rotation
speed on the penetration rate in core drilling system.
The main purpose of this study is to develop a practical and
useful drillability prediction model based on rock properties.
Empirical equations developed to estimate penetration rate
have been developed using statistical analysis methods.
This study aims to develop a drillability estimation method
for core drilling because of the limited number of equations
related to this subject in literature. In this paper, drillability
estimation models were developed based on several physico-
mechanical properties of rocks. Drillability tests were per-
formed on 8 different natural stone samples obtained from
the Central Anatolia region. These experiments were carried
out using a laboratory scaled diamond tipped core drilling
machine. Water flow, rotational speed, and core diameter were
kept constant. Regression analysis was conducted to deter-
mine the relationship between the drillability test results and
the physico-mechanical properties of the rocks. These analy-
ses allowed deriving penetration rate estimation equations.
2 Material and Method
homogenous character which ensured simplifying the inter-
pretation of the experimental results.
A core drilling machine incorporating a laboratory scaled
rotary drilling system is used to determine the penetration rate
of the samples. The core drilling machine used in the tests is
capable of drilling at 4 different speeds (rotation speed) and
different pressure forces. It is equipped with a wet cutting
system that allowed suppressing the dust that occurred during
the experiments and removing the cuttings. Tungsten carbide
core bits were preferred in the core drilling machine, and dril-
ling experiments were carried out using a 54-mm-diameter
drill bit (Fig. 1).
3 Experimental Study
The main aim of this study is to develop a drillability index
based on the physico-mechanical properties of the rocks. The
drillability tests were conducted on samples procured from
natural stone quarries. Drillability tests carried out using a
rotary core drilling machine were conducted on 8 different
natural stones obtained from different regions. During the ex-
perimental study, the effect of the pressure force, one of the
changeable parameters related to the drilling machine, on the
drillability of the natural stone samples was investigated and
examined. For this purpose, the drillability experiments were
performed under 11 different pressure forces. In each experi-
ment, the water flow rate was kept constant during the exper-
iment to eliminate the effect of cooling and crumb cleaning on

In this study, drilling tests were carried out using a laboratory

scale coring machine on natural stones procured from natural
stone quarries. The penetration rates of natural stones were
determined based on the conducted drilling experiments. In
addition, laboratory tests were performed to determine the
physico-mechanical properties of the rocks used in the scope
of this study. The locations and petrographic properties of the
used rock samples are listed in Table 1. Natural stone samples
were chosen in the conducted drilling tests due to their

Table 1 Petrographic
properties of rock Rock name Petrographic class

Basalt Igneous
Andesite Igneous
Marble 1 Metamorphic
Dolomite Metamorphic
Travertine 1 Sedimentary
Travertine 2 Sedimentary
Marble 2 Metamorphic
Tuff Igneous
Fig. 1 Diamond core drills in used drillability tests
362
drillability. The experiments were conducted under 11 differ-
ent pressures to observe the variation of penetration rate under
different pressures as highlighted in Fig. 2, which has been
accepted in the literature. As a result, depending on a number
of variables, many equations were derived. These equations
together their coefficient of determination (R2) and signifi-
cance level (p) were introduced.
3.1 Drilling Experiments
The water flow, drill bit diameter, and drill rotation speed were
kept constant during the drilling experiments conducted by
gradually increasing the pressure force which is one of the
changeable parameters of the drilling machine. Drillability
tests were performed using a 54-mm-diameter core drill bit
under 11 different pressure forces.
The laboratory scale core drilling machine is equipped with
a vertical drilling system. Therefore, the pressure force on the
rock during drilling consists of the sum of the weight on the
rock and the force of gravity. The pressure forces presented in
the experimental results are derived by multiplying the grav-
itational acceleration by the constant weight applied.
3.2 Physico-mechanical Tests
Physical-mechanical tests were carried out on 8 different nat-
ural stone samples. Tests such as uniaxial compressive
strength test (UCS), Brazilian test (BT), point load strength
test (PLT), Schmidt hardness (SH), density (D), and porosity
(P) were performed according to ISRM 1981 standards. The
brittleness test (S20) was performed according to the [28]
standard. The results of the physico-mechanical tests are
presented in Table 2.
Rock brittleness is one of the most important issues in rock
drilling and cutting. In rock cutting mechanics, the effects of
the rock type and brittleness on the efficiency of drilling and
excavation were examined by many researchers [29]. The
brittleness test is a measurement method used to determine
the resistance of rocks against repeated impacts. In this exper-
iment, the remaining rock fragments from the drilling
Fig. 2 Graphic of general relationships between the pressure force and
penetration
Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (2021) 38:359–366
experiments were passed through the laboratory jaw crusher
and brought to a size of + 13.6 mm. Then these rock fragments
of + 13.6 mm were sieved through a 16-mm sieve, and the
500 g material from the 16-mm and + 11.2-mm sieve was
placed in a mortar. Then a hammer weighing 14 kg was
dropped 20 times on the material in the mortar from an aver-
age height of 25 cm. The specimen taken from the air was then
sieved using an 11.2-mm sieve, and the percentage of material
remaining under the sieve was identified as the brittleness
(S20) value. This experiment was repeated 3 times for each
rock.
4 Development of the Penetration Rate
Estimation Models
The main objective of this study is to develop a new penetra-
tion rate estimation model. For this purpose, drillability tests
were performed on sample rock blocks to investigate the drill-
ability of these rocks under different pressure speeds. The
pressure speed is a parameter related to the drilling machine.
Physico-mechanical tests were also carried out on the same
rock blocks. In order to develop a new drillability estimation
model, the physico-mechanical properties of the rocks and the
results obtained from penetration rate tests were compared and
evaluated. In the light of the analysis results, the relationship
between rock drillability and the physico-mechanical proper-
ties of the rock samples was proven to be significant and high.
Rock drillability tests were carried out under 11 different
pressure forces. The penetration rate and the pressure force
were correlated, and the relationship between them was stud-
ied and evaluated. In addition, it was determined that there
was a strong and significant relationship between the
physico-mechanical properties and the penetration rate of all
rock units. As the pressure, force regulated from the drilling
machine was gradually modified during the rock drillability
tests, and 11 different penetration rates were obtained from 11
different pressure forces.
The coefficients of determination of the relationships be-
tween rock drillability tests and mechanical tests are given in
Table 3. The most significant relationships between drillabil-
ity and the physico-mechanical tests were determined among
porosity, density, Brazilian strength, brittleness value, and
Schmidt hardness (Table 3). Furthermore, whether modifying
the pressure force had an impact on the relationship between
the penetration rates and the physico-mechanical tests was
also examined. For this purpose, 11 different penetration rate
data obtained from 11 different pressure forces together with
the mechanical test data were statistically evaluated using
SPSS program.
“Density-porosity,” “Schmidt hardness-Brazilian tensile
strength,” and “brittleness-Brazilian tensile strength-density”
test results were defined as independent variable in the SPSS
Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (2021) 38:359–366 363

Table 2 Physico-mechanical test

results and rocks type Tests UCS (MPa) PLT (MPa) BT (MPa) SH (MPa) D (gr/cm3 ) P (%) S20
Rock type

Basalt 60.35 7.08 4.69 41.8 2.57 2.16 44.58

Andesite 21.36 1.28 1.33 33.2 2.09 10.11 75.31
Marble 1 56.99 5.15 2.52 50.4 2.69 0.23 34.07
Dolomite 22.24 4.58 4.59 57.7 2.79 0.74 47.61
Travertine 1 9.83 3.76 2.52 42.9 2.37 5.63 47.73
Travertine 2 24.84 4.84 4.28 48.0 2.49 1.84 43.40
Marble 2 51.35 3.16 4.61 52.1 2.62 1.10 45.6
Tuff - 2.99 1.12 34.0 2.09 11.41 78.43

program, whereas the penetration rate was identified as a de-
pendent variable. As a result of the statistical evaluation, three
different linear equations were obtained.
Linear regression analysis was performed to develop an
equation that estimates the penetration rate by defining the
“density-porosity” test results as variables. As a result of this
analysis, a linear equation which can estimate the penetration
rate based on the density and porosity parameters was derived.
Because of the drilling tests carried out under 11 different
pressures, the equations estimating 11 different penetration
rates based on the density and porosity were derived.
Similarly, 11 equations based on the “Schmidt-Brazilian” var-
iables and 11 other equations based on “Brittleness-Brazilian-
density” variables were derived. Thus a total of 33 equations
were educed to estimate the total penetration rate (Tables 3,
4, 5).
Linear equations are derived by applying multiple linear
regression analysis to all data sets. The significance level (p
value) was taken as 5% (0.05) in the regression analysis car-
ried out to derive the equations. This means that the
confidence interval is 95%, which indicates that if the tested
value remains in the 95% confidence interval, significance
will be accepted. As highlighted in Tables 3, 4, and 5, all of
the derived equations have a (p) value of < 0.05. In other
words, all equations have both good coefficients of determi-
nation and are significant.
The most significant and high relationships were obtained
in the equations related to “Brittleness-Brazilian-density.”
Among the other physico-mechanical tests conducted in the
scope of this study, equations derived from “density and po-
rosity” test group are preferred.
Figure 2 shows the relationship between the penetration
rate and the pressure force. Figure 2 is a graph that is generally
used in drillability studies. As the pressure force increases, the
drilling speed increases, the optimum drilling speed is reached
at a certain pressing force, and from this point on, the drilling
speed decreases as the pressure force increases. The effect of
the pressure force on the drilling speed is accepted in the
literature as emphasized in Fig. 2. As a result of evaluating
the data obtained in the scope of this study, a trend similar to

Table 3 Equations derived from

density-porosity variables Equation number Pressure Equations Coefficient of Significance
force (N) determination level (p)
(R2)

1 163.35 PR = − 1.413D + 0.066P + 4.314 0.709 0.046

2 174.96 PR = − 1.262D + 0.088P + 4.004 0.809 0.016
3 186.57 PR = − 1.192D + 0.12P + 3.861 0.794 0.019
4 198.18 PR = − 0.689D + 0.145P + 2.619 0.753 0.03
5 209.79 PR = − 2.633D + 0.018P + 7.905 0.749 0.031
6 221.39 PR = −2.464D + 0.058P + 7.429 0.830 0.012
7 233.00 PR = − 3.097D − 0.005P + 9.281 0.811 0.016
8 244.61 PR = − 0.795D + 0.200P + 2.987 0.858 0.008
9 256.22 PR = − 0.529D + 0.194P + 2.369 0.850 0.009
10 267.83 PR = − 0.579D + 0.117P + 2.649 0.777 0.023
11 279.43 PR = − 0.706D + 0.170P + 3.176 0.857 0.008

PR, penetration rate; D, density; P, porosity

364 Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (2021) 38:359–366

Table 4 Equations derived from

Schmidt-Brazilian variables Equation Pressure Equations Coefficient of Significance
number force (N) determination level (p)
(R2)

1 163.35 PR = − 0.012S − 0.443B + 3.055 0.838 0.011

2 174.96 PR = − 0.019S − 0.431B + 3.511 0.918 0.002
3 186.57 PR = − 0.012S − 0.556B + 3.748 0.898 0.003
4 198.18 PR = − 0.017S − 0.508B + 3.921 0.852 0.008
5 209.79 PR = − 0.029S − 0.416B + 4.159 0.816 0.015
6 221.39 PR = − 0.027S − 0.513B + 4.468 0.890 0.004
7 233.00 PR = − 0.029S − 0.426B + 4.319 0.844 0.01
8 244.61 PR = − 0.019S − 0.681B + 4.873 0.926 0.002
9 256.22 PR = − 0.012S − 0.636B + 4.459 0.896 0.004
10 267.83 PR = − 0.013S − 0.611B + 4.502 0.871 0.006
11 279.43 PR = − 0.002S − 0.661B + 4.337 0.923 0.002

PR, penetration rate; S, Schmidt hardness; B, Brazilian strength

Fig. 2 was obtained. In a first stage, the penetration rate in-
creases with the increase of the pressure force. Then, despite
increasing the pressure force, the penetration rate remains con-
stant. If the pressure force continues to further increase, at this
stage, the penetration rate starts to decrease.
Numerous mechanical tests were carried out to determine
the mechanical properties of the rocks (Brazilian strength,
Schmidt hardness, point load strength, density, porosity, and
brittleness tests). As a result of the analysis of these tests
together with those of the drillability tests, very strong rela-
tionships were found between the penetration rates obtained
from the drilling tests and the physico-mechanical properties
of the rocks. Then, 11 different penetration rate data and me-
chanical test data (density, porosity, Schmidt hardness,
Brazilian strength, and brittleness) were analyzed using the
SPSS program. Based on three different mechanical test
groups, namely, “density-porosity,” “Schmidt-Brazilian,”
and “Brittleness-Brazilian-density,” 11 different equations
were derived for each mechanical test group. The derived
equations can be used to estimate the drillability of the rocks.
In order to estimate the drillability of the formation, it is nec-
essary to select one of the “density-porosity” or “Schmidt-
Brazilian” or “Brittleness-Brazilian-density” test groups and
to conduct the mechanical tests of the selected group on the
rock sample. After completing the mechanical tests of the
selected test group, the obtained values (test results) are put
into any of the equations derived for the selected mechanical
test group, and the penetration rate is calculated. Thus, the
penetration rate of the formation can be estimated with great
accuracy. Eleven different equations for each mechanical test
group thus a total of 33 equations were derived. The main
reason behind the derivation of these 33 equations is to deter-
mine whether the different pressure forces used in rock drill-
ability tests have an effect on the derived equations. Therefore,

Table 5 Equations derived from brittleness-Brazilian-density variables

Equation number Pressure force (N) Equations (cm/dk) Coefficient of determination (R2) Significance level (p)

1 163.35 PR = 0.003S20 – 0.477B − 0.014D + 2.530 0.834 0.049

2 174.96 PR= 0.007S20 − 0.416B − 0.241D + 2.792 0.913 0.014
3 186.57 PR = 0.012S20 − 0.448B − 0.09D + 2.531 0.904 0.017
4 198.18 PR = 0.014S20 − 0.464B + 0.031D + 2.202 0.856 0.037
5 209.79 PR = − 0.003S20 − 0.405B − 1.117D + 5.685 0.811 0.063
6 221.39 PR = 0.01S20 − 0.383B − 0.989D + 4.742 0.898 0.019
7 233.00 PR = − 0.001S20 − 0.335B − 1.496D + 6.464 0.854 0.038
8 244.61 PR = 0.03S20 − 0.443B − 0.139D + 2.012 0.960 0.003
9 256.22 PR = 0.028S20 − 0.368B − 0.275D + 2.257 0.935 0.008
10 267.83 PR = 0.016S20 − 0.528B + 0.056D + 2.671 0.880 0.026
11 279.43 PR = − 0.001S20 − 0.558B − 0.725D + 5.762 0.929 0.009

PR, penetration rate; S20, brittleness; B, Brazilian strength; D, density

Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (2021) 38:359–366 365

the significance values (p) and the coefficients of deter- The equation to estimate the penetration rate from density
mination (R2) of the 33 equations that can be used to and porosity parameters:
estimate the drillability were calculated using the SPSS
PR ¼ −0:795D þ 0:2P þ 2987 ð1Þ
program. The significance values (p) and the coefficients
of determination (R2) of these 33 equations were high,
and because they gave meaningful relationships for the
estimation of rock drillability, it was found that the pres- PR Penetration rate (cm/min)
sure forces had no effect on the equations derived to es- D Density (gr/cm3)
timate the drillability of the rocks. The equations in P Porosity (%)
Tables 3, 4, and 5 are derived to be used in area 1 and The equation to estimate the drilling speed from Schmidt
2 shown in Fig. 2. Equations 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 should be hardness and Brazilian strength parameters:
used for low pressure forces, whereas equations 7, 8, 9,
and 10 are to be used for high-pressure forces. In summa- PR ¼ −0:019S−0:681B þ 4:873 ð2Þ
ry, adopting the equations for low pressure forces in the
drilling works conducted using low pressure forces and
adopting the equations derived for high-pressure forces PR Penetration rate (cm/min)
in drilling works conducted using high-pressure forces S Schmidt hardness
will provide better and more accurate results. The equa- B Brazilian strength (MPa)
tions can be used if the drilling works are carried out in
The equation to estimate the drilling speed from brittleness
area 1 and area 2. Since the use of the derived equations
(S20), Brazilian strength, and density parameters:
was not tested for area 3, it is not suitable for use in this
area 3 (Fig. 2). In addition, when the relationship between
the pressure force and the penetration rate is examined, it P ¼ 0:03S20−0:443B−0:139D þ 2:012 ð3Þ
is observed that the extreme increase in the pressure force
greatly reduces the penetration rate. It is desirable to have
the highest penetration rate in drilling operations. PR Penetration rate (cm/min)
However, in this area (Fig. 2), when an unnecessary pres- B Brazilian strength (MPa)
sure force is applied, more energy is consumed, and the D Density (gr/cm3)
penetration rate decreases. Therefore, since the derivation
of equations for this area is insignificant, the equations for The “density-porosity” is the test group which is easy and
this area (area 3) have not been developed. fast to perform among the “density-porosity,” “Schmidt-
Brazilian,” and the “Brittleness-Brazilian-density” mechanical
test trio. “Brittleness-Brazilian-density” is the test group that
produces the best penetration rate estimation value among
5 Conclusions other test groups. The disadvantage of this test group is that
the experiments are somewhat difficult and time-consuming
The efficiency of the drilling process is of great importance. (the coefficients of determination (R2) of the equations derived
Therefore, the geological structure of the site to be drilled, the for the Brittleness-Brazilian-density test group are between
rock material properties, and the parameters related to the 0.811 and 0.96).
drilling machine should be determined. If the geological struc-
ture of the site to be drilled and the machine-related parame- Compliance with Ethical Standards
ters are not taken into account, many difficulties may occur
Conflict of interest The authors declare that they have no conflict of
during the drilling process. interest.
In this study, 33 different equations were derived in
which different physico-mechanical properties were de-
fined as variables. Among these equations, the equations
in which the coefficient of determination (R2) and the References
significance level (p) were optimal are the number 8 equa-
tions in Tables 3, 4, and 5 (where the pressure force was 1. (1962) Protodyakonov M Mechanical properties and drillability of
244.61 N). For this reason, in order to obtain more accu- rocks. In: Proceedings of the Fifth Symposium on Rock Mechanics.
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, pp 103–118
rate results, it is necessary to use the number 8 equations 2. Paone J, Madson D, Bruce WE (1969) Drillability studies: labora-
in the equations presented in Tables 3, 4, and 5. These tory percussive drilling. Bureau of Mines, Twin Cities, MN (USA),
equations are presented below. Twin Cities Mining Research Center
366
3. Tandanand S, Unger HF (1975) Drillability determination: a drill-
ability index for percussion drills, vol 8073. US Dept. of the
Interior, Bureau of Mines
4. Paithankar A, Misra G (1976) A critical appraisal of the
Protodyakonov index. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 13(8):249–251
5. Rabia H (1985) Oilwell drilling engineering: principles and prac-
tise, . Graham & Tromtman, Huddersfield, England, 322 s
6. Perrin V, Mensa-Wilmot G, Alexander W (1997) Drilling index-a
new approach to bit performance evaluation. In: SPE/IADC drilling
conference. Society of Petroleum Engineers
7. Taheri A, Qao Q, Chanda E (2016) Drilling penetration rate esti-
mation using rock drillability characterization index. Journal of The
Institution of Engineers (India): Series D 97(2):159–170
8. Tamrock (1987) Handbook of underground drilling. Tamrock drills
SF-33310 Tampere, Finland, p 327
9. Bilim N (2011) Determination of drillability of some natural stones
and their association with rock properties. Sci Res Essays 6(2):382–
387
10. Cheniany A, Hasan KS, Shahriar K, Hamidi JK (2012) An estima-
tion of the penetration rate of rotary drills using the specific rock
mass drillability index. Int J Min Sci Technol 22(2):187–193
11. Wirth (1981) Drilling technique manual, . Germany
12. El Kacimi Y, Azaroual M, Touir R, Galai M, Alaoui K, Sfaira M,
Touhami ME, Kaya S (2017) Corrosion inhibition studies for mild
steel in 5.0 M HCl by substituted phenyltetrazole. Euro-
Mediterranean Journal for Environmental Integration 2 (1):1
13. Jimeno C, Jimeno E, Carcedo F, De Ramiro Y (1995) Drilling and
blasting of rocks, geomining technological institute of Spain. AA
Balkema, Rotterdam, Netherlands
14. Serradj T (1996) Method for assessment of rock drillability incor-
porating the Protodyakonov index. Transactions of the Institution of
Mining and Metallurgy Section A Mining Industry 105
15. Thuro K (1997) Drillability prediction: geological influences in
hard rock drill and blast tunnelling. Geol Rundsch 86(2):426–438
16. Kahraman S, Balcı C, Yazıcı S, Bilgin N (2000) Prediction of the
penetration rate of rotary blast hole drills using a new drillability
index. Int J Rock Mech Min Sci 37(5):729–743
17. Hoseinie S, Pourrahimian Y (2006) Aghababaei H Analyzing and
physical modeling of joints dipping effects on penetration rate of
rotary drilling in open pit mines. In: 15th International Symposium
on Mine Planning and Equipment Selection (MPES2006), Torino,
Italy, p 1013
View publication stats
Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (2021) 38:359–366
18. Hosseini SH, Pourrahimian Y, AGHA BH (2006) Physical model-
ing of joint's spacing and filling effects on drilling efficiency in
mines.
19. Kelessidis V (2011) Rock drillability prediction from in situ deter-
mined unconfined compressive strength of rock. J South Afr Inst
Min Metall 111(6):429–436
20. Rais K, Kara M, Gadri L, Hadji R, Khochmen L (2017) Original
approach for the drilling process optimization in open cast mines;
Case study of Kef Essenoun open pit mine Northeast of Algeria.
Mining Science 24
21. Bilim N, Dündar S, Kekeç B, Dursun AE (2017) Investigation of
the effect of drill bit rotation speed on sustainable drilling. Geo-
Resources Environ Eng (GREE) 2:206–210
22. Howarth D, Adamson W, Berndt J (1986) Correlation of model
tunnel boring and drilling machine performances with rock proper-
ties. In: International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining
Sciences & Geomechanics Abstracts, vol 2. Elsevier, pp 171–175
23. Kahraman S, Bilgin N, Feridunoglu C (2003) Dominant rock prop-
erties affecting the penetration rate of percussive drills. Int J Rock
Mech Min Sci 40(5):711–723
24. Soyer E (2009) Kayaçların Dayanım ve Petrografik Özelliklerinin
Delinebilirliğe Etkisinin Araştırılması. . Yüksek Lisans Tezi, ZKÜ
Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Maden Mühendisliği Bölümü, Zonguldak,
200 s
25. Kahraman S, Mülazımoğlu A (1999) The performance analysis of
drill rigs used in the construction of Pozantı-Tarsus crossing motor-
way. Madencilik 38(2-3):31–35
26. Ekincioğlu G (2008) Çeşitli kireçtaşlarının delinebilirlik indeks
özellikleri ve kayaç kesilebilirliği arasındaki ilişkilerin
değerlendirmesi. SDÜ Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü
27. Yetkin ME, Özfırat MK, Yenice H, Şimşir F, Kahraman B (2016)
Examining the relation between rock mass cuttability index and
rock drilling properties. J Afr Earth Sci 124:151–158
28. Dahl F, Bruland A, Jakobsen PD, Nilsen B, Grøv E (2012)
Classifications of properties influencing the drillability of rocks,
based on the NTNU/SINTEF test method. Tunn Undergr SpTech
28:150–158
29. Özfırat MK (2016) Yenice H (2016) A new approach to rock brit-
tleness and its usability at prediction of drillability. J Afr Earth Sci
119:94e101
Publisher’s Note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdic-
tional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.