WHAT IS DTH DRILLING?

Down-the-hole drilling (DTH) essentially involves a drilling hammer at the bottom of a drill string. It relies on three elements for drilling holes: bit loading (weight), rotation and air. These active elements combine to be efficient at crushing rock. As the drill string slowly rotates, the drilling hammer is forced into the rock repeatedly. Striking power is provided by compressed air driving a piston inside the hammer.

DTH advantages

dth drilling offers several advantages over top-hammer drilling for larger, deeper holes in medium-hard formations. Because the hammer is at the bottom of the hole, power loss is minimal as the hole deepens. That means energy is not lost in the drill string and penetration rates do not markedly decline with depth—provided that back pressure does not rise significantly in the borehole. DTH drilling is most suitable for hole diameters of 4–10 inches, with some exceptions.

Compressed air power

The DTH Hammer is pneumatically powered, with the compressed air propelling it forward to impact and fracture rock. Compressed air also travels through the drill bit into the hole (air exhaust), which blows the chips and dust out of the hole.