Current state of subglacial rock core drilling technologies

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to make an overview of subglacial rock core drilling projects on Arctic and Antarctic islands, which have been carried out by the experts from Russia, the United States of America, Denmark and China. By analyzing the outcomes of Russian and international projects, it was possible to pinpoint the technical and geological aspects of subglacial core drilling, as well as the benefits and drawbacks of the various technologies employed. Additionally, it was possible to identify the best kind of rock-cutting tool and identify a potential direction for further advancement of currently available technologies.The authors propose to consider a method for drilling basal ice and subglacial rocks, which is based on the principle of reciprocating rotary motion of the rock-cutting tool. The first evaluation test of the method under discussion was carried out more than ten years ago at Saint Petersburg Mining University and the results were encouraging. However, the researches dealt mainly with the processes occurring in the electromechanical drive rather than rock drilling modes. The authors of the article intend to carry out a series of studies with the goal of developing a core drilling method based on the reciprocating rotary motion of the rock-cutting tool for wells in subglacial rocks.