Coal core drilling activities at Gombe state
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#### What is core coal drilling?
Core coal drilling is a specialized drilling technique used primarily in coal exploration and mining to extract intact cylindrical samples (known as cores) of underground rock strata, including coal seams. This method provides geologists with detailed physical samples for analysis, allowing assessment of coal quality, thickness, structure, and surrounding geology, which is essential for planning mining operations.
How It Works
- A hollow, diamond-tipped drill bit (often called a diamond core bit) is attached to a core barrel—a cylindrical tube that captures the sample.
- As the drill rotates under controlled pressure, the bit grinds away a ring of rock, leaving a central core intact inside the barrel. Cuttings are flushed out with water or drilling mud.
- The core is retrieved in sections (typically 20–30 feet long) via wireline or conventional methods and brought to the surface for logging, photography, and laboratory testing.
- It's slower and more costly than rotary drilling (which only yields rock chips), so it's targeted to key intervals near coal seams rather than the entire borehole.
This technique is a key part of prospecting programs, often using grid-patterned boreholes to map coal resources accurately.
