AIR ROTARY DRILLING

Air rotary drilling is a method of drilling most commonly used for geotechnical exploration, environmentl sampling and water well drilling. When air rotary drilling, high powered compressed air is pushed through the drill stem to the bottom and through the drill bit, which cools the drill bit and flushes the rock cuttings out of the hole to the surface.

Some advantages of air rotary drilling is its ability to drill through hard soil formations and rock. It is commonly used for environmental sampling because it minimizes risk of cross contamination between different sampling locations. It can be used effectively for installing wells in hard soils and in bedrock. Air rotary is convenient due to the use of an air compressor cooling the bit and flushing instead of water or drilling mud mixtures.