Design and technological aspects of the operation of modern downhole devices for abrasive-mechanical percussion drilling
A. Ihnatov1, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7653-125X
I. Askerov1 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8398-0205
1Dnipro University of Technology, Dnipro, Ukraine
Coll.res.pap.nat.min.univ. 2026, 84:46–65
Full text (PDF)
https://doi.org/10.33271/crpnmu/84.046
ABSTRACT
Purpose. Analysis of abrasive-mechanical percussive drilling devices and substantiation of improved rock destruction efficiency through optimization of operating parameters of downhole devices GPB-1T, GPB-1V, GPB-1GU, and GPB-1PU.
Research methodology. System analysis, engineering generalization, and experimental studies in model boreholes were applied. A generalized rock destruction model was developed, accounting for the combined action of pellet impact, abrasive, mechanical, and percussive-rotary effects. The principles for determining the main operating parameters were generalized, including the flow rate of the working medium Q, the velocity of ball movement vк, their diameter dк, the number of balls M, the rotational speed of the mechanical element n, the axial load C, as well as the impact frequency f and impact energy E.
Research results. Regularities in the development of designs were established, ranging from pellet impact drill schemes (GPB-1T) to abrasive-rotary (GPB-1V) and percussive-rotary systems (GPB-1GU, GPB-1PU). The rational number of rock-breaking balls was experimentally determined as M = 35–45, at which the maximum rock destruction intensity is achieved. It was shown that increasing the rotational speed to n = 225–370min-1and the axial load to C = 2–4N/mm2increases the rate of bottom-hole penetration. For the percussive models, a rational operating mode with an impact frequency of f = 5–7Hz was established.
Originality. The principles of combined ball-jet, abrasive, and percussive-rotary rock destruction were further developed, with the influence of the parameters M, n, C, f on the intensity of rock destruction in the bottom-hole zone being established.Their rational values for the studied conditions (M ≈ 40; n ≈ 300 min-1; C ≈ 3 N/mm2; f ≈ 6 Hz) have been determined, along with approaches to the effective coordination of operating modes of the proposed devices.
Practical implications. The obtained results make it possible to substantiate rational operating modes for the devices GPB-1T, GPB-1V, GPB-1GU, GPB-1PU and to improve the efficiency of well drilling under various mining and geological conditions.
Keywords: drilling,hydraulic hammer, pellet impact drill,percussion-rotary method, rock-breaking balls, downhole device, well, operating parameters.
References
1. Azar, J.J., & Robello, S.G. (2007). Drilling Engineering. PennWell Books.
2. Guhey, R. (2017). Geology. Publisher: Imprint NIPA.
3. Lopez, J.C., Lopez, J. E., & Javier, F. (2017). Drilling and blasting of rocks. CRC Press Taylor & Francis.https://surli.cc/vxaxwu
4. Don, W.D. (2019). Oilwell Drilling Engineering.Publisher: ASME Press.https://surl.lu/emrana
5. Caenn, R., Gray, G.R. & Darley, H.C.H. (2020). Composition and Properties of Drilling and Completion Fluids. Publisher: Gulf Professional Publishing.
6. Aziukovskyi, O., Koroviaka,Y., & Ihnatov, A. (2023). Drilling and operation of oil and gas wells in difficult conditions. Zhurfond.
7. Ihnatov, A. (2021). Analyzing mechanics of rock breaking under conditions of hydromechanical drilling. Mining of Mineral Deposits, 15(3), 122–129. https://doi.org/10.33271/mining15.03.122
8. Zhang, Z. X. (2016). Rock fracture and blasting. Theory and applications. Elsevier Inc. Publishing.
9. Vaddadi, N. (2015). Introduction to oil well drilling. Bathos publishing.
10. Hossain, M.E., & Al-Majed, A.A. (2015). Fundamentals of sustainable drilling engineering.Scrivener publishing.https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119100300
11. Hossain, M.E., & Islam, M.R. (2018). Drilling engineering: problems and solutions. Scrivener publishing.https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118998632
12. Skalle, P. (2015). Drilling Fluid Engineering. Publisher: bookboon.com
13. Hossain, M.E. (2016). Fundamentals of drilling engineering. Scrivener publishing.
14. Jeffery, W.H. (2015). Deep Well Drilling: The Principles and Practices of Deep Well Drilling. Publisher: Palala Press.
15. Skinner, L. (2016). IADC Drilling Series – Coiled Tubing Operations. Publisher: IADC Technical.
16. Raffa, P. & Druetta, P. (2019). Chemical Enhanced Oil Recovery. Publisher: De Gruyter.
17. Fink, J. (2015). Petroleum Engineer's Guide to Oil Field Chemicals and Fluids. Publisher: Gulf Professional Publishing.https://surl.li/ybpbqk.
18. Aadnoy, B.S., & Looyeh, R. (2019). Petroleum Rock Mechanics: Drilling Operations and Well Design. Publisher: Gulf Professional Publishing.
19. Ihnatov, A., Pashchenko, O., Koroviaka, Y., Semekhin, Y., Logvinenko, O., & Askerov, I. (2021). Some explanations of the impact mechanism on rocks when drilling wells. Collection of Research Papers of the National Mining University, 66, 177–192. https://doi.org/10.33271/crpnmu/66.177.
20. Guan, Z., Chen, T., &Liao, H. (2021). Theory and Technology of Drilling Engineering. Publisher: Springer.https://surl.li/mblmlg.
21. Saha, R., Tiwari, P., & UppaluriR.V.S. (2021). Chemical Nanofluids in Enhanced Oil Recovery: Fundamentals and Applications. Publisher: CRC Press.https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003010937.
22. Jadhav, S. (2015). Oil & Gas Production. Publisher: Scitus Academics Llc.
23. Austin, E.H. (2012). Drilling Engineering. Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media.
24. Ihnatov, A. O., Koroviaka, Ye. A., Pinka, J., Rastsvietaiev, V. O., & Dmytruk, O. O. (2021). Geological and mining-engineering peculiarities of implementation of hydromechanical drilling principles. Naukovyi Visnyk Natsionalnoho Hirnychoho Universytetu, (1), 11–18. https://doi.org/10.33271/nvngu/2021-1/011
25. Ihnatov, A. O., Koroviaka, Y. A., Pavlychenko, A. V., Rastsvietaiev, V. O., & Askerov, I. K. (2023). Determining key features of the operation of percussion downhole drilling machines. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 1254(1), 012053. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1254/1/012053
26. Sadeghi, J. (2021). Uncertainty Modeling for Engineers. Github publishing. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4483793.
date of first submission of the article to the publication – 01/10/2026
date of acceptance of the article for publication after review – 02/13/2026
date of publication – 03/31/2026