Subsurface Geotechnical Investigations – Part 1
Proper drilling procedures are essential to collecting reliable data.
It is important to ensure that environmental consciousness is maintained during the conduct of geotechnical investigations. Unfortunately, drilling rigs are inherently dirty. Proper maintenance of drilling rigs will minimize this problem. For hazardous, toxic and radiological waste (HTRW) exploratory drilling, drilling rigs must be steam cleaned and all tools, equipment and personnel decontaminated. Fluids used in drilling operations, be they hydrocarbons that have leaked from the hydraulic system or a constituent of a drilling mud, are potentially toxic and should be controlled or eliminated wherever possible.