A cellar around a wellbore is formed or deepened with an excavating system that is capable of being assembled around an existing wellbore. The system includes an excavating unit having an annular body with a cutting surface that excavates cuttings from ground around the wellbore. The cuttings are directed up through a slot in the body, and are collected inside a receptacle set in a recess of the body. An opening is formed in a side of the receptacle when in the body, and through which the cuttings pass from the slot into the receptacle. The receptacle is removable from within the recess and cuttings collected within are emptied. When the receptacle is removed from the recess, the opening is automatically covered to retain the cuttings inside the receptacle. Another cellar around a different wellbore is formed by disassembling the excavating system and relocating it to the different wellbore.

A system and a method are provided for drilling pathways to mine for solid natural resources from an elevated terrain. The system includes a drill bit, at least one reamer, and a diverter. The drill bit allows for drilling into a seam of natural resource that is found within a mountain. The at least one reamer enlarges a transversal access hole that is drilled to access the seam of natural resource. The diverter separates cuttings from any waste material as the cuttings are excavated from the seam of natural resource. There are two methods that can be used to mine for solid natural resources from an elevated terrain. The typical auger method drills transversal access holes directly into the seam of natural resource. The directional engineering auger method drills the transversal access hole from a diagonal wellbore into the seam of natural resource.

A method for utilizing a millimeter wave drilling apparatus is provided. The method can include monitoring a permeability of a first portion of a borehole of a well while forming the borehole using a drilling apparatus including a drill bit for mechanical removal of material from within the borehole. The method can also include determining to utilize a millimeter wave drilling apparatus including a wave guide configured for insertion into the borehole based at least on the permeability of the borehole falling below a permeability threshold value. The method can further include forming a second portion of the borehole utilizing the millimeter wave drilling apparatus in response to the determining. A method for controlling the downhole pressure of a well is also provided. Related systems performing the methods are also provided.

One embodiment of a bucket drill and soil screen apparatus consists of a mast (9) attached to a prime mover vehicle (7). A carriage (10) and hydraulic motor (12) slide vertically along the mast from which an attached kelly bar (14) and drilling bucket (15) are rotated and lowered into the ground. A kickout assembly (13) lifts drilling bucket (15) outward in an arc. Soil and cultural artifacts are transferred to a screen basket (20) by rotating open the drilling bucket through a latch and hinge. The screen basket is lifted to its screening position and rotated around a central axis to facilitate the passing of fine soil particles through the hardware cloth walls of the basket. Cultural artifacts retained in the screen basket are transferred to a fixed sorting screen (22) by rotating the screen basket to its dump position.

The invention relates to a drilling tool and a method for producing a bore in the ground, in which method ground material is carried away by a removal device on the underside of a main body of the drilling tool, flushing air is supplied by a feeding device into the bore, which is filled with drilling fluid, in the area of the removal device and ground material carried away by means of the flushing air is transported away through a discharge line. According to the invention, the ground material is transported to a receiving area in an upper section of the main body. A collecting hood is provided above the receiving area, which closes off the receiving area at the top, forming an air collecting space in which air collects. An outlet valve by means of which air is discharged from the air collecting space is arranged on the collecting hood.

A cellar around a wellbore is formed or deepened with an excavating system that is capable of being assembled around an existing wellbore. The system includes an excavating unit having an annular body with a cutting surface that excavates cuttings from ground around the wellbore. The cuttings are directed up through a slot in the body, and are collected inside a receptacle set in a recess of the body. An opening is formed in a side of the receptacle when in the body, and through which the cuttings pass from the slot into the receptacle. The receptacle is removable from within the recess and cuttings collected within are emptied. When the receptacle is removed from the recess, the opening is automatically covered to retain the cuttings inside the receptacle. Another cellar around a different wellbore is formed by disassembling the excavating system and relocating it to the different wellbore.

The invention relates to a drilling bucket and a method for producing a bore with a drilling bucket, wherein the drilling bucket is driven in a rotating manner and introduced into the ground, wherein ground material is removed and received in an internal space of a tubular base body of the drilling bucket, and for emptying the drilling bucket is withdrawn from the bore and a bottom on the tubular base body is folded open. According to the invention the drilling bucket is rotated in a reversing manner during emptying, wherein ground material received in the drilling bucket is pressed against at least one impact wall and, in doing so, the ground material is specifically compacted and deformed for easier loosening from the internal space.

A method of drilling vertical and horizontal pathways to mine for solid natural resources involves a drill bit, at least one reamer, a first plugging material, and a second plugging material; drilling a testing wellbore to a specific vertical depth with the drill bit and identifying at least one desired mining section wherein the desired mining section is associated with a corresponding vertical depth; creating a new bottom end for the testing wellbore by filling the testing wellbore up to an offset distance with the first plugging material; drilling a horizontal access hole from the new bottom end into the desired mining section with the drill bit and enlarging it with a reamer; excavating cuttings from the desired mining section through the horizontal access hole; filling the horizontal access hole with the second plugging material; and repeating the drilling, enlarging, and filling process to create a plurality of lateral holes.

The invention relates to a drilling bucket and a method for producing a bore with a drilling bucket, wherein the drilling bucket is driven in a rotating manner and introduced into the ground, wherein ground material is removed and received in an internal space of a tubular base body of the drilling bucket, and for emptying the drilling bucket is withdrawn from the bore and a bottom on the tubular base body is folded open. According to the invention the drilling bucket is rotated in a reversing manner during emptying, wherein ground material received in the drilling bucket is pressed against at least one impact wall and, in doing so, the ground material is specifically compacted and deformed for easier loosening from the internal space.

A method of drilling vertical and horizontal pathways to mine for solid natural resources involves a drill bit, at least one reamer, a first plugging material, and a second plugging material; drilling a testing wellbore to a specific vertical depth with the drill bit and identifying at least one desired mining section wherein the desired mining section is associated with a corresponding vertical depth; creating a new bottom end for the testing wellbore by filling the testing wellbore up to an offset distance with the first plugging material; drilling a horizontal access hole from the new bottom end into the desired mining section with the drill bit and enlarging it with a reamer; excavating cuttings from the desired mining section through the horizontal access hole; filling the horizontal access hole with the second plugging material; and repeating the drilling, enlarging, and filling process to create a plurality of lateral holes.