EXPLORATION DRILLING SERVICES

British Drilling and Freezing is the UK's largest and the longest established drilling company for coal, oil, gas, salt, water and other important minerals

BDF own 30 rigs that can cover all on-shore operational requirements to a depth capacity of 4,000 metres. It has more back-up facilities than any other UK drilling company and is not dependent upon other contactors.

In addition to BDF's premier position in the UK, the Company has established an international reputation, having completed contracts for major clients in France, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Canada, USA, Venezuela, Colombia, Egypt, Pakistan, Australia, Zaire, Tunisia, Malawi, Botswana, South Africa and El Salvador.

As a result of the Group's continuing policy of improvement and expansion, and concentrating on meeting the broadest requirements of all its clients, B.D.F. is able to offer a wide range of drilling capabilities and services commensurate with its position as the largest contractor in the British onshore drilling industry.

The B.D.F. capability includes:

A range of environmentally sensitised rigs and equipment capable of efficiently drilling any hole to 4000m drilled depth or any diameter up to 1.3m (48in).

B.D.F. has taken pro-active measures to comply with strict planning regulations, reduce inconvenience to the general public, and protect the environment. These include:

• Extensive use of acoustic engineering to minimise noise levels.
• Elimination of abnormal loads, and reduction and regulation of vehicle movements to avoid congestion.
• Subtle use of environmental green and white paint specially formulated to blend with the landscape.

And a variety of drilling techniques including:

• Conventional rotary openhole drilling using all forms of rock bit (Multi-cone, diamond PDC drag etc).
• Conventional coring using single, double or triple core barrels up to 17m (60ft) in length and producing cores from 57mm (2 1/4in) to 168mm (6 5/8in) in diameter.
• Wireline coring to 1500m using 6m core barrels producing up to 84mm (3 5/16in) (PQ) cores.

B.D.F. has progressively developed the utilisation P.Q. size wireline coring system to achieve a previously unprecedented continual core quality and recovery of almost 100%. These vital prerequisites of core drilling for exploration boreholes, together with the exceptional borehole gauge and conditions attained, with little if any washouts or caving, has provided optimum conditions for borehole logging analyses and hydrogeological testing programmes. This system is now specified by many of our principal clients.

• Reverse circulation large diameter rotary drilling for holes up to 1.2m (48in) in diameter.

Furthermore the company is always ready to consider adopting less conventional techniques in order to satisfy any unusual drilling, or workover requirements. In order to support this variety of drilling services, B.D.F. offers a number of back-up services and facilities to provide a complete capability as follows:

DIRECTIONAL DRILLING

We maintain and operate 121mm Hughes Oncor downhole motors and have fully trained staff capable of maintaining and operating them for sidetracks, diversions, and directionally controlled drilling.

DIRECTIONAL SURVEYING

Our rigs carry single-shot survey instruments with 6-20 angle units. B.D.F. also operates a REFLEX-FOTOBOR survey instrument to conduct accurate surveys of the dip and direction of horizontal or angled boreholes. This multishot optical device can be run through drillpipe or casing with a minimum I.D. of 51 mm (2in) and is unaffected by magnetic interference.

WATERWELL MANAGEMENT

From initial feasibility studies B.D.F., provides design, observation and testing services, through to the provision and installation of pumping facilities.

FORMATION TESTING

B.D.F. has accumulated a wealth of experience in formation testing including packer tests, pump tests, step tests etc.

ACID INJECTION

B.D.F. as experience of acid stimulation techniques for water wells.

OPERATIONAL BASE

Our head office, main depot, administration and computing, and subsidiary companies are located on the Eastern limits of the city of Nottingham on the Colwick Industrial Estate.

Facilities include mechanical fitting, welding and turning shops for the manufacture and maintenance of rigs and equipment.