A rotary auger is a type of drilling equipment that uses a screw device to penetrate, break up, and then transport the drilled material to the earth's surface. It is used in soils or poorly consolidated materials to remove cuttings from the borehole by mechanical means without the use of drilling fluids.
Rotary Auger Operators run simple power auger drill rigs, or more complex core boring drill rigs, both of which are mounted on heavy mobile equipment such as trucks and trailers. Operators may be required to drive trucks with this equipment to drilling sites. It is their job to get the auger placed, aligned, and stabilized. They check with mining engineering supervisors on how deep to dig and if the drill is positioned at the right angle. During the drilling, they control the drill's speed. They monitor the tone of the drill to determine through which layer of earth they are digging. As they remove core samples, they ensure that the sample accurately reflects the area/depth of the location they are drilling. During this process, they must observe all appropriate safety procedures against possible contaminants or toxins. They record where they drilled and what they believe the samples contain.
The controls for the more complex core boring rigs contain a greater number of levers and must be manipulated at more frequent intervals, due to increased care needed in driving the various types of drill bits and core barrels. They need to maintain the proper balance of engine power, hydraulic pressure, winching, and auxiliary water pump system to offset unpredictable formation changes in the layers being drilled, as well as cope with subsurface conditions, and overcome any core recovery problems. As this operation is more complex, operators needed to be guided by geological specifications, equipment blueprints, and maintenance manuals.
Operators of auger drills and other similar types of drilling devices must be skilled at changing equipment and technique as the drilling progresses and different subsurface materials and conditions are encountered. They must be capable of offsetting subsurface resistances to the auger tools by improvising additional weights in the form of heavy rocks or steel bars, and stave off caving conditions caused by loose subsurface materials by using casings to prevent the entire borehole from collapsing. In addition, they need to be proficient at performing field maintenance of auger drill rig equipment, replacing any obviously worn or damaged parts.
More advanced drill operators using drill equipment that can dig deeper must be able to adjust and control the big speed, pressure, water volume, and velocity precisely so core samples are protected from breaking up or washing away, as well as use the bits and equipment components safely to their maximum limit. They need to respond to unusual machinery sounds and vibrations, sudden variances in water pressure, or any erratic drill rig action. They must recognize poor core recovery results, which may be indications of formation changes, and bring them to the attention of the mining geologist or supervisor.
Throughout, they must be able to distinguish features of most underlying formations by the action of the drill, color of the return water, and rate of coring, knowing and using the proper drilling procedures to insure maximum recovery of samples and accurate recording of depths.
In a November 2005 salary study, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, in conjunction with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, found that the average annual wages in the United States of earth drillers (of which Rotary Auger Operators are one type) were US Dollars 36,733. The lowest 10 percent earned approximately US Dollars 22,700 annually, and the top 10 percent earned US Dollars 53,955.
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Note: This article was sent to us by: Victor Nicholson at 07132010
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