Agile Sub-Ice Geological Drill

Description

The Agile Sub-Ice Geological (ASIG) Drill was the first sub-glacial access rock coring drill in the IDP inventory. The drill system design is based on a commercially-available minerals exploration rig, which IDP adapted for drilling through ice and for ice coring. The system is designed to drill access holes through ice less than 700 meters thick and subsequently collect bedrock cores from beneath glaciers.

A minerals exploration rig was purchased from Multi-Power Products Ltd., and IDP designed auxiliary systems for fluid handling. In 2016, IDP conducted an extensive North American Test of the complete system just outside of Madison, WI. The drill system was deployed to Pirrit Hills, Antarctica for the 2016-2017 field season where it was successfully used to drill through approximately 150 meters of ice and collected 8 meters of 39 mm (1.5-inch) diameter excellent quality rock core. Nearly 5 meters of ice core was also collected near the ice-bedrock transition, however, the core quality was poor. In 2019, IDP engineers completed air drop testing to quantify parameters that may create a hydrofracking situation in ice. System maintenance was subsequently conducted, and an electronic pressure relief valve and a shaker table for separating ice chips and drill fluid were implemented were recently implemented.

The system was shipped to Thule Air Base (now known as Pituffik Space Base) in Greenland in July 2022 via military vessel. In April 2023, four IDP Engineers/Drillers deployed to Greenland for the GreenDrill project. One borehole to approximately 500 m is planned for the ASIG Drill, with the anticipated collection of subglacial bedrock core. A second season for the project is planned for 2024.

For information on another sub-glacial rock coring drill in the IDP inventory, see the Winkie Drill.

Equipment Details

Name Agile Sub-Ice Geological Drill
Type
Type
Rock coring; ice coring/augering
Number in Inventory
Number in Inventory
1
Max. Practical Depth
Max. Practical Depth
700 m (maximum drilling depth through ice)
Hole Diameter
Hole Diameter
62.5 mm
Rock Core Diameter
Rock Core Diameter
39 mm
Rock Core Length
Rock Core Length
1.5 m
IDP Driller Required?
IDP Driller Required?
Yes, 2 drillers (4 people required for drill assembly)
Drill Fluid Required?
Drill Fluid Required?
Yes
Trench Required?
Trench Required?

No

Power Requirements/Source
Power Requirements/Source
120 V, 5 kW generator
Estimated Drilling Time
Estimated Drilling Time

Ice: 1m/minute
Rock: 0.15 m/minute rate of penetration

Time to Move (breakdown and setup)
Time to Move (breakdown and setup)
2 days
Helicopter Transportable?
Helicopter Transportable?
Yes (see system weight/cube below)
Light Aircraft Transportable?
Light Aircraft Transportable?
Yes (see system weight/cube below)
Shipping Weight
Shipping Weight

19,000 lbs (200 m);
30,000 lbs (700 m)

Shipping Volume (Cube)
Shipping Cube

700

Restrictions
Restrictions

In light of use of a drilling fluid, it is critical to select sites where the ice is frozen to the bedrock and is free of cracks and/or the presence of liquid water. Any voids within the ice or near the bed will result in a pressure drop and loss of fluid flow and would halt drilling. In addition, site selection should favor areas where the bed geometry and ice flow minimize pre-existing stresses present in the ice, reducing the risk of hydro fracture during drilling.

Comments
Comments

Intermittent ice coring possible by replacing non-coring bit with core barrel assembly

Documents

Citation Year
Tanner W Kuhl, Chris J Gibson, Jay A Johnson, Grant Boeckmann, Elliot Moravec, Kristina R Slawny (2021) Agile Sub-Ice Geological (ASIG) Drill development and Pirrit Hills field project. Annals of Glaciology, 62, (84), 53-66. doi: 10.1017/aog.2020.59. https://doi.org/10.1017/aog.2020.59 2021
Pavel Talalay, Hong J (2021) Perspectives for development of ice drilling technology: continuation of the discussion. Annals of Glaciology, 62, (84), 143-156. doi: 10.1017/aog.2020.81. https://doi.org/10.1017/aog.2020.81 2021
Mary R Albert, Kristina R Slawny, Grant Boeckmann, Chris J Gibson, Jay A Johnson, Keith Makinson, Julius Rix (2020) Recent Innovations in Drilling in Ice. Chapter 6 of Advances in Terrestrial Drilling: Ground, Ice and Underwater, Bar-Cohen and Zacny, eds., 157-220. https://www.routledge.com/Advances-in-Terrestrial-Drilling-Ground-Ice-and-Under… 2020
Allie Balter, Lucas H Beem, John W Goodge, Sean Gulick, Chloe Gustafson, David Harwood, Jennifer Lamp, Amy Leventer, Amelia Schevenell, Matthew R Siegfried, Perry Spector, John Stone, Slawek Tulaczyk, Sophie Warny, Paul Winberry, Dale Winebrenner, Duncan Young (2019) Assessment of East Antarctic Ice Sheet sensitivity to warming and its potential for contributions to sea level rise. Ice Drilling Program Subglacial Access Working Group Science Planning Workshop, March 29-30, 2019, Herndon, Virginia, USA, 1-18. 2019
Chris J Gibson (2019) ASIG‐Air Drop Test Report. Document #8323‐0025, 1-9. 2019
Kristin Poinar, Jennifer Lamp, Allie Balter, Perry Spector, Dale Winebrenner, Slawek Tulaczyk (2019) Subglacial Access Working Group (SAWG): Access Drilling Priorities in Greenland. Ice Drilling Program Subglacial Access Working Group Science Planning Workshop, March 29-30, 2019, Herndon, Virginia, USA, 1-7. 2019
Perry Spector, John Stone, Nathaniel Lifton, Robert Ackert, Brent Goehring, Greg Balco, Bill McIntosh, Seth Campbell, Matt Zimmerer, Trista J Vick-Majors, Dale Winebrenner (2019) Drilling priorities to determine the past extent of the Antarctic Ice Sheet. Ice Drilling Program Subglacial Access Working Group Science Planning Workshop, March 29-30, 2019, Herndon, Virginia, USA, 1-10. 2019
U.S. Ice Drilling Program (2019) Agile Sub-Ice Geological Drill Operations and Maintenance Manual. 1-23. 2019
IDDO (2015) Agile Sub-Ice Geological Drill System Design Review. 1-72. 2015
John Stone, Jaakko Putkonen, Edward Brook, IDPO (2014) Science Requirements: Agile Sub-Ice Geological Drill. 1-2. 2014

Photos

Project History

2023 Arctic - Collaborative Research: GreenDrill: The response of the northern Greenland Ice Sheet to Arctic Warmth - Direct constraints from sub-ice bedrock
2016-2017 Antarctic - Exposed Rock Beneath the West Antarctic Ice Sheet

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