Specialist Drilling Rigs & Equipment
Purpose-built for commercial drilling
Successful commercial drilling is about considerably more than the drilling rig itself. Production, borehole quality and programme certainty depend upon having the correct drilling rig, tooling, casing systems, fluid management, water supply, loop handling equipment and supporting plant available on site.
Miller Drilling Contractors has invested in specialist drilling and support equipment suited to geothermal and deep borehole applications. This allows us to establish a complete drilling operation rather than relying solely on the capabilities of an individual rig.
- Comacchio GEO 909 GT drilling rig
- Dual-head drilling system
- Automatic rod and casing handling
- Mud recycling setup
- Hydraulic geothermal loop reeler
- Large-capacity water storage
- Water pumps and transfer equipment
- Borehole grouting equipment
- Specialist geothermal drilling tooling
- Supporting plant and haulage
- SKC Makina desanding and drilling-fluid treatment equipment
Comacchio GEO 909 GT
At the centre of our commercial geothermal drilling operation is the Comacchio GEO 909 GT. It is a specialist dual-head crawler-mounted drilling rig designed for geothermal and other demanding borehole applications.
The dual-head configuration provides the capability to advance the drill string and casing together where ground conditions require it. This is particularly valuable when drilling through loose, unstable or unconsolidated formations where maintaining borehole stability can otherwise present significant challenges.
Manufacturer specification highlights
- 147-180 kW diesel engine power
- 14,500-19,500 daN retract force
- 5,000-10,000 daN feed force
- 5,200 mm feed stroke
- 600-900 daNm upper-head torque range
- 850-3,600 daNm lower-head torque range
- Dual-head drilling configuration
- Automatic rod and casing loading system
- 20-23 tonne operating weight range
The manufacturer lists an automatic loading system capable of accommodating up to 64 rods/casings in its standard configuration. Final website specifications should be checked against the exact Miller-owned machine configuration before publication.
Dual-head drilling
The dual-head system allows the drilling string and external casing to be operated independently. Where required, drilling and casing can progress together to help maintain borehole stability, control difficult overburden and improve drilling control through changing formations.
Automatic rod & casing handling
Commercial borehole arrays can involve thousands of metres of drilling. Automated rod and casing handling supports an efficient drilling cycle and reduces manual handling during repetitive operations.
SKC Makina desander & drilling-fluid management
Mud drilling can generate significant volumes of circulating drilling fluid containing sand, clay and drilled material. Effective fluid management is essential on commercial geothermal projects.
Miller Drilling Contractors operates specialist SKC Makina desanding equipment as part of the drilling-fluid treatment setup. The system is designed to separate sand and drilled particles from drilling mud so treated fluid can be returned to the drilling process.
SKC Makina’s published desander information describes staged separation using screening and hydrocyclone technology, with standard desanding capable of separating particles down to approximately 50 microns depending on configuration. The exact model and throughput of the Miller-owned unit should be inserted once confirmed.
Commercial benefits
- Improved drilling-fluid quality
- Removal of drilled sands and solids
- Controlled recirculation of drilling mud
- Reduced replacement-fluid demand
- Improved management of drill cuttings
- Reduced water demand
- Cleaner drilling setup
- Greater control of multi-borehole production
Hydraulic geothermal loop reeler
Following completion of a geothermal borehole, the ground loop must be installed safely and accurately to the specified depth. Our specialist hydraulic loop handling equipment provides controlled installation, particularly for deeper boreholes and larger double-loop configurations.
Water storage & management
Commercial drilling can require substantial water volumes, particularly where mud drilling techniques are used. Our setup includes large-capacity water storage and associated pumps and transfer equipment so water requirements can be planned as part of mobilisation.
Borehole grouting
Following loop installation and testing, geothermal boreholes can be grouted in accordance with the project design and specification. Our equipment allows loop installation, testing and grouting to be integrated into the wider drilling operation.
Supporting plant & logistics
As part of the wider Billy Miller operation, Miller Drilling Contractors can draw upon additional construction plant, haulage and civil engineering resources when required. Depending on the project, this can support rig mobilisation, heavy haulage, site preparation, water management, material movement and general construction logistics.
Manufacturer references
Comacchio GEO 909 GT: https://www.comacchio.com/en/machine-configuration/geo-909-gt
SKC Makina Desanders: https://www.skcmakina.com/en/products/desanders/
These links are for technical reference during the build. Where the specification of the actual Miller-owned machine differs from a current manufacturer option, the specification of the equipment we own and operate should take precedence.