Permafrost outreach 2009

We start drill in front of school using minuteman drill system. The reason of using this system is gravel layer. Mike told us detail school property ground conditions since 1920s and Panya’s reports, we knew the drill site had 30-100cm of gravel layer, up to 3.5m of frozen silt and gravel deeper than 3.5m. The hand operated drill system cannot go through upper gravel layer. Once we start Minuteman, we can break through frozen gravel layer and up to 2.5m works great! Then we got problem about water system. The way of break frozen gravel layer need air compressor or pressured water to blow out cutting chips. We use water system for this and drill bit filled dart at the water discharge holes at 2.5m. We just keep drill at 3m deep and to install casing. Upper gravel collapse in the hole and never let PVC pipe go through even half inch PVC! We try auger or core barrel to cleaning gravel layer but all failed!
We will back here again with another (hydrolic) drill system!