Ethiopian volcanic rock: two tricone bits a day, is that normal?
Mr. Liu
Verified member · Service engineer
A 90 m water well; the top 40 m is volcanic rock, hard and abrasive.
A tricone lasts about 12 m, so we change two a day.
Weight and rotary speed are at the maker's lower limits, yet wear is fast. Is it bit selection?
Discussion (3)
Ahmed Ben SalahVerified member · Service engineer2026-10-12
Switch to insert or mixed-tooth bits in volcanic rock; steel teeth cannot cope there, and footage can double.
Chanda M.Verified member · Service engineer2026-10-13
Insufficient flushing also accelerates wear; confirm annular return velocity first.
Paulo M.Verified member · Project chief engineer2026-10-14
Compare cost per metre: after switching to inserts ours fell by nearly 40%.
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