Borehole Drilling in Cape Town

Drilled to the Depth Your Site Needs

Boreholes are generally drilled when groundwater is not accessible by means of a wellpoint. A borehole is drilled to a required depth, and the water level is continuously monitored during the drilling process. The ground structure encountered during drilling determines whether we continue mud drilling or move over to air drilling.

Our Drilling Methods

• Mud rotary drilling — a mixture of clay, water and chemicals is pumped down the drill string while cutting through a soft sand formation, allowing it to bind and stay open. Once drilling is complete, a perforated and screened PVC casing is installed and the hole is gravel-packed for maximum water filtration. Mud drilling is also used in clay formations.
• Air (pneumatic percussion) drilling — used for rock formations. The drill bit cuts the formation into small pieces (cuttings), and compressed air cools the bit, brings cuttings to the surface and maintains borehole integrity. We read the resistance of each rock stratum and adjust drilling rate and contact pressure accordingly.
• Symmetrix drilling — a specialised technique for simultaneously drilling and casing a borehole, particularly effective in challenging ground such as loose soils, sand, clay and hard rock formations with large boulders. A central pilot bit is surrounded by symmetrically arranged radial wings that progressively enlarge the hole to the desired diameter, while a casing tube advances directly behind the bit. This continuous casing advancement gives immediate support and a clean, stable hole from the outset — ideal for foundation drilling, micropiling and anchoring.
• Monitoring boreholes — we also install monitoring boreholes, including a completed project at the Atlantis landfill site in the Western Cape, where surface emission monitoring uses a portable methane meter near the landfill surface to measure concentrations while traversing the site.

Letsedi Power Station