Uranium Drilling Rig Mobile Fast Mobilization: CMD100 in the Ordos Basin, China
Executive Summary
The Ordos Basin is a national key uranium resource base characterized by a wide mining area, a large number of drill holes, densely distributed drilling points and frequent site relocations. The local geology is dominated by sandstone–mudstone interbedding with frequent soft–hard alternations, which tends to cause pipe sticking, hole deviation and slow penetration. To meet the demand for high mobility, fast positioning and efficient drilling, the project used the CORTECH® CMD100 full hydraulic truck-mounted rig with a high-torque hydraulic top drive and pneumatic fast drilling process. The rig positions within one hour, completes opening, drilling and well completion in one continuous operation, and delivered multi-batch uranium exploration wells to a final diameter of Φ311 mm with consistently stable borehole-wall quality.
Project Background & Challenge
Basin-wide uranium exploration is a logistics problem as much as a geology problem:
- Scattered, dense holes: the program covers a broad area with many closely spaced drill points, so the rig must move constantly rather than drill one long hole from a fixed pad.
- Mixed, unstable strata: sandstone and mudstone alternate in frequent soft–hard layers of medium stability, causing pipe sticking, deviation and low penetration rates.
- Auxiliary time kills productivity: on a multi-hole campaign, every hour spent on rig-up, rig-down and relocation is an hour not drilling.
- Borehole-wall quality: with many wells, consistent wall quality and verticality matter for reliable uranium grade and depth data.
Our Solution
The project selected the CORTECH® CMD100, a 55-ton full hydraulic top-drive truck-mounted rig built for large-diameter, high-mobility operations. The features that matched the Ordos brief:
- Truck-mounted fast mobilization: the integrated truck chassis and six hydraulic outrigger stabilizers let the rig drive to a new location and complete positioning within one hour, then run opening, drilling and completion in one pass — cutting the auxiliary time that dominates multi-hole basin work.
- High-torque hydraulic top drive: the 105 mm thru-hole spindle delivers 27,500 Nm of breakdown torque at low speed (0–100 rpm) or 9,700 Nm at high speed (0–300 rpm), maintaining penetration through abrasive sandstone–mudstone interbeds.
- Pneumatic fast drilling: the rig's integrated air/mud/foam manifold (rated to 20.6 MPa) supports pneumatic fast drilling, accelerating penetration in soft–hard alternating strata.
- 100-ton pullback for large holes: 100 T (1,000 kN) hoisting and 20 T (200 kN) pulldown safely handled the large-diameter strings for the Φ311 mm final hole.
- Multi-fluid flexibility: the manifold switches between air hammer, mud circulation and foam drilling, adapting to changing formations without changing machines.
Key Results
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Location | Ordos Basin, Inner Mongolia, China |
| Commodity | Uranium (national key resource base) |
| Strata | Sandstone–mudstone interbedded, soft–hard alternations |
| Final hole diameter | Φ311 mm |
| Site positioning time | Within 1 hour |
| Rig | CORTECH CMD100 truck-mounted full hydraulic top-drive rig |
| Drilling process | Pneumatic fast drilling; air / mud / foam manifold |
| Campaign output | Multi-batch uranium exploration wells completed |
| Borehole-wall quality | Consistently stable across wells |
For the full technical specifications of the CORTECH® CMD100, see the CMD100 product page.
Customer Value & ROI
- More drilling time, less moving: one-hour positioning and one-pass opening-to-completion mean the rig spends its time drilling the next uranium hole, not rigging up — a decisive advantage on a dense, multi-batch basin program.
- Stable holes in tricky strata: high-torque top drive and pneumatic fast drilling countered sticking, deviation and slow penetration in the sandstone–mudstone alternations.
- Large-diameter capability: 100-ton pullback handled the Φ311 mm final holes safely, so the same rig serves exploration and larger borehole needs.
- Reliable, certified equipment: API Spec 4F-fabricated structure and ISO 9001/14001/45001 systems support dependable national uranium survey work.
FAQ
How fast can a truck-mounted rig mobilize between sites?
In the Ordos Basin uranium program, the CORTECH CMD100 truck-mounted rig completed positioning within one hour of arriving at a new point, then ran opening, drilling and completion in one continuous operation — a major advantage on a dense, multi-batch hole campaign.
How large a hole can the CMD100 drill?
The CMD100 is a large-diameter rig with 100 T (1,000 kN) pullback and an 810 mm centralizer opening. In this uranium exploration program it delivered wells to a Φ311 mm final diameter with stable borehole walls.
Why is fast relocation important for basin uranium exploration?
Basin uranium exploration covers a wide area with many closely spaced holes. When the rig is constantly moving, mobilization and rig-up time directly cut into drilling time. A truck-mounted rig that positions in under an hour converts that lost time into meters drilled.
What drilling methods does the CMD100 support?
Its integrated manifold is rated to 20.6 MPa and supports air hammer, mud circulation and foam drilling. In the Ordos project it used pneumatic fast drilling to accelerate penetration through sandstone–mudstone interbeds.
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