Rotary Drilling
Drilling Methods
Drilling with a rotating bit and circulating fluid or air to cut and remove rock.
Modern water wells in Utah are almost always drilled with rotary rigs. A tricone or DTH (down-the-hole) hammer bit cuts the rock; compressed air or drilling mud lifts the cuttings to the surface. Rotary drilling is faster than cable tool, can reach thousands of feet, and powers through the hard crystalline rock common in southern and central Utah.