The global air core drilling market has in recent years experienced a remarkable surge in its valuation. According to a past Grand View Research, the industry was worth 900 million dollars in 2015. This number is expected to increase significantly over the next years, thanks to the sky-high demand for powerful and efficient extraction equipment in both mines as well as gas and oil wells.

So just how does the global air core market look like currently? That’s what we want to investigate. But first it is important to understand what air core drilling means.

What Is Aircore Drilling?

The regolith drilling process utilizes compressed air to pull up cuttings through unconsolidated surface after which samples are collected for analysis to provide comprehensive studies. Air core uses tungsten or steel blades to drill a hole into the ground. The drill bit consists of three blades placed around the bit head. Its rods are hollow and feature an inner tube located inside the relatively hollow rod on the outer barrel. Drill cuttings are removed through the injection of compressed air channeled through the annular space between the drill rod and the inner tube. These cuttings are then thrown back to the surface through the inner tube where they bypass the sample separating tube and are collected accordingly.

This drilling method is primarily utilized for weathered rock as the tungsten and steel blades cannot cut through fresh rock. It is a more effective method compared to RAB drilling as it offers a more representative sample.

Market Analysis

Throughout the world, the demand for exploration and production activities has skyrocketed. To cater to this demand, the air core technology has become even more advanced and efficient hence boosting the global air core market significantly. It comes as no surprise that North America is the world’s leader in matters drilling. The north is the hub of all exploration activities in the United States. The demand for powerful drilling technologies up north is ever rising and in turn, propelling the global market in great heights. Experts actually predict that North America will maintain their position through 2019.
The other air core market to watch out for is the Asia Pacific market. Projections point to a healthy growth over the next few years as well thanks to a number of exploration projects and the abounding untapped reserves.

Bottom-line

From a broad standpoint, the global aircore drilling market looks very promising. If the predictions are right, the market is yet to reach its full bloom so keep your eyes and ears attentive.