Borrningen

Borrningen is the process of creating a borehole by removing material from the ground with a drill. In Swedish usage, the term covers a wide range of activities from extracting groundwater to mineral exploration, geothermal work and construction. The word is formed from borra (to drill) with the suffix -ningen, indicating the process or result.

Historically, boreholes have been used for basic wells and mining, but modern drilling advanced with the development of rotary and percussion techniques in the late 19th and 20th centuries. Rotary drilling uses a rotating drill bit connected to a string of pipes, while percussion drilling relies on repeated impacts to break the material. In practice, many operations combine these methods and employ methods for removing cuttings and cooling the drill bit, such as air, mist, or drilling mud circulation.

Equipment and process commonly involved include drill rigs, drill strings and bits (such as roller-cone and PDC types), casings to stabilize the borehole, and cementing to seal it. Drilling mud or alternative fluids are used to carry cuttings to the surface, control formation pressure, and protect the borehole walls. In geotechnical and mineral work, additional tools like core barrels, downhole sensors, and measurement-while-drilling systems are used to gather data about subsurface conditions.

Applications span water supply, mineral and oil and gas exploration, geothermal energy, and construction projects such as foundation piling and soil stabilization. Environmental and safety considerations include groundwater protection, borehole integrity, proper abandonment, and management of drilling waste and fluids.

See also: drilling, borehole, core sampling, geotechnical investigation.