1. Ahmed I. Emam
Exploration Geologist
Rig Set up
Diamond Drill

2. Introduction
In order to set up the rig you have to know the azimuth and
angle of dip of the borehole.
The borehole must be surveyed by a survey team, if you
don’t have surveyors here is a simple way below to start
surveying your borehole and set up the rig.

3. Rig Set up
First, from the borehole site (the borehole place is between
your legs) start with your friend to survey the borehole to the
north with red wooden label and to the south with white
wooden label using your compass.
Feel free to ask your friend to move to the right or to the left
side until he is along the north arrow of the compass, then
ask him to dig down the red wooden label and do the
same for south direction with white wooden label.

4. Fig.1: Red wooden label to the north from the borehole site.

5. Rig Set up
After you have surveyed the borehole start to setup the rig
with the azimuth of the borehole and angle of dip.
First, from the red wooden label (north direction) start to adjust
the rig with the azimuth of the borehole using your compass,
ask the driller to move the rig to the right or to the left side until
you are satisfied that the center of the rig is along the
compass arrow which refers to the azimuth of the borehole.
Take in you consideration the magnetic declination of your
country

6. Fig.2: using of the compass to setup the rig with the azimuth of the borehole.
The red arrow refers to the compass in the geologist’s hand while the black
arrow is referring to the center of the rig.

7. Rig Set up
Second, set up your borehole angle of dip by using your
clinometer on the rig tower, you can ask the driller to move the rig
tower up and down until you adjust the borehole angle of dip
precisely.

8. Fig.3: Simple example for how to put your compass on the rig tower and
use the clinometer to adjust the borehole angle of dip.

9. Rig Set up
After you have finished your set up of the rig, the
driller is going to level the rig using his bubble level
ruler.

10. Fig.4: The driller is leveling the rig, red arrow refers to the bubble level ruler.

11. Rig Set up
You have to check the azimuth and angle of dip again after
he finished leveling the rig and if you observe any change in
the azimuth or angle of dip of the borehole ask the driller to
move the rig and/or the tower to the right azimuth and/or
angle of dip again.