Bulletin of the United States Geological Survey--Oil Fields of the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coastal Plain . brought together and clampedso as to hold the drill rod and rotate it. The driller starts the engineand sets the pump in motion. As soon as the water flows freely heslackens the friction and allows the drill to descend. The force of water, which varies from 40 pounds to 75 or 80 pounds,passing through the rod finds its way as jets through two holes, oneon either side of the fish-tail bit, and washes the freshly loosened sandup to the surface through the space between the drill rod- and thewa


Bulletin of the United States Geological Survey--Oil Fields of the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coastal Plain . brought together and clampedso as to hold the drill rod and rotate it. The driller starts the engineand sets the pump in motion. As soon as the water flows freely heslackens the friction and allows the drill to descend. The force of water, which varies from 40 pounds to 75 or 80 pounds,passing through the rod finds its way as jets through two holes, oneon either side of the fish-tail bit, and washes the freshly loosened sandup to the surface through the space between the drill rod- and thewall of the well. As the work progresses the driller lowers the rodslowly, holding it stationary or letting it descend, according to thecharacter of the material through which the bit is working. Fromthis time on the whole responsibility rests upon the judgment of thedriller. The drilling crew generally consists of four men—the driller, 168 OIL FIELDS OF TEXAS-LOUISIANA COASTAL PLAIN, [ two derrick men, and the fireman—with a corresponding night shift,as the work proceeds night and Fig. 12.—Derrick with machinery in place. The work progresses rapidly at first, but becomes slower as the drillgoes downward. Great care is required to keep the drill in motion U. S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEV BULLETIN NO. 212 PL. XI


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