Tange Bijar Geotechnical Drilling

The Tange Bijar seismic project spans approximately 1500 square kilometers and is situated within the provinces of Kermanshah and Ilam. The project’s boundaries extend from the northern cities of Sarableh and Ivan-Gharb, to the western cities of Gilan-e-Gharb and Somar. To the south, it reaches the shared border between Iran and Iraq, encompassing the Sumar area. Additionally, the project extends as far as Mimak, and to the east, it includes the cities of Saleh Abad and Ilam.

The Tang-e-Bijar seismic project presented numerous challenges due to its topography, technical conditions, and unique characteristics. For instance, drilling operations were conducted concurrently in a section of the project located within the border strip between Iran and Iraq, which is known to be contaminated with mines and war munitions. In addition, other drilling teams were tasked with operating in high and inaccessible mountains, with helicopters providing crucial assistance for transportation and logistics.

Due to the abundance of geological formations including the Quaternary and Bakhtiari formations at lower altitude levels and the Aghajari, Lehbari, Mishan, Gachsaran formations up to the Asmari, Ilam and Sarvak formations at the highest elevation level of the project and due to the lack of sufficient access based on the environmental considerations of the region, various types of drilling machines and wind compressors were used according to the conditions of the planned points for drilling in Tang-e-Bijar project.

The number of drilled holes based on the type of drilling equipment are as follows:

Portable Chabok Drilling Machine: 12,200 holes

Dorfak-222: 15,634 holes

Dorfak-222 with portable compressor: 1,148 holes

Dorfak-222 with helicompressor : 2,852 holes

HY-100 and Buggy Machines: 10,140 holes

The geotechnical drilling business has achieved remarkable success in drilling 41,974 seismic wells for the Tange-Bijar two and three-dimensional seismic project. This accomplishment was made possible by relying on the expertise of skilled professionals and utilizing a wide range of efficient seismic drilling equipment capable of adapting to various geographical conditions. The entire project was completed within a span of 40 months, following a comprehensive implementation plan.

One of the most significant achievements was the successful drilling operation of over 10,000 holes in the border strip between Iran and Iraq, specifically between the cities of Sumar and Meemak. This operation was conducted without any incidents or accidents.

Mehdi Alamdari
Drilling Operation Manager
Geotechnical Drilling