Drilling and Blasting

DRILLING AND BLASTING (MN 401)
SYLLABUS
Sl. No. Module Name and topics No. of
Classes
1 Principles of Drilling 04
Principles of rock drilling, drillability, and mechanics of drilling. Different exploratory and
production drilling systems- classification and equipments
2 Drill Bits 02
Various types of drill bits. Thrust feed and rotation, alignment and deviation in drilling
3 Oil and Gas Drilling 04
components of drill rigs, rods, casing, mud systems, and monitoring, directional drilling
4 Explosives 04
Properties of explosives. Different low and high explosives, Bulk Explosive systems
5 Accessories to explosives 02
Fueses, detonators, and shock tube initiation system
6 Blasting Methods 04
Systems of blasting in underground and surface mines. Misfires, blown out shots, incomplete
detonation- causes and remedial measures. Secondary and Controlled Blasting techniques.
7 Blast Design 04
Design of blasting rounds in underground and surface mines
8 Handling of Explosives 02
Transport of explosives, storage and handling
9 Alternate Rock Breaking systems 02
Substitutes for explosives and their applications-hydrox, Cardox, Hydraulic coal burster, airdox,
pulsed infusion shot firing.
10 Mechanics of Blasting 02
Factors affecting rock breakage, Crater theory and its applications, theories of rock breakage using
explosives.
TOTAL 30
SUGGESTED READING:
1. Samir Kumar Das- Explosives and Blasting Practices in

Mines
2. Kelvin J Konya and Edward J Walter- Surface Blast Design

3. Robert F Mitchell- Petroleum Engineering Handbook, Vol
II: Drilling Engineering
4. Surface Mining-G. B. Misra

5. Elements of Mining Technology Vol.1- D. J. Deshmukh
Explosives: Properties of explosives. Different low and high
explosives, Bulk Explosive systems.
An explosive is a solid or a liquid substance or a mixture of

substances which changes themselves into a large volume gases
at high pressure and temperature when sudden flame, heat or
sudden shock (detonation) is applied to it. The high pressure that
is build up is capable of doing the work of breaking rock.
(Detonation is a process of giving sufficiently violent shock to the explosive

to bring about almost instantaneously rearrangement of atoms.)
An explosive contains enough oxygen necessary for complete
oxidation. A commercial explosive contains, apart from the
explosive substance or mixture, the following material:-
1. Combustible matter such as wood meal, fibre, sulphur,

charcoal, etc.
2. Oxidizing agent, such as sodium nitrate, ammonium nitrate,
potassium nitrate, etc.
3. Stabilizers such as magnesium and calcium carbonates.
4. Anti-setting agents to prevent caking salts.
5. Sensitizers, like metallic powder.
Properties of an explosive:
1. Strength
2. Velocity of detonation
3. Density
4. Water resistance
5. Sensitivity
6. Fume characteristics
7. Legal permission
1. Strength
• This is measure of the amount of the energy released by an

explosive during blasting and hence its ability to do useful work.
• The weight strength, in the case of ICI explosive, indicates the
strength of any weight of explosive compared with the same
weight of blasting gelatine wit with is taken as standard because it
is the most powerful commercial explosive manufactured by ICI.
The weight strength of blasting gelatine is 100.
Relative bulk strength of explosive =

The relative strength of an explosive = ×100
2. Velocity of detonation:
• Velocity of detonation (VOD) is the rate at which the detonation wave

passes through a column of explosive and this is of considerable
importance as the shock energy of detonation increases rapidly with this
velocity. Most of the high explosives and permitted explosives and slurry
used in the mines have a velocity of detonation ranging between 2500 and
5000m/s. for high explosives which are used as boosters, the VOD is high,
e.g. OCG-600m/s; Primer- 7000m/s.
(It should be noted that the basic principle of detonation is more intimate the
contact between the oxidizer and fuel, the higher is the VOD)
There are several methods of determining the VOD including high speed photograph of the
actual luminous detonation front and electronic recording of the time required for the detonation
wave to traverse a certain distance in the explosive. VOD can also be determined by
DAUTRICHO test where a certain length of a detonating fuse of known uniform VOD is
inserted at the two ends into a cartridge of explosive (whose VOD is to be determined at two
points A and B. The detonating fuse is placed in a groove on a lead plate and its midpoint C
marked. The explosive is detonated as shown. A crack or indentation will be produced in the
lead plate at D where the two detonation waves from either ends of the detonating fuse meet.
3. Density
The density is an important criteria when selecting an explosive for a particular
use. With a high density explosive the energy of the shot is concentrated – a
desire feature in tunneling and mining operations in hard ground. On the other
hand when the output of lump coal from a mine is important, it is advisable to
use a low density explosive, which distributes, the energy along shothole.
4. Water resistance
Explosives differ widely in resistance to water and moisture penetration. Some
explosives deteriorate rapidly under wet conditions, but others are designed to
stand water long enough to enable the work to be done. When blasting is to be
performed under wet conditions a gelatinous or slurry explosive should be used.
The higher the nitroglycerine content of an explosive, the better its water
resistance properties.
Booster : For effective blasting of some slurry explosives and AN-FO mixture such as GN-1, use as
high detonation-velocity booster is necessary
5. Sensitivity
An explosive is required to be insensitive to normal handling, shock
and friction, but must remain sufficiently sensitive to be satisfactorily
detonated, and capable of propagating satisfactorily, cartridge to
cartridge and even over short gaps such as may be occur in practice.
6. Fume characteristics
Explosive which are to be used where ventilation is restricted must

produce a minimum of harmful gases in the products of detonation.
Slurry explosives and AN based explosives are preferable to the NG
based explosive
7. Legal permission
Only permitted explosives of proper type should be used in
underground coal mines.

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DRILLING AND BLASTING (MN 401)

1. Samir Kumar Das- Explosives and Blasting Practices in

2. Kelvin J Konya and Edward J Walter- Surface Blast Design

4. Surface Mining-G. B. Misra

An explosive is a solid or a liquid substance or a mixture of

(Detonation is a process of giving sufficiently violent shock to the explosive

1. Combustible matter such as wood meal, fibre, sulphur,

• This is measure of the amount of the energy released by an

Relative bulk strength of explosive =

• Velocity of detonation (VOD) is the rate at which the detonation wave

Explosive which are to be used where ventilation is restricted must

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