Field guide
How a shift works
Drive the rig to a staked site, set up, and drill to target depth. Keep water going down the hole, pull core every 3 m with the wireline, add a rod every 3 m, and haul the core boxes back to camp. You get paid per metre when the core reaches the core shack.
Truck
W A S DDrive. Gravel roads are faster than bush. Space is the brake
EMain action: camp menu, set up the rig on a staked pad
FGet out of the truck, or back in
GTransfer water, fuel and rods from the truck to the rig
ULoad core boxes from the rig
KTear the rig down onto the truck
QFill the water tote at a lakeshore
NMap · drag to look around, scroll to zoom
VHide or show the screen controls for a clean view (works while drilling too)
On foot
W A S DWalk. Click the view to look with the mouse (Esc lets go), or drag to look. Shift runs, Space jumps
EAt the rig's control panel (yellow ring): take the controls
YTell your helper to keep drilling or stand by
Crew
Hire a helper at camp. While you drill, they pull core, add rods and keep an eye on the water. When you walk away from the controls they keep the rig turning and radio you when they need something: water, rods, a bit, or a repair. Wages come out each morning.
Drilling
A DRPM. Watch vibration: hard rock likes high RPM, broken ground likes it slow
W SFeed pressure. Too much in soft or broken ground and the rods get stuck
PWater pump. Never turn without water or you'll burn the bit in seconds
TWireline: pull the inner tube when it's full (every 3 m, or 6 m with the 6 m barrel upgrade), or early if the core blocks off
RAdd a rod when the head reaches the bottom of its stroke
MMix mud: seals fault zones so you stop losing water
JHold to work stuck rods free (pump on, feed off)
FHold to repair a breakdown (uses a parts kit)
BTrip out and change a worn or burnt bit
XSet HW casing once you're about 1.5 m into bedrock. Until then the loose overburden caves in on the rods
Like the real job
Rod weight: the deeper the hole, the more the rods push on the bit by themselves, so back off the feed as you go down. The feed dial's red zone moves to match.
Bit glazing: in hard rock a lightly-fed bit polishes over and stops cutting. Put more weight on it, or dress it by cutting the water for a few seconds while you watch the temperature.
Core recovery: smooth RPM, sensible feed, water on and mud in broken ground keep the core in the tube. The geologist pays a bonus for 97%+ runs and less for anything under 90%.