Industrial drilling hole support tube

Abstract

A hole support tube for use in an industrial drilling operation has an elongated body sized, shaped, and adapted to fit within a geological hole. The body has a wall extending from a first end of the body to a second end of the body, the wall having an outer surface and an inner surface with the inner surface defining a hollow interior of the body. The wall is made of a biodegradable material, such as cardboard. In one version, the hole support tube is an electronic hole support tube having a fiber optic cable spirally wound around or within the wall.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A hole support tube for use in an industrial drilling operation, the hole support tube comprising:
 an elongated body sized, shaped, and adapted to fit within a geological hole, the body having a wall extending from a first end of the body to a second end of the body, the wall having an outer surface and an inner surface, the inner surface defining a hollow interior of the body,   wherein the wall is made of a biodegradable material.   
     
     
         2 . A hole support tube according to  claim 1  wherein the hole support tube is an electronic hole support tube equipped with an electronic component. 
     
     
         3 . A hole support tube according to  claim 2  wherein the electronic component comprises one or more of a wire, a cable, a fiber optic cable, a circuit, a detector, and an emitter. 
     
     
         4 . A hole support tube according to  claim 2  wherein the electronic component is a fiber optic cable on or in the wall. 
     
     
         5 . A hole support tube according to  claim 2  wherein the electronic component is a fiber optic cable spirally wound around or within the wall. 
     
     
         6 . A hole support tube according to  claim 1  wherein the wall is at least partially cylindrical. 
     
     
         7 . A hole support tube according to  claim 1  wherein the biodegradable material comprises cellulose. 
     
     
         8 . A hole support tube according to  claim 1  wherein the biodegradable material comprises cardboard. 
     
     
         9 . A hole support tube according to  claim 1  wherein a majority of wall is cardboard or cardboard composite material. 
     
     
         10 . A hole support tube according to  claim 1  wherein the body is sized, shaped, and configured to be used as a liner for a hole that has been drilled during geological exploration, production, or tunneling. 
     
     
         11 . A hole support tube according to  claim 1  wherein the body has one or more of a length from about 2 meters to about 10 meters, a diameter or equivalent dimension of from about 95 mm to about 3.5 meters, and a wall thickness of from about 2 mm to about 50 mm. 
     
     
         12 . A hole support tube for use in an industrial drilling operation, the hole support tube comprising:
 an elongated body sized, shaped, and adapted to fit within a geological hole, the body having a wall extending from a first end of the body to a second end of the body, the wall having an outer surface and an inner surface, the inner surface defining a hollow interior of the body, and   an electronic component comprising an electronic cable, wherein the electronic cable is spirally wound around or within the wall.   
     
     
         13 . A hole support tube according to  claim 12  wherein the electronic cable comprises a fiber optic cable. 
     
     
         14 . A hole support tube according to  claim 12  wherein the wall is made of a biodegradable material. 
     
     
         15 . A hole support tube according to  claim 12  wherein the wall comprises cardboard. 
     
     
         16 . A method of performing an industrial drilling operation, the method comprising:
 drilling a geological hole;   inserting a hole support tube into the geological hole, the hole support tube comprising an elongated body, the body having a wall extending from a first end of the body to a second end of the body, the wall having an outer surface and an inner surface, the inner surface defining a hollow interior of the body, wherein the wall is made of a biodegradable material;   performing a drilling operation; and   not removing the hole support tube from the geological hole to biodegrade.   
     
     
         17 . A method according to  claim 16  wherein the drilling operation comprises one or more of further drilling, filling the hole support tube with explosive, blasting the geological hole with explosive, and electronically monitoring or detecting a condition in the geological hole. 
     
     
         18 . A method according to  claim 16  wherein the hole support tube further comprises an electronic component comprising an electronic cable, wherein the electronic cable is spirally wound around or within the wall and wherein the method further comprises transmitting an electronic signal through the electronic cable before, during, or after the drilling operation.