The uses of a large diameter drilling apparatus of the type disclosed herein include the drilling of subsea silos for the protection of underwater blowout preventors used when drilling exploratory wells for hydrocarbons in ice infested waters, shipping lanes, fishing areas, etc.; drilling holes for the installation of large diameter construction piles on land and underwater in inland waters and offshore; in offshore mining for minerals; in drilling large diameter vent and production shafts in mining for coal, potash and other minerals; in drilling large diameter vent and production shafts for developing production in heavy oil areas of the world and in the mining of hydrocarbons generally referred to as the tar sands; in recovering mine tailings from tailing ponds, and in harbour benching.
In general, such a drilling apparatus should be such that the earth formations can be drilled and the loose material removed, i.e. the apparatus should include drilling and loose material removing facilities, without requiring a separate removal system.