Free Exam A/B: Cable Tool Drilling Practice Questions

Sample Practice Questions

Try these 10 sample questions from the Exam A/B: Cable Tool Drilling practice bank. Each includes the answer and explanation. Continue with the interactive practice above to review the full question set.

1. 1After finishing a test boring, a cable tool crew needs to reposition the truck-mounted rig about forty feet across the same site to the next location. What does the NGWA drilling safety guideline say about the mast for this short move?

   1. A. The mast may stay raised if a spotter walks beside the carrier
   2. B. The mast must come down before moving, even this short distance
   3. C. The mast may stay raised if the rig moves in its lowest gear
   4. D. The mast may stay raised if no power lines are within 50 feet

   Answer: B

   Explanation: Section 3.4.3 of the guideline states: "Never move the drill rig with the mast up- even short distances." The rule contains no exception for a spotter, a low gear, or the distance to power lines, so the mast is lowered before the rig is relocated, even across the same site.

   Reference: Environmental Remediation Drilling Safety Guideline (NGWA Safety Subcommittee) — Section 3.4.3 - Transporting Drill Rigs, p. 32

2. 2A helper is making up a cable tool string on the drilling line before spudding in. Listed from the bottom of the hole upward, which sequence matches the tool string described in the Bureau of Reclamation Ground Water Manual?

   1. A. Bit, drill stem, jars, swivel socket
   2. B. Bit, jars, drill stem, swivel socket
   3. C. Drill stem, bit, jars, swivel socket
   4. D. Bit, swivel socket, drill stem, jars

   Answer: A

   Explanation: Section 12-2(a) states: "A string of tools in ascending order consists of a bit, a drill stem, jars, and a swivel socket, which is attached to the cable." From the bottom up the order is bit, drill stem, jars, then the swivel socket that connects the string to the cable.

   Reference: Ground Water Manual, Second Edition (U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation) — Chapter XII, Section 12-2(a) Drilling Methods, p. 493

3. 3A layer of oil floats on the water in a well that is about to be video surveyed, and bailing has not fully removed it. According to the Bureau of Reclamation Ground Water Manual, what should be done with the camera?

   1. A. Wet the camera lens with a strong detergent solution as it goes in
   2. B. Lower the camera only after pumping the well dry for 24 hours
   3. C. Coat the camera lens with light oil so the film slides off it
   4. D. Run the camera only in the casing above the oil layer

   Answer: A

   Explanation: Section 16-5 says bailing the oil out is usually not wholly successful, so the camera lens "should be wetted with a strong solution of detergent as it is placed in the hole." This keeps the lens from being coated with oil, which would sharply reduce picture definition.

   Reference: Ground Water Manual, Second Edition (U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation) — Chapter XVI, Section 16-5 Video Well Surveys

4. 4After a new well is completed, the contractor schedules surging and bailing before the pump test. According to the Bureau of Reclamation Ground Water Manual, what is the primary purpose of this well development?

   1. A. To obtain maximum production efficiency from the well
   2. B. To disinfect the well before the permanent pump is set
   3. C. To measure the static water level for the driller's log
   4. D. To seat the casing shoe firmly into the confining layer

   Answer: A

   Explanation: Section 12-8 states that the "primary purpose of well development or stimulation is to obtain maximum production efficiency from the well." It lists incidental benefits such as stabilizing the structure and reducing sand pumping. Disinfection, water-level measurement, and seating the casing are separate operations.

   Reference: Ground Water Manual, Second Edition (U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation) — Chapter XII, Section 12-8 Well Development, p. 505

5. 5A relief well that failed its acceptance tests is to be abandoned. According to USACE EM 1110-2-1914, which set of purposes should the sealing of an abandoned well accomplish?

   1. A. Eliminate hazards, prevent contamination, conserve heads, and prevent mixing of waters
   2. B. Preserve the casing for salvage, allow future reentry, and keep the screen open
   3. C. Lower the water table, drain the aquifer, and relieve pressure on the confining bed
   4. D. Mark the location for surveyors and provide a monitoring point for future sampling

   Answer: A

   Explanation: Paragraph 8-17 states: "Abandoned wells should be sealed to eliminate physical hazards, prevent contamination of ground water, conserve hydrostatic heads in aquifers, and prevent intermingling of desirable and undesirable waters." Keeping the well open for salvage, reentry, or monitoring defeats the purpose of sealing.

   Reference: EM 1110-2-1914 Design, Construction, and Maintenance of Relief Wells (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) — Chapter 8, paragraph 8-17 Abandoned Wells

6. 6Site work is finished, and the lined sump at the equipment decontamination pad still holds rinse water. According to EPA Region 4's field equipment cleaning and decontamination procedure, when may the pit or sump be backfilled?

   1. A. Only after all waste and rinse water has been pumped into containers for disposal
   2. B. Immediately, since the liner will hold the rinse water safely in place underground
   3. C. After the rinse water has been left to evaporate for a full 30 days in the open pit
   4. D. After the rinse water has been mixed with soil so it can be buried in the pit itself

   Answer: A

   Explanation: The procedure says the pad is deactivated at the completion of site activities and that the pit or sump "should be backfilled with the appropriate material designated by the site project leader, but only after all waste/rinse water has been pumped into containers for disposal." The containerized water is then handled under the investigation-derived waste procedure.

   Reference: Field Equipment Cleaning and Decontamination, LSASDPROC-205-R5 (U.S. EPA Region 4) — Specifications for Decontamination Pads, final paragraph

7. 7Before hauling a rig and carrier to a job, the driver checks the traveling height, width, length, and the highway and bridge load limits along the route. Under the NGWA drilling safety guideline, who is responsible for verifying that those limits are not exceeded?

   1. A. The state office that issues any oversize-load permit
   2. B. The client who chose the access route to the drill site
   3. C. The bridge owner, through the weight limits it posts
   4. D. The person moving the rig, with adequate safety margins

   Answer: D

   Explanation: Section 3.4.3 tells the person transporting the rig to verify the rig and carrier measurements against highway and bridge load, width, and overhead limits and then says: "Allow adequate margins, it is your responsibility to verify they are not exceeded." Responsibility therefore rests with the person moving the rig, not with a permit office, the client, or posted signs.

   Reference: Environmental Remediation Drilling Safety Guideline (NGWA Safety Subcommittee) — Section 3.4.3 - Transporting Drill Rigs, p. 32

8. 8In a cable tool string, a set of drilling jars sits between the drill stem and the rope socket. According to the Federal Remediation Technologies Roundtable description of cable tool drilling, what are the drilling jars used for?

   1. A. To add weight that drives the bit into hard rock
   2. B. To vibrate the drill bit free of the formation
   3. C. To turn the bit a few degrees on every stroke
   4. D. To connect the drilling tools to the cable

   Answer: B

   Explanation: The FRTR guide lists the five parts of the cable tool string and states: "(3) the drilling jars are used to vibrate the drill bit free of the formation". Connecting the tools to the cable is the job of the swivel or rope socket, and the jars are not what turns the bit or adds driving weight.

   Reference: FRTR Field Sampling and Analysis Technologies Reference Guide, 3.2.2 Cable Tool (Federal Remediation Technologies Roundtable) — Section 3.2.2 Cable Tool, description of the drilling string

9. 9A well has just been rehabilitated after an initial video survey showed encrusted screen sections. According to the Bureau of Reclamation Ground Water Manual, why should the video survey be repeated after the work?

   1. A. To satisfy the camera operator's equipment warranty
   2. B. To provide a record for comparison on future inspections
   3. C. To prove that no explosives were left in the well
   4. D. To recalibrate the depth counter on the survey cable

   Answer: B

   Explanation: Section 16-5 states that if repairs or rehabilitation are performed, the "video operation should be repeated to provide a record for comparison on future inspections." The post-repair survey becomes the baseline for judging later deterioration.

   Reference: Ground Water Manual, Second Edition (U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation) — Chapter XVI, Section 16-5 Video Well Surveys

10. 10A crew plans to develop a new well only by pumping it at a high rate. According to USACE EM 1110-1-4000, what is the disadvantage of relying on pumping alone?

    1. A. High rates always collapse the screen unless the well is surged first
    2. B. Pumping cannot remove any material from the filter pack at all
    3. C. Water flows only toward the screen, so filter pack grains may bridge
    4. D. The pump intake must be set below the screen, inside the sump

    Answer: C

    Explanation: Paragraph 6-3b states: "A disadvantage of only pumping the well is that the smaller soil grains of the filter pack may be bridged in the screen or in the filter pack, as the direction of flow is only towards the screen." To break up those bridges, overpumping is often combined with backwashing or surging.

    Reference: EM 1110-1-4000 Monitoring Well Design, Installation, and Documentation at Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste Sites (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) — Chapter 6, paragraph 6-3b Pumping