[[Image:drilling icon.png|right|80px]]
[[Image:Auger drilling in action.jpg|thumb|right|200px| Auger drilling in action]]
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The hand auger is suitable for unconsolidated formations: sand, silt and soft clay. Stiff clays, hard materials and gravels are difficult or impossible to drill through and to remove (unless augering is combined with [[percussion - general|percussion]]).
Another option is to use the well casing used as support for the borehole as the permanent casing (direct installation), although in that case a gravel pack can not be used.
===Suitable conditions===
[[Image:Auger drilling in temporary casing1.jpg|thumb|right|200px| Auger drilling in temporary casing]]
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===Construction, operations and maintenance===
It takes quite some expertise to drill a completely straight borehole.
[[Image:Different bailers and augers.jpg|thumb|right|200px| Different bailers and augers]]
===Field experiences===
The hand auger is widely used in Niger, Chad, Senegal, The Gambia, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Nigeria, Central America and western countries.
===Manuals, videos, and links===
* Julien Labas and Robert Vuik, [http://www.practica.org/wp-content/uploads/services/publications/drilling%20manuals/EN/Auger%20manual%20drilling%20PRACTICA%20EN.pdf Augering: Manual Drilling Series. TECHNICAL TRAINING HANDBOOK ON AFFORDABLE MANUAL WELL DRILLING]. Practica Foundation. June 2010. French version: [http://www.practica.org/wp-content/uploads/services/publications/drilling%20manuals/FR/Auger%20manual%20drilling%20PRACTICA%20FR.pdf LA TARIERE MANUELLE: Série forage manuel].
* [http://www.paulsawyers.com/pdfs/FM_5_484.pdf Multi-service procedures for well-drilling operations]. US Military. Alternative well construction and manual drilling techniques.
=== Acknowledgements===
* The basis for the material on this page was obtained from a desk study shortly to be published on the website of the [http://www.practicafoundation.nl/ Practica Foundation], and from the [http://www.rural-water-supply.net/ Rural Water Supply Network], and specifically its [http://www.rural-water-supply.net/en/implementation/manual-drilling manual drilling section].
* [http://www.lboro.ac.uk/well/resources/technical-briefs/43-simple-drilling-methods.pdf 43. Simple drilling methods.] WEDC.
