This article summarizes cost-per-meter analysis based on field drilling experience rather than a single project case.

“What is the unit price?”

That question alone causes more hidden cost than any raw material increase.

In drilling, unit price is not the real cost.

Cost per meter is.

Let’s break this down from an engineering and cost-structure perspective.

Cost per meter is driven by factors that rarely appear on a quotation:

• tool service life

• performance stability in harsh formations

• frequency of tool changes

• downtime and lost productivity

A tool that is cheaper per unit but fails earlier does not save money. It silently increases cost per meter.

What field data consistently shows

Based on real field results, not lab tests:

• longer service life = fewer replacements

• stable performance = predictable output

• fewer tool changes = higher effective drilling time

The outcome is straightforward:

lower total drilling cost, even when the unit price is higher.

Why this matters more right now

With raw material prices — especially tungsten-based alloys — rising rapidly, cost structures across drilling tools are changing.

This is exactly when focusing only on unit price becomes the most dangerous strategy.

Forward planning and inventory preparation are no longer optional. They are cost-control tools.

The lowest unit price rarely delivers the lowest drilling cost.

Engineers and procurement teams who optimize for cost per meter make decisions that survive volatile material markets.

Curious how others are evaluating drilling cost today —

unit price or cost per meter?

RS Rock Drilling | Engineering performance focused on cost per meter