Drilling rigs are necessary to bore holes deep into the earth; many of these are set up on 4x4 trucks of various sizes, depending on the type and size of the drilling rig. Usually the smaller rigs use 4x4 trucks while bigger rigs are set up on all-wheel drive trucks. They may also be mounted on rubber tracked carriers, in which case there will also be trucks to carry other necessary equipment.

Most rigs include such equipment as drill rod clamps, hydraulic rod bins, and water tanks. Many also have fire suppression units as standard equipment.

There are many parts to a drilling rig and one of the most important is the drill bit itself. These are usually of two different types and the one used will depend on the type of sample required; rock chips or core samples. The drill pipes are the pieces that are attached to the drill bit as it penetrates the surface and digs deeper.

Another important part of the drilling rig is the blowout preventer; BOPs for short. This equipment will prevent accidental and potentially dangerous blowouts of liquids or solids from emerging under pressure through the top of the rig.

The centrifuge or desander is used to separate drilling fluids from silt and sand also a degasser may be required to separate gas or air from the fluids. Solids control equipment will prepare the special mud for use during drilling.

The mud motor is used to spin the bit independently while the mud pump is used to pump drilling mud through the system. Mud tanks are also necessary to store the mud in until it is required. A rotary table is necessary to spin the drill string and all the attached tools and bit, while a shale shaker is what separates the pieces of shale from the drilling fluid before it is pumped back down the hole.