Tag Archives: Mineral exploration

SGS to demo real-time field data acquisition solution at PDAC convention

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SGS, a leading certification, inspection and testing service provider for the global metals and mining industry, says it will announce the launch of a new real-time field data acquisition solution at the upcoming PDAC 2019 convention in Toronto, Canada.

The solution pairs portable instrumentation and machine learning to significantly speed up turnaround time for field data, enabling clients with enhanced decision-making capabilities and quicker speed-to-market, SGS said.

The solution, being launched in North America and Australia, will be on show at a demonstration at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on March 5 in a demonstration involving Peta Hughes, Project Manager, Global Geochemistry, SGS Canada, and Matthew Rees, Chief Geologist, IAMGold.

MICROMINE to play leading role in MinEx CRC’s 3D geological modelling project

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MICROMINE says it has been selected by MinEx Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) as the sole software provider for the project.

MICROMINE will provide information and advice on software solutions for mineral exploration as part of the A$218 million ($154 million) CRC project, which was set up to develop new technologies to increase the discovery of new mineral deposits.

“Australia’s share of global mineral exploration reduced from about 25% in the 1990s to around 12.5% in recent years,” MICROMINE said. “The decline in activity has driven the establishment of the CRC, which is backed by A$50 million in Australian Government funding and another A$165 million in private sector support.”

MICROMINE joins 34 MinEx CRC partners from the mining equipment, technology and services sector and major miners BHP, South32, Anglo American and Barrick Gold, as well as research organisations in Australia and overseas, such as CSIRO, Geoscience Australia and various universities.

MICROMINE will be involved in the team focused on 3D geological modelling, which brings together mining companies, geological surveys and research institutions from Australia, Canada, France, Germany and the UK.

Mark Gabbitus, Product Strategy Manager for MICROMINE’s exploration and mine design software, Micromine, said: “MICROMINE will work with our project partners to develop a 3D geological and geophysical modelling package, which will help geologists, researchers and exploration companies to find mineral deposits in a more efficient and cost-effective way.”

The resultant solution will allow field geologists, researchers, explorers, resources modellers and managers to better define their 3D geological environment and assess the need for additional data and research, according to the company.

“It will also address existing problems explorers face that are related to urban geology, basin resources exploration and exploitation and mineral and scientific exploration in poly-deformed metamorphosed terranes,” MICROMINE added.

Gabbitus said the CRC complements the work MICROMINE is already undertaking to develop its geological software solution, Geobank.

“MICROMINE will contribute to the development of an open source algorithm, while scoping the development of a commercial version that could fit more seamlessly into the workflow of the explorers or miners that work with Micromine,” he said.

“There is a significant amount of work to do over the coming years but there are some exceptionally smart people involved in the project and it is very exciting for MICROMINE to play a role in developing the next generation of exploration and modelling tools.”

QEM selects Velseis for 2D seismic survey at Julia Creek

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Exploration company QEM says it has engaged Velseis Pty Ltd to carry out a 22 km 2D seismic programme for the project site at Julia Creek in Queensland’s resource rich, NW mining precinct.

QEM envisages the programme will commence on site within two months, subject to satisfactory weather conditions.

Velseis is an Australia seismic exploration company providing a fully integrated range of seismic technologies, according to QEM. “Velseis has built a reputation as the leading Australian contractor in this field, with over 25 years of experience throughout the Asia-Pacific region,” the company said, adding it provides contracting services for coal, mineral and hydrocarbon exploration.

QEM said the seismic programme will provide the information required to give greater certainty to the existing geological and resource models at Julia Creek. This information will also feed into future studies and mine design.

“Better understanding the location and type of any geological structures within the project area will also assist in the design of the company’s forthcoming drilling campaign, targeted for Q2 (June quarter) 2019,” it said.

QEM’s exploration tenements in the Julia Creek area form part of the vast Toolebuc Formation, recognised as one of the largest deposits of vanadium and oil shale in the world, according to the company.

Sandvik focuses on exploration technology for PDAC crowd

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Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology will show off its exploration technology at the upcoming Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) Convention on March 3-6, with the DE712 Core Drill Rig one of the highlights.

Experts will be on hand to discuss the rig at booth 1031 in the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Sandvik said, explaining the DE712 is suitable for both directional drilling and geotechnical drilling

“This rig features a capacity of 1,126 m depth in N size and is available in both, truck- and crawler-based configurations making it easy to transport across the site. Its open and accessible design make service and maintenance tasks fast and simple,” Sandvik said.

The DE712 comes with a heavy-duty frame and a robust design, Sandvik said. It is also a space efficient drill rig featuring a drill mast supported by a strong main hoist with a failsafe brake mechanism designed for angles between vertical and 45°.

“Equipped with a powerful diesel engine, water pump and highly efficient hydraulic system, this drill is easy to learn and simple to operate while its robust and precisely engineered design has proved its durability even in the toughest working environments,” the company said.

The DE712 also features a standard automatic fire suppression system and rod spin guard, which protects the operator from the rotating rod string. The on-board Sandvik Safe-T-Spin tool provides consistent pre-torqued joint in the drill string, increasing drill rod thread life while reducing use of stillsons and other hand tools, Sandvik said.

The Sandvik booth will also feature:

  • “BSU core barrel system featuring interchangeable components and offers standard and pump-in applications in a single system. The BSU system offers greater flexibility, a more cost-efficient solution, greater safety and increased productivity. The system is user-friendly and designed for safer handling. There is no need for different coring tool systems as this multifunctional system is ideal for both surface and underground applications;
  • “A new series of impregnated diamond core bits which simplify the selection for each geological condition and deliver unsurpassed balance between best penetration rates and optimum bit life;
  • “The RE531 RC down the hole hammer (86-102 mm (3 ⅜ -4 in) designed to achieve high penetration rates in all rock conditions while providing large, uncontaminated sample return and offering increased longevity and lower cost per metre.”

thyssenkrupp brings PhotonAssay technology to Africa mining sector

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thyssenkrupp Industrial Solutions South Africa says it has been appointed the official reseller of ground-breaking PhotonAssay™ technology from Chrysos Corp.

The novel X-ray technology is poised to revolutionise the field of gold analysis, replacing traditional methods such as fire-assay in many applications, and providing accurate and fully-automated gold measurements in mineral ores in just a couple of minutes.

The world-first PhotonAssay unit, installed in a commercial Perth, Western Australia laboratory, recently passed two milestones; completing its first 50,000 analyses and receiving ISO 17025 accreditation. The owner of MinAnalytical Laboratory Services will establish a major new analytical facility in early-2019 providing PhotonAssay services in Kalgoorlie, the heart of Australia’s gold mining industry.

MinAnalytical’s General Manager, Gary Wheeler, said: “For our customers, it means the system has been validated and fully tested, and they can rest assured they will receive accurate results which have been benchmarked against fire assay.”

Originally developed by scientists at the CSIRO, Australia’s national research agency, PhotonAssay uses high-power X-rays to activate and measure gold atoms in mineral samples. Compared with conventional X-ray Fluorescence, the much higher energies used in PhotonAssay allow true-bulk measurements of large samples independent of their physical or chemical form, the company said.

Marius Combrinck, thyssenkrupp Product Manager RT Sales and Marketing Minerals, explained how the PhotnAssay technology works: “PhotonAssay hits samples with high-energy X-rays from a linear accelerator. These X-rays force any gold atoms present in the sample into an excited state that lasts for a few seconds. Subsequently, a sensitive detector system measures the gamma-ray signals given off by these atoms as they relax. Processing software relates the gamma-ray signature back to the gold concentration.”

Combrinck pointed out that the gamma-ray energy is different for each element, allowing gold to be accurately distinguished from other metals that may be present.

Samples to be assayed are packaged into standardised plastic jars that are sealed and barcoded, remaining in the jars throughout the analysis process. “As the method is non-destructive, samples are returned unchanged, and can be safely handled, disposed of or sent for further testing as required,” thyssenkrupp said.

The large sample size – typically about 500 g – significantly reduces sample preparation requirements. Recent testing has demonstrated that for most materials, crushing samples to 2-3 mm is enough to enable accurate sampling and analysis. For coarse gold deposits, the 10-fold increase in sample size compared with conventional fire-assay is particularly advantageous, according to the company.

PhotonAssay units are designed for rapid deployment to both centralised and mine site laboratories anywhere in the world. Systems are fully containerised, allowing them to be factory tested and then packaged for shipping and on-site installation.

The modular design of the PhotoAssay unit lends great flexibility. In addition to onsite installations, thyssenkrupp also has the capabilities so run the lab from its Johannesburg head office. “As we are the face of this technology in Africa, we can sell the technology to existing laboratories or directly to a customer,” Combrinck said. He added that thyssenkrupp will provide after-sales service and support to customers and end users on the continent.

The X-ray source used is fully electronic and contains no radioisotopes. PhotonAssay units comply with international safety standards and, due to their high levels of automation, can be operated by staff with minimal training, according to thyssenkrupp. Combrinck added that management of the PhotoAssay unit requires only two staff members, freeing up personnel to attend to other tasks.

The potential for near real-time gold assays is generating strong interest in on-site installations. With a typical detection limit of 0.03 parts per million, a measurement time of two to three minutes and the ability to measure crushed ore, process pulps, concentrates, carbon materials and solutions with equal ability, a mine site PhotonAssay unit can provide rapid information to support resource definition, mine planning and process control, thyssenkrupp said.

A throughput of more than 1,600 samples per day provides enough capacity for even the largest operations, while a significant reduction in skilled labour requirements is an additional benefit for remote sites.

Although developed primarily for gold analysis, the PhotonAssay technology can measure a wide range of other elements. Silver and copper assay services will be added during 2019 and an extension to other metals is planned for this year, thyssenkrupp said.

The company plans to discuss PhotonAssay technology on February 5 and February during its three-day thyssenkrupp Technology Sessions held alongside Mining Indaba 2019.

New research looks to AI for exploration indicators in Canada’s North

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A Natural Resources Canada-backed research project is looking to devise remote predictive mapping (RPM) methods aiding exploration in the north of the country.

The Vancouver Island University (VIU) research project will, the university says, “provide a unique opportunity to examine the glacial landscape of Canada’s North”, resulting in new mapping methods to help identify sources of sand, gravel or minerals.

“Canada’s North is rich in natural resources and a major driver of economic growth in the region,” VIU said, adding that large mineral deposits could include diamonds, gold, silver, copper and other base metals.

VIU Professors Dr Jerome Lesemann (Earth Science Department) and Dr Brad Maguire (Geography Department), with the help of Yiqing Luo, a VIU Master of Geographic Information Systems Applications student, are being funded by NRC’s Earth Sciences Sector to assist with developing these RPM methods.

Mapping of surficial materials is an integral component of development in northern Canada, but traditional methods involve time-consuming and expensive aerial photographs and field verification, according to Maguire.

Lesemann and Maguire’s research project aims to develop a methodology for computerised detection of the sediment components of eskers, ridges of gravel and sand that occur in formerly glaciated regions of northern Canada.

Lesemann said: “Eskers are ubiquitous glacial landforms, formed in ice tunnels made by water flowing under the ice sheets. The long-winding ridges of stratified sand and gravel are some of the most abundant and accessible sources of aggregates for infrastructure growth needed for road building in northern regions. And they are prime sampling targets for commodities like diamonds.”

Currently, RPM is a promising avenue of semi-automated mapping using widely available digital datasets like multispectral satellite imagery, according to VIU. “However, there are gaps in the methodology,” Lesemann said. “Part of the problem is that the type of imagery used to date gives us information about spectral characteristics of the surface, which reflects mostly the type of material on the surface, like bedrock or sand and gravel. The imagery does not contain information about the 3D shapes of landforms.”

Using newly available digital terrain models, landforms like eskers can be identified and mapped in great detail, according to VIU. The team is developing a methodology to automatically detect and map these landforms, and proposes to develop an esker element detection methodology based on deep machine learning (a form of artificial intelligence) supported by a convoluted neural network (CNN). CNN uses computer algorithms to try and replicate complex cognitive processes of the human brain.

Maguire said: “We will be using CNN to identify eskers from newly available, high-resolution digital elevation models of the Canadian Arctic.”

The aim is to train a computer to recognise patterns, similar to the way a person, through experience, knows that when it looks at a dog, it know it’s a dog and not a cat even though they share some similarities but also key differences.

“The form and structure of eskers are complex and if we can teach a computer to learn what an esker looks like, we may then be able to identify other eskers automatically,” Maguire said.

“This approach is needed because there are millions of square kilometres of Canada where the landforms have not been mapped in sufficient detail to identify them properly.”

The project is funded by a C$35,000 ($26,376) research grant provided by the NRCAN Geo-Mapping for Energy and Minerals programme, a 12-year initiative to significantly advance and modernise geological knowledge in the North to support increased exploration of natural resources and inform decisions on land use and responsible resource development.

Licensing and permitting: ensuring a successful diamond core drilling programme

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The only thing consistent about licensing and permitting is how inconsistent and variable it is from place to place, says Boart Longyear’s Thomas Feehan*.

Laws, regulations, permits, licensing, and requirements can be different based on the country, state/province, city, and land ownership. Consequently, there is little information about the broader topic of licensing and permitting to help ensure a successful diamond core drilling project.

Risks

Designing and planning a drilling project is a complex exercise. Many risk factors should be considered to mitigate issues that could impact productivity and/or budgets. These include permitting and licensing, which could ultimately impede the success of the project. After careful planning, there is a healthy amount of cautious optimism that everything has been properly addressed and planned for, however, there is always that small chance something was missed.

The risks are costly if your project doesn’t have everything in place when it comes to licensing and permitting.

While it doesn’t happen very often, paying a drilling contractor stand-by rates waiting for a project that’s been scheduled, but not properly authorised or permitted, takes money from the project.

How much more exploration could have been achieved with the money lost by paying for services and support that can’t happen because a project is delayed on a technicality – usually paperwork?

There’s a risk of reputation as well. Costly mistakes aren’t great for anyone’s career or a company’s reputation.

Challenges

While Boart Longyear is no expert in licensing and permitting, the experts are out there. We maintain working relationships with local consulting and engineering firms and you should too. When planning a diamond core exploratory drilling project, it is highly recommended that you ensure all licence and permit requirements are met before the drill crew and necessary equipment mobilises.

Additionally, careful planning for the size of the drill pad for the permits and figuring out the logistics of accessing a site can save time and money later. That way, a budget estimate for all aspects of the work can be adequately prepared to complete a project safely and effectively.

Drill pad layout can be critical to a safe, smooth, and successful drilling programme. A drill pad setup where safety or productivity is compromised can result in wasted expense and possibly lead to an accident. Not having permits with the right amount of surface disturbance for the project is a risk that can be mitigated with communication. A miscalculation in required disturbance area can lead to holes being removed from the scope of the project to remain in compliance with regulators.

Working diligently with all stakeholders in the permitting application process helps ensure the exploration/project team(s) and the environmental/permitting team(s) are on the same page. A simple oversight or misunderstanding can possibly delay site mobilisation or start-up. Ideally, these conversations should happen early in the planning stages of the drilling programme.

One of the biggest challenges of licensing and permitting for a diamond core drilling project is timing. Depending on workload and resources, government entities are not typically known for their speed. Early planning and working with experts can ensure the timing of licensing and permitting doesn’t affect your project start date. Obtaining most permits and licences takes longer than expected in most cases. Proper planning and early submission to agencies are highly recommended.

*This article was written by Boart Longyear‘s Thomas Feehan. Feehan holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Geology, a Master’s Degree in Hydrogeology, and a Master’s Degree in Business. He has 28 years of experience in mining with 24 of those years specialising in drilling programmes, lithium brines, mineral exploration, geotechnical/slope stability investigations, mining-related hydrogeology, mine dewatering and water resources

 

Inmarsat and IMDEX collaborate in the cloud for drilling intelligence solution

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Inmarsat has said it and IMDEX, a leading mining equipment, technology and services provider to the global minerals industry, are working together to enhance a drilling intelligence solution with satellite connectivity.

Now combined with Inmarsat’s L-band satellite connectivity as standard, IMDEXHUB-IQ™ gives mining and drilling companies the ability to analyse and upload field data in real-time from the most isolated locations around Australasia without the need to procure their own communications, Inmarsat said.

IMDEXHUB-IQ (formerly REFLEXHUB-IQ) provides secure access to validated data, seamlessly transmitted from a range of sub-surface instrumentation, analytical instruments and mobile form data inputs, according to IMDEX.

Inmarsat said: “IMDEX’s innovative, cloud-based solution aggregates and transmits vital field data collected from a range of subsurface instrumentation and mobile units. IMDEX’s instruments and systems can connect to IMDEXHUB-IQ to instantly upload real-time field data to headquarters.”

Michelle Carey, General Manager IMDEX Product Development, said: “For mining and exploration operations to be successful, accurate subsurface data needs to be quickly collected and analysed to provide teams on the ground with intelligence to maximise the value of their decisions. This collaboration will allow our IMDEXHUB-IQ solution to connect to the cloud via Inmarsat’s highly secure and reliable network, meaning that the data obtained can be uploaded for analysis in real-time, even in areas with no terrestrial coverage.

“In the first instance we expect to take the solution to market on a regional basis to mining organisations across Australia and New Zealand, with worldwide distribution following closely behind.”

Joe Carr, Director of Mining Innovation at Inmarsat, said: “Inmarsat is committed to enabling the connected mine. We are working closely together with IMDEX to power its IMDEXHUB-IQ drilling intelligence solution, making it accessible to resource and drilling companies across Australasia by providing access to our L-band network.

“By building our global mobile satellite connectivity into the solution as standard, end-users do not have to spend time and considerable effort to reduce the complexity of procuring their own network providers on a project by project basis.”

Earlier this month, IMDEX and Seequent announced an ongoing partnership to deliver a real-time 3D visualisation solution for the mining and exploration industry, aimed at dramatically improving the speed and accuracy of decision-making for drilling projects.

MOD Resources publishes prospectus focussing on Botswana’s Kalahari Copper Belt

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MOD Resources Ltd’s Prospectus dated 19 November 2018 has been approved by the UK Listing Authority and has been published. MOD is a copper exploration and development company focused on the central and western Kalahari Copper Belt in Botswana. The primary focus is the development of its wholly owned T3 copper project, for which a feasibility study is due for completion in Q1 2019. Highlights:

  • T3 copper project Mineral Resource estimate comprises 60 Mt at 0.98% Cu and 13.9 g/t Ag, containing 590,000 t of copper and 27 Moz of silver at 0.4% Cu cutoff grade
  • The PFS for the T3 project completed in January 2018 confirmed a robust, long-life open-pit copper mine based on a base case process plant throughput of 2.5 Mt/y
  • Feasibility study expected to be completed in Q1 2019, based on an expanded process plant throughput of 3 Mt/y, with allowance for a possible future staged expansion
  • Encouraging exploration drilling results from A4 Dome support T3 expansion strategy to define additional sources of ore within the T3 Expansion Project that could enable future increases in production through the proposed T3 process plant
  • MOD has completed the acquisition of AIM-listed Metal Tiger’s 30% interest in the T3 project, giving MOD a 100% in the project, with a 70/30 joint venture on a wider licence package

The T3 copper project forms part of the company’s wider licence position of more than 11,500 km2 of prospective copper and silver licences at various stages of exploration. In addition to T3, and potential satellite deposits as described above, priorities include the ~60 km long anomalous soil zone within the T20 exploration project (located 100 km from the T3 project) and the T7 exploration target (located approximately 80 km from T3).

Boart Longyear on quantifying drilling efficiencies and why metrics matter

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The mining sector continues to look for ways to improve efficiencies and lower costs and drilling companies are following suit.

The best drilling contractors know it’s all about providing maximum value to the customer. Drilling the metres is only one part of the equation and other metrics provide guidance to total value.

To quantify drilling efficiencies, something must be measured. Which metrics mean the most and provide the best information on finding ways to improve performance and increase a mining company’s return on investment?

This article by Boart Longyear’s Robert Buro* focuses on the key metrics in exploration diamond core drilling: safety performance, schedule, price, and quality core recovery.

Safety performance

Safety is first and foremost. It’s a moral responsibility to provide the safest working conditions and a safety culture where each and every employee knows they have the right and the responsibility to stop any unsafe work. Boart Longyear’s investment in robust environmental, health, and safety (EHS) programmes pay off with consistently improving incident rates (having fewer reportable incidents) and lowered severity ratings of the incidents that occur.

An incident can be categorised as recordable or lost-time, but the severity rating is a key factor that insurance companies consider. This is their first indication of the actions and culture a contractor brings to the site. An ancillary benefit of improving incident rates is a lower insurance rate and these tangible cost savings from drilling safely are passed on to the client.

For customers, a contractor’s safety performance also affects the mine’s safety performance record. If there’s a haul truck incident, it doesn’t affect the drilling contractor, but if the drilling contractor has a recordable or lost time incident, it affects both the safety performance of the drilling contractor and the customer (mine site) because it happened on the mine’s property.

Safety programmes ensure that wherever a Boart Longyear driller or driller assistant goes to work, the client can expect the same safe results. That consistency and value in safety is a big reason clients choose Boart Longyear™ Drilling Services. The safety commitment, culture, and programmes at Boart Longyear align with their own, and client-specific programmes are easily embedded as Boart Longyear employees are well-versed in adopting and working within the highest safety standards.

Price

When evaluating a contract’s value, it’s tempting to assume the hourly prices from the drilling contractor represent the total cost. This negates the value proposition of a well prepared, resourced, and time-sensitive contractor. There are additional costs to consider such as support staff including safety personnel, geology staff, and drilling programme managers, as well as costs for drill pad construction, water hauling, supervision, drilling mud, surveying, and equipment rentals.

While these costs aren’t in direct control of the drilling contractor, inefficient safety and operating practices can impact these additional costs and can easily overrun any initially perceived savings.

Schedule

A key metric affecting cost is the number of feet or metres drilled per shift. An estimate of feet/metres per shift is used to calculate the schedule based on the number of shifts required to complete the drilling programme. The customer uses this calculation to schedule onsite support personnel, support equipment (dozers/helicopters etc.) and any other services for the programme (camp/fuel etc).

When the drilling contractor drills more efficiently, thus completing the drilling programme in a shorter amount of time, the customer can leverage savings on their support costs. If the drilling takes longer and the schedule isn’t met, costs go up as a result of the drilling contractor being onsite longer to accomplish the required feet/meters. That’s the key metric – the footage based contract stays the same, but costs go up if the drilling contractor takes longer to achieve the feet/metres needed. The drilling contractor still gets paid roughly the same amount, but the customer’s costs go up.

A recent example of this had a Boart Longyear crew jump into an unfinished project after the initial, lower-priced contractor struggled to complete what should have been a six-week project. At week eight and only third of the way complete, Boart Longyear was called in and completed the remaining drilling for the project in only four weeks.

Boart Longyear Drilling Services is currently measuring all the different increments that make up a 12-hour shift to find efficiencies in each of those individual steps – bit on bottom, charging the rods, wireline time, shift changes, transportation, mud programmes, etc. By measuring each step in the drilling programme, additional efficiencies can be identified and savings shared with the customer.

For example, wireline activity takes up a significant amount of time during each shift. It’s necessary to retrieve the core, but how can we do it faster – how can we pull the tube faster without damaging the hole or slipping core? Can we figure out a way to make the tube head drop faster without knocking the crown off the bit when the tube lands?

This is part of Boart Longyear’s commitment to Operational Excellence, a programme in place using the Hard Work Cycle – achieving drilling efficiencies through continually looking for ways to improve processes and think outside the box.

Downtime can be a big schedule issue and directly affects the fixed costs of having support equipment and personnel onsite during the drilling programme. Minimising downtime is a key goal. From the contractor’s perspective, the loss of billable time directly impacts the bottom line.

The lack of production also adds unbudgeted costs to the client’s programme, a clear lose-lose situation. Having a solid preventable maintenance programme and an adequate inventory of critical spare parts is a positive hedge against what can occur.

Boart Longyear Drilling Services has protocols and processes for what’s called a ‘rig-down’ status. It is all-hands on deck to get the issue resolved. Whether it’s a hydraulic failure, an engine has gone down, or some other breakdown like a staffing issue, there’s a sense of urgency to ensure the customer is served in the best possible way.

Whether it’s mechanical or otherwise, the protocol is to get the issue resolved within 24 hours. If that means someone or something needs to get on a plane, that’s what happens to keep downtime to a minimum. A good preventive maintenance programme helps, but it’s what you do in the face of a breakdown that matters.

Quality core recovery

Core recovery is the end product. It’s ultimately what the customer is paying for, so this metric is key to measure the drilling programme’s success. If there’s not quality core in the box, there’s no value to the customer. In the end, the data from that core is the value to the mine. If core recovery is insufficient, so is the value provided.

Drilling and retrieving quality core depends on the expertise of the driller and the condition of the tooling and equipment. First, the driller’s knowledge and understanding of the ground conditions is imperative. This information guides the driller’s decisions in selecting the correct equipment, tooling, bits, etc. to smoothly drill, penetrate quickly, and recover the core intact.

In addition, Boart Longyear operates a robust drilling fluids management plan. The mud programme incorporates the driller’s knowledge of the ground condition and the challenges it presents. Understanding the ground condition and the equipment, the driller tunes into his drill using his instrumentation and the feedback the rig provides to analyse what is happening downhole. For complicated and technically challenging ground conditions, where core recovery is not going as planned, Boart Longyear drillers leverage the experience of the drilling fluids company. Reputable drilling fluids providers can send out an engineer to check the drilling fluids systematically.

The old saying that two heads are better than one is key to solving core recovery issues. The two teams work together to figure out what changes to the fluids and drilling equipment are necessary to get the quality core recovery and penetration desired.

The driller also has to know his equipment, watching the gauges and listening to the rig, recognising when it’s doing the job and when it isn’t. When encountering a core block – when the core just doesn’t want to penetrate up into the barrel – the driller can continue drilling, but all he’s doing is grinding up the core.

Instead of drilling five feet and getting four inches of core recovery he can stop and look for answers. This is a big step for drillers who are paid according to productivity. Drillers are programmed (you could even say they’re wired) to get the most productivity. It takes a smart and knowledgeable driller to stop going after the feet/metres and deliver maximum value by stopping to focus on core recovery. In difficult ground, it’s best to pause and evaluate the core barrel assembly, drilling technique, and the drilling fluids programme. That practical approach ensures value to the customer.

The role of innovation and new technology

Through the years, new innovative technologies have helped improve drilling efficiency. For example, the Genuine Q™ Wireline core retrieval system introduced by Boart Longyear back in 1953 revolutionised the diamond drilling industry. The system increased productivity on the work site and made tripping core from the bottom of the hole safer for the drilling assistant. The advantages of the genuine Q™ system quickly generated industry-wide adoption of Boart Longyear’s wireline technology.

Boart Longyear consumables have been equally innovative. The recently launched XQ™ wireline coring rod threads are stronger, last longer, and provide easier make and break for improved productivity and bottom line savings.

The high productivity coring system features a W-Wall™ coring rod which is 30% lighter – increasing depth capacity and reducing driller fatigue when manually tripping rods. The new NXQ™ and HXQ™ W-Wall coring rods feature patent-pending, double-upset tubing, with faster wireline tripping speed. The Quick Descent™ head assembly and the industry-leading Longyear™ colour series diamond coring bits are also examples of recent innovations that improve productivity. Each system component increases shift capacity and productivity, delivering increased efficiencies.

Industry-leading top drive coring rigs and hands-free rod handling equipment offers both productivity and safety. Answering the demand for innovative rod handling, the FREEDOM™ Loader and top drive coring rig combinations provide simple and fast rod tripping that is 100% hands-free.

Additionally, Boart Longyear has invested in an Operational Excellence team and platform for continuous improvement to develop the next generation of efficiency and productivity enhancements in the mineral exploration industry. A key component of the Operational Excellence mind set is the Hard Work Cycle and reporting. The Hard Work Cycle reporting includes meeting with clients to go over feet/metres per shift, any downtime hours and the cause. Reviewing the metrics with our clients and showing areas where we can improve productivity on our side and theirs provides a unique and compelling transparency.

For example, measuring all of the aspects of a drill site might give visibility to the number of hours of lost drilling/productivity resulting from site access issues. Blasting, ventilation issues, and cage delays are examples of issues affecting productivity that are controlled by the client, but working together minimizes their impact and increases drilling efficiency.

Why drilling metrics matter

The beauty of measuring drilling metrics is that you have data to discuss what’s happening on the drill site and look for ways to improve efficiencies and lower costs. Boart Longyear knows that it’s all about providing the maximum value to the customer.

The biggest metric that might impact whether you win additional contracts is, “Are they happy with the outcomes of the drilling programme?” Was the project completed safely, on schedule, providing quality core that provided the information necessary to make decisions about future exploration or mine development? Were any issues resolved to their satisfaction and transparent reporting provided?

Drilling metrics matter because key performance indicators measure how well a customer was served. Measuring what was delivered quantifies the customer’s satisfaction and provides goals for future projects.

*Robert Buto manages the global commercial strategy for Boart Longyear’s Drilling Services business