ANYTIME. ANYWHERE. ANY TERRAIN.
Issue 3//
Topic of the issue //
2016
DIRECTIONAL DRILLING
ISSN 2367-847X www.coringmagazine.com
Explorat ion
21 Questions // Truman Langton Directional Drilling Manager, IDS
Mineral Exploration // Complicated borehole trajectories - Frederico L. A. R. Figueiredo, AGA
Product review // Champ Gyro Project - Axis mining technology
In focus// Orbit Garant Drilling - Canada
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/EDITORIAL
Dear Readers I’m very pleased to announce the launch of the third issue of Coring magazine. This issue has come out more easily and quickly than the first two, partly because Coring’s small editorial team is becoming more efficient, and partly because industry support is growing. While in the beginning the initiative for participation and contribution was coming from us, now companies themselves are taking the lead – a welcome development. However, there are challenges. The first challenge concerns content. We want Coring to combine informative articles on existing equipment and technology with expert, technical 'know-how' content, and feedback from readers supports this. But companies and professionals nowadays are very careful about sharing experience and knowledge. I've been counting mainly on my personal experience and connections to source technical content thus far, but my hope is that the industry will open up to the point where sharing information is seen more as mutually beneficial than as potentially damaging business interests. Another challenge is building a comprehensive distribution list. We have had great success in tracking down and subscribing drilling contractors, manufacturers and small and midsize exploration companies, reaching a total number of about 1,500, but the global spread of exploration mining projects is a hard nut to crack. Do please continue to let us know (at editorial@coringmagazine.com) about any companies and professionals you feel would appreciate or benefit from reading Coring. Last but not least is the challenge of the news section. Our aim here is to post news about newly awarded drilling contracts, company acquisitions, new products, drilling events and so on. Again, there is almost no information to be found. We urge the whole industry to open up and participate more in this regard. As for advertising, we are experiencing a gratifying increase in interest. I think the reason is our ultra-clean distribution list and tight focus on exploration diamond drilling, which brings the number of non-targeted readers down close to zero – something a publication with wider coverage and uncontrolled subscription would be unable to provide. All in all, things are looking bright for Coring, and with the support of the industry we will be able to continue providing an informative, technical and unique magazine for a loyal, longterm readership. Happy reading!
GRIGOR TOPEV Founder / Managing Editor CORING MAGAZINE
Faster. Deeper. Safer.
1
Table of Contents /NEWS & EVENTS
3 The latest in the industry
/21 QUESTIONS 4 Exclusive Interview with Truman Langton, Directional Drilling Manager,International Directional Services /IN FOCUS 6 Orbit Garant Drilling Inc. - Proof that keeping business in the family really works /PRODUCT REVIEW 10 Axis Mining Champ Gyro Project - Survey as you drill to increase hole productivity /MINERAL EXPLORATION 14 Complicated borehole trajectories – Cuiaba mine’s deep drilling project in Brazil, Frederico Lana A. R. Figueiredo, AngloGold Ashanti /DIRECTIONAL DRILLING 18 Directional Drilling in the Sudbury Basin, by a group of authors from I3DDS, Vale and Glencore 22 IDS takes the challenge in Cigar Lake mine project 24 Directional Diamond Drilling – definitions, terms and simple calculations, Shteryo Lyomov, PhD - Mining and Geology University, Bulgaria
28 Wedging in Diamond Drilling, Jeff Dag, Fordia
30 Borehole planning and Toolface calculation, Kiril Apostolov - BG Drilling Solution
32 DeviDrill - The only directional core barrel
/CATALOG 34 Drilling equipment and tools
36 Survey equipment /manufaturers/
36 Drilling services
2
Coring Magazine Issue 3 ISSN 2367-847X Coring Magazine is an international magazine focusing on exploration core drilling. The magazine aims to deliver fresh information, case studies, opinions, news and articles about drilling companies, products, projects and more. Coring Magazine’s target audience is drilling contractors, exploration companies and mining company exploration departments, service companies, drilling suppliers and manufacturers and anyone involved in exploration core drilling. Cover Photo Hy-tech’s fly job in Northern BC in 2013 at Seabridge GoldInc.’s KSM property, photo credit Ian Anderson Publisher Coring Media Managing Editor Grigor Topev Editor Bob Chappell Graphic Design Cog Graphics Printed by Dedrax Printing House Address & contacts Coring Media Ltd. 119B D.Petkov Str., ap.153 Sofia 1309, Bulgaria Phone + 359 889 53 26 53 Email editorial@coringmagazine.com Website coringmagazine.com Coring Magazine #3
/NEWS & EVENTS
News & Events Capital Drilling awarded 18,000 metres of drilling in Kenya Capital Drilling, a leading drilling company, has been awarded a new exploration contract with Acacia Exploration Kenya, a subsidiary of Acacia Mining. Capital will provide diamond drilling services, contributing to Acacia's 18,000m exploration drilling programme in West Kenya. Three rigs from the existing fleet, together with their crews and support equipment, have been mobilised from Tanzania, and commenced drilling this month.
positive win for our company and provides further encouragement that a sustained cyclical upswing in the drilling services sector is under way. This will translate into a further improvement in the utilisation rate of our exploration fleet, as well as further expansion of our operations in East Africa, both of which are in line with our growth strategy," says Mark Parsons, Capital Drilling CEO.
"This new exploration contract is another
Boart Longyear releases new drill rig and loader at MINExpo Boart Longyear has unveiled its latest LF160 Drill Rig and Freedom Loader at this year’s MINExpo in Nevada. The LF160 incorporates advanced technology into the company’s popular surface coring drill rigs and, together with the FL262 FREEDOM Loader, it provides hands-free rod handling.
to drill while reducing the risk of hand and back injuries while handling rods. The freedom to move, putting the driller in a safer location, away from the risks of moving rods. And, the freedom to bit on jobs with the most stringent health and safety standards without sacrificing productivity," Monika Portman, Boart Longyear Director of Product Management and Marketing, said.
"The new Freedom series is aptly named because it gives drilling contractors freedom
Drillcon AB establishes subsidiary in South America Scandinavian drilling contractor Drillcon AB has decided to establish a subsidiary in South America - Drillcon Americas SPA. The company will have its headquarters in Santiago, Chile, and is expected to be operational by late October 2016. Drillcon AB says it has noticed an increased interest in its services from customers in South America, and expects Drillcon Americas SPA to bring it closer to its customers, making its range of services more available and better adapted to Faster. Deeper. Safer.
customer needs. "The decision to establish Drillcon Americas SPA in order to enter the South American market has quickly gained a positive response, and shows that Drillcon's offer of services is viable outside our traditional home markets in Scandinavia and the Iberian Peninsula," says Drillcon CEO Patrik Rylander. Initially, the new subsidiary will report to Drillcon Iberia‘s managing director, Mr. Adriano Barros. 3
/21 QUESTIONS
Exclusive interview with
questions Truman Langton Directional Drilling Manager, IDS Truman Langton has been Directional Drilling Manager with IDS for 14 years, and has been employed by IDS’ parent company, Layne Christensen Company, on numerous occasions over the last 28 years. Truman has substantial experience in core drilling, directional drilling with mud motors and directional coring systems, and deviation survey data interpretation. Additionally, Truman is experienced in designing directional programs, including planning hole paths using targeting information. Truman talked to Coring's Grigor Topev about his experiences and the future of directional drilling.
Truman Langton Grigor: How did you get started in the drilling business? Truman Langton: I started in Troy, Montana, with Boyles Bros. Drilling in 1967 on an exploration project for Kennecott copper. I wasn't really looking for a job but I found one, I liked it and I never quit the industry. Grigor: What was the most challenging project in your career? Truman: In the beginning, directional drilling in mineral exploration was more like R&D than successful practice. The small-diameter motors were initially designed for clean-out tools in the oil business and not to steer holes to target. We had to redesign bearing assemblies and develop bent housing and deflection shoes to make the motors steerable as well as controllable. Our first major project was at the Hemlo Mine with Noranda Mining and much of our directional drilling expertise and equipment developed out of that project. Grigor: You have long career behind you and you've trained many people in your company. What makes a good directional driller? Truman: A good directional driller has to be patient, hardworking, a problem solver and willing to pay attention to detail. Most of all, he has to be flexible, as you constantly need to adapt. Grigor: What was the longest deviation you remember? Truman: From vertical to 70 degrees, at an average of 5 degrees per 100 feet. I wouldn’t say that is was the longest deviation in directional drilling, but it was probably the longest cut in terms of feet I have ever been involved in. Grigor: How is IDS doing in business terms? Truman: IDS has survived the downturn well considering the market conditions from which mining is emerging. Grigor: You haven't noticed any decrease in IDS services post the industry downturn? Truman: IDS’s business lines felt the market
4
strain like most other services companies, but ongoing market and segment diversification helped us sustain our business quite well. Grigor: Is IDS working internationally or mainly in North and South America? Truman: There have been a few jobs in South America, but not as many as one might expect. Countries we have worked in include Canada, Spain, Zambia, Israel, Australia and Chile. Grigor: What is the deepest deviation for exploration done by the company? Truman: The deepest directional hole I have personally done was one I worked on in South Dakota, where we started the cut at 9000 feet. It was in an NQ hole and the motor was run on BQ rods which are limited to 6000 feet so we had to run oilfield hydril rods on the top 3000 feet. Grigor: Is there any R&D going on in IDS? It would be interesting to know a bit more about it. Truman: IDS is always innovating. Not only do we provide directional drilling services, but we also manufacture directional drilling mud motors. We have active R&D projects that will lead to unique innovations in the industry. Unfortunately, those efforts are confidential at this time. Grigor: What percentage of the global exploration market do you think is using directional drilling? Can you give us an estimate? Truman: Directional drilling applications, methodologies and needs vary widely both globally and by industry. As a result, it is quite difficult to provide any kind of realistic estimate of how often directional drilling is used. Typically, when directional drilling is deployed, it is absolutely vital for a variety of reasons. Therefore, overall project success is often heavily dependent on the outcome of the directional drilling effort. Grigor: What will it take for the directional drilling to become common in drilling campaigns? Coring Magazine #3
Truman: Acceptance. Many drilling and mining companies do not believe they would benefit from directional work. Directional drilling is quite expensive. However, compared to drilling several holes to achieve a specific target as opposed to drilling one hole with directional control, it is inexpensive. Grigor: How common is directional drilling for exploration campaigns in the United States? Truman: Almost everyone in the industry is aware of its existence. Often, budgets dictate whether directional drilling is used to steer the holes. Grigor: B-size drilling is very specific and usually comes along with strong natural deviation. Do you think directional drilling has a place in B-size holes and what are the challenges? Truman: It would be good if B-size drilling were more controllable. However, the small motors (1 ¾ in.) are operated on AQ size drill rod. I have drilled several holes this size in the past and I compare it with steering spaghetti. We don’t stock those motors anymore for that reason. Grigor: What you would prefer for cutting a new branch from a completed mother hole - a steel wedge or cement plug with the mud motor?
recipe for IDS’s mud motor? Truman: I usually tell the drillers, whatever they are using to support their formation. However, if they chose straight water, I insist on some mud or polymer just to lubricate the motor. Grigor: Are there cases where a 2 ⅜ mud motor (N-size) can be run with N-size rods, instead of B-size or is it just not possible? Truman: There are some who say they can run N rod back from the motor, but I disagree. The annulus is just too tight for 40 plus gpm and it causes a hydraulic lifting at the bit. I just won’t do it because it is important to have a complete pressure drop outside the motor. Whatever pressure is outside the motor has to be added to the pressure required to operate the motor. That can be extreme when it isn’t necessary. Grigor:Does IDS’s mud motor system have any limitations? Truman: There are really not too many limitations when it comes to using mud motors. To date, I haven’t seen any depth or deviation limitations. The best thing about using mud motors is they are very robust and require very little rebuilding. Grigor: How does the mud motor handle hard to extremely hard rocks?
Truman: A steel wedge is faster and more reliable. It would be great if a cement plug worked every time, but in very hard rock it never works, and in moderate rock, only in about 1 in 20 attempts.
Truman: Very slowly, sometimes not at all. Quite often, very hard rock has to be avoided by planning the directional drilling cuts in softer formation and coring through the hard rock.
Grigor: What is the most common mud
Grigor: Do you use an MWD (measure-
Faster. Deeper. Safer.
ment while drilling) system with the mud motor? Truman: We use MWD in almost all holes larger than 6 inches in mineral exploration, especially in mines where the intercept point is known but the target is critical, as when defining an ore body. In the past few years in the U.S. we have worked more holes with larger motors, drilling what we call pre-collar holes where we drill a hole near the intercept point and then they move a core rig over the hole and core the zone. We also do a considerable number of utility holes in working mines where the targets are critical for the purpose of communications or slick line installation. Grigor: What would your advice for an exploration geologist who is planning to use directional drilling on his project be? Truman: Patience and understanding. This goes for our end as well - keeping the geologist well informed while operating. Obviously, more information is of benefit to both parties. The one thing any geologist needs to understand is, like any other standard drill hole, it isn’t going to go perfectly 100 percent of the time. Grigor: Are we going to see increase in directional drilling application in the future, or it will it just keep pace? Truman: I would say directional drilling in general has become more popular in the last ten years. People have become more aware of the benefits and cost savings. I would think, with technology developing faster nowadays, directional drilling will become more popular as we move forward.
5
IN FOCUS
Orbit Garant Drilling Inc.
Proof that keeping business in the family really works
6
Coring Magazine #3
2
The Quebec-based company is recognized today as one of the world’s most efficient, innovative drilling services firms. It has 226 drill rigs, more than 900 employees and thriving operations on four continents. But it all happened because of two groups of brothers that agreed to work together for the greater good. Back in 1985, brothers Jean and Robert Garant founded Garant & Brothers Drilling, a small contract driller. Their firm gradually gained recognition, and in 1994, it was acquired by mining entrepreneurs Michel Mathieu and Maurice Groleau. The new partnership gave the firm more scale and greater know-how, and it soon became one of Canada’s largest and most respected contract drillers. Around the same time that Garant & Brothers was getting on its feet, a separate set of
Québécois brothers started their own drilling firm. Pierre and Bernard Alexandre, who had many years of field experience, founded Orbit Drilling and expanded aggressively in Canada and overseas. The firm also put a heavy focus on innovation, developing a state-of-the-art research and development program and releasing its first Orbit-branded drill in 1994.
names and cultures intact. It instantly became one of Canada’s dominant drilling services firms.
After admiring each other from afar for many years, the two firms merged in 2007 to create Orbit Garant Drilling, keeping both
“It was an ideal match.”
3
Faster. Deeper. Safer.
“The two firms had very similar corporate cultures, and were both committed to superior customer service and technical innovation,” says Eric Alexandre, nephew of Pierre Alexandre and Orbit Garant’s current president and chief executive.
The firm went public in 2008 with a successful initial public offering on the Toronto Stock Exchange, and remains one of the largest drillers on the TSX today. The company’s founders all recognized that innovation was an important competitive advantage they could exploit. As a result, they continued to spend heavily on research and development after the merger. The strategy has borne fruit as Orbit Garant is recognized for offering state-ofthe-art services for its customers, including drilling ultra-deep holes and operating in extreme weather conditions. Orbit Garant is equipped to tackle any sort of project its clients want: surface drilling, underground drilling, reverse circulation drilling, direction7
al drilling, air blast drilling and much more.
4
Orbit Garant never stops trying to upgrade its technology to meet the evolving needs of its customers. The best example of the company’s leadership in this area is its computerized drilling technology, which provides a level of automation and efficiency that is simply unmatched in the industry. This technology is always in a state of improvement. Orbit Garant recently introduced its state-of-the-art YU 1800 rig, which can drill deeper holes and larger diameters than its predecessor, the 615 rig. The 1800 was introduced so soon after the 615 that customers were just beginning to get used to the older rig when they were presented with something even better. Nunavut provided a good example of Orbit Garant’s leadership in innovation and field work. When gold miner Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd (Agnico Eagle) began acquiring properties in the remote northern territory in 2007 and needed some contract drilling assistance, Orbit Garant president Eric Alexandre saw an opportunity where rivals probably just saw a headache. He knew Orbit Garant’s technical expertise was exactly what Agnico Eagle needed. Nunavut is one the most hellish places in the world to operate. Workers have to deal with extreme cold, permafrost, lack of infrastructure, logistical headaches and environmental protection concerns. Orbit Garant employees faced nightmarish temperatures while on the job – on one memorable day, the temperature dropped to negative 46.5 degrees Celsius without the wind chill, and
5
negative 78 with it. Orbit Garant had to continuously heat the ground to prevent rods from freezing and breaking. Water recirculation was extraordinarily hard, and operations had to stop completely between October and February because of the extreme weather. Nonetheless, Orbit Garant persevered and became more and more comfortable in Nunavut as time passed. Eventually, Agnico Eagle came to Orbit Garant with a challenge: It wanted to conduct exploration in a lake after the ice melted in the summer, which wouldn’t be possible without some sort of barge. Orbit Garant agreed to give it a shot, and a barge was delivered to site in March 2016. Within a few months, a platform was installed, drilling equipment was delivered and Orbit Garant was drilling its first hole into a Nunavut lake. Orbit Garant is the only drilling company in the far north offering this sort of expertise. The Nunavut project was a success because of the firm’s co-operation with its partner,
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Coring Magazine #3
extensive R&D work and skill upgrades for its workers. Orbit Garant is a proud Canadian company, and drilling in Canada will always form the bulk of the company’s business. But international expansion was a key priority for the firm’s founders, and that has been a major focus over the last couple of years. The company has recently expanded or established operating subsidiaries in Chile, Ghana, Kazakhstan, Peru and Guyana, and it continues to seek out new locales to do business. The timing for this expansion push could not have been any better. Orbit Garant’s domestic drilling rates are under pressure because of oversupply in the Canadian market, but the company is generating much healthier margins abroad, where nearly all of its work involves high-margin specialized drilling. In late 2015, Orbit Garant made its single biggest international foray when it acquired the Chilean firm Captagua Drilling Services for $2.1 million in stock. The transaction added 17 surface drills to Orbit’ Garant s local fleet. And by combining Captagua’s surface drilling expertise with Orbit Garant’s underground drilling expertise and computerized technology, the company has put together a product offering for Chile and other South American markets that is simply unmatched. International operations comprised 14% of Orbit Garant’s overall revenue in its last fis-
cal year, up from just 4% the prior year. The company’s ultimate goal is to derive a quarter of its revenue outside Canada. Given how rapidly its international business is growing, that target may not be far off. Market conditions have been simply horrendous in the contract drilling industry over the last few years. Commodity prices plunged between 2013 and early 2016, causing mining companies to drastically scale back their exploration spending from the record levels of 2011 and 2012. Drillers were left with too much capacity and not enough contracts, which caused their prices and margins to fall sharply. Every firm in the industry had to scale back activity due to the downturn, and a lot of them went out of business entirely. But Orbit Garant persevered as well as anyone. The company kept its financials in good shape and continued to invest in growth and innovation, positioning itself to emerge stronger once market conditions improved. The mining cycle finally turned a corner in early 2016, as metal prices rebounded and money began to flow back into the sector. Over time, that should lead to greater demand for drilling services. But in the meantime, Orbit Garant continues to chug right along. The firm has now posted eight straight consecutive quarters of year-overyear growth in domestic drilling revenue, and six straight quarters of year-over-year growth in international drilling revenue.
Fortunately for Orbit Garant, roughly three quarters of the company’s business is gold exploration, and gold prices have performed far better than base metals in 2016. As a result, gold should make up a very significant portion of the mining industry’s overall exploration spending in the next 12 months. Orbit Garant’s current market value is about $53 million, but the company was worth $180 million in early 2012 and could get back there again if the mining sector continues to rebound. “With our solid foundation in Canada, increased international market presence, sound balance sheet and our unwavering commitment towards technological innovation, we are well positioned to emerge stronger than ever when the next growth cycle occurs,” said Alexandre.
Photos in this article 1. Surface drilling at Canadian Malartic Mine, Val-d’Or 2. Drilling on barge for Agnico Eagle in Nunavut 3. RC drilling at Canadian Malartic Mine, Val-d’Or 4. Surface drilling for Agnico Eagle in Nunavut 5. Orbit Garant’s headquarters and workshop in Val-d’Or, Canada
What makes Coring such a powerful marketing tool? Coring magazine is distributed to the whole exploration diamond drilling industry, regardless of magazine subscriptions. In an instant, your product, service or company will be presented to the EDD industry worldwide!
To make advertising in Coring even more attractive, we have established an advertising tariff which is very budget-friendly compared to other publications. Participating with an article will attract a discount of 30 to 50 percent on advertising tariffs.
For those who don’t have an advertising budget as such, there is a listings section at the end of the magazine where you can place a company name and contact details in a section corresponding to your main activity.
Contact us at advertising@coringmagazine.com
Faster. Deeper. Safer.
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/PRODUCT REVIEW
Axis Mining Champ Gyro Project
Survey as you drill to increase hole productivity
More than just another survey tool, Axis’s solid state north-seeking gyro offers a unique survey solution, saving time and money.
Champ Gyro & Navigator Probe Axis Mining Technology is a new player in the down-hole instrumentation business and has entered the market with a differentiated product in the form of the Champ Gyro, a solid state north-seeking survey system. Axis was established in Australia in 2013 with its focus initially on developing driller-operated gyro systems. Axis’s founders have almost 100 years of combined experience in developing, manufacturing and supporting down-hole instrumentation in the mining and oil and gas industries. Officially released in mid-2015, the Champ Gyro has proven itself in terms of simplicity, 10
performance and reliability, whilst also delivering a clear cost benefit to users. It was first launched in Australia, widely accepted as an “early adopter” of mining technology, where it now holds the lion’s share of the surface gyro market. This fact, along with strong growth in Africa and North and South America testifies to the Champ's performance and customer benefits.
What does ‘North-seeking’ mean to the average user? North-seeking means the tool independently establishes azimuth measurements to true north. Unlike “reference” gyro systems
which require an initial azimuth to be provided by mine surveyors or rig alignment systems, a north-seeking gyro establishes its own north azimuth. The core advantage of the Champ Gyro is its simplicity. Requiring no special deployment techniques in single-shot, multi-shot and orientation modes, the Champ is lowered to the required depth and surveys taken as and when required. Due to the complex and often exacting methods required to produce reliable data, gyro systems have historically been the domain of specialist service companies and, to a lesser extent, well-trained drillers. Coring Magazine #3
North-seeking systems have been prohibitively expensive and fairly rare, except in the hands of well-equipped services companies. With its simple-to-operate and cost-effective north-seeking solution, the Champ Gyro changes all that.
Survey Mode
Champ Gyro
Champ Navigator
Champ Gyro SRO
North-seeking Continuous Memory
How the idea was born?
Multi-shot
On the development side, Axis Mining's R&D group have been designing and manufacturing gyro and downhole instrumentation for over 25 years in the oil and gas fields. Axis Mining foresaw the emergence of solid state gyro sensors in the mining industry at a time when most gyro “gurus” believed solid state sensors would never be capable of producing sufficiently accurate data. Robust and versatile solid state sensors were generally acknowledged as a “holy grail” – highly desirable, if they could be developed.
Inclined orientation Vertical orientation Overshot (OSA)
Rig alignment
Surface read-out Driller-operated 36mm OD
Co-founders James Hunter, Shane Munyard, Paul Wilkie and Nick Wallis, who have extensive experience in down-hole services, product development and the commercialisation of down-hole technologies, established Axis Mining Technology shortly after initial field testing of the first Champ Gyro system. Initially released in late 2014 as a pre-commercial system, development of Champ Gyro progressed rapidly to release as the world's first commercial solid state, north-seeking survey system in 2015.
The Axis Mining range of products Axis’s product range is centered on the innovative, simple-to-use, solid state, north-seeking gyro technology which, according one of Axis’s key clients, “refreshingly does what it says on the box”.
Champ Gyro Axis’s memory-based, solid state, north-seeking gyro system offers single-shot, multi-shot or orientation measurements and can be run in Axis’s Champ OSA with overshot or in standard 36mm running gear. It is ideal for surface diamond coring rigs or inside RC inner tubes and as simple to use as a single-shot tool.
Champ Navigator Axis’s “next generation” tool, the Champ Navigator not only offers single-shot in OSA, multi-shot or orientation measurements but also a truly continuous mode of operation, unique to memory-based gyro systems. Out of the hole, the Navigator, with the Faster. Deeper. Safer.
Champ OSA aid of Axis’s rig alignment clamp, doubles as a rig alignment system, adding greater value to any project.
Champ Gyro SRO The Champ SRO (Surface Read-Out) system is for specialist service companies where applications require real-time data at surface. The system provides single-shot, multi-shot, orientation and high speed continuous surveying modes, and also has a memory option available providing continuous survey capability. Most importantly, like the Champ Gyro and Navigator, the Champ Gyro SRO offers simplicity and performance unique among surface read-out systems.
Champ OSA ‘As close as the mining industry has come to surveying whilst drilling’. The Champ Overshot Assembly (OSA) is unique running gear which allows users to run a Champ Gyro or Champ Navigator survey with the overshot as a core sample is retrieved. •
Significantly increases drilling productivity
•
Eliminates the need for a separate
Drill rig alignment with Champ Gyro single shot survey •
Decreases or eliminates drilling company survey charges
•
Integrates with any standard overshot and can be run in rod sizes from B to P
•
Allows for wireless data download at surface
•
Enables the driller to confidently run surveys without complex and timeconsuming set-up procedures.
Surveys are conducted during the normal drilling process. The OSA is run down with the overshot at the end of a core run. Once latched onto the top of the inner-tube, a measurement is taken, following which the inner-tube (with core), Champ OSA and rig overshot are pulled from the hole simultaneously. Data is downloaded at the surface and drilling progresses. Visit Axis’s website for full information and specifications download.
How does the Champ Gyro in Champ OSA save time and money? Run in Champ OSA on coring drill rigs, the Champ Gyro replaces separate single-shot 11
surveys and the validation survey upon hole completion, as definitive data is acquired as drilling progresses. A survey with Champ OSA at the end of the core run takes only two minutes for standard accuracy, or four minutes in high-accuracy mode. Unlike single-shot surveys, which take longer as hole gets deeper, Champ OSA survey time is fixed at any depth, giving geologists greater freedom to increase survey frequency without increasing costs. The accuracy and the interval of surveying will depend on project requirements. To demonstrate the time savings, take a 500-metre diamond core drill hole as an example. Typically surveyed every 30m with a single shot, 17 surveys would be conducted over the entire hole depth. With an average time for a single-shot survey of about 15 minutes, survey time would total 4.25 hours. Compared to the Champ OSA survey time of 1.1 hours in total for the high accuracy mode, the hard number time and cost savings become clear. The following table demonstrates the likely net time saving and the resulting impact on drilling productivity at various depths when Champ Gyro is run in high accuracy mode.
The table below demonstrates the likely net time saving and the resulting impact on drilling productivity at various depths when Champ Gyro is run in high accuracy mode.
ChampGyro time-saving table Hole Depth (m)
500
1000
1500
2000
Number of stations
17
33
50
67
Single shot time per station (mins)
15
30
45
60
ChampGyro per station (mins)
4
4
4
4
Single shot total time (hrs) - (t1)
4.2
16.7
37.5
66.7
ChampGyro total time (hrs)- (t2)
1.1
2.2
3.3
4.4
Time saved (hrs)- (T=t1-t2)
3.1
14.4
34.2
62.2
Production m/hrs
4.4
3.9
3.4
2.8
Extra meters drilled with ChampGyro, (m)
13.4
56.3
116.2
174.2
Drilling companies also benefit by spending substantially less time surveying and drilling more metres per shift. Directional drilling programs are well served by the Champ Gyro's ability to orientate wedges in both inclined and vertical holes. A north-seeking gyro is required for vertical orientations, and the Champ Gyro can be operated by the drilling contractor with obvious savings of time and money spent calling in third-party gyro service providers.
What makes the Champ gyro range different? Axis’s solid state platform differentiates its products from other gyro systems. Its solid state north-seeking gyro systems offer a complete alternative to existing single-shot, rig alignment and gyro end-of-hole validation surveys. Traditionally, north-seeking systems are mechanical gyro systems which use a spinning mass sensor, and are bulky, sensitive to shock and complicated to operate both technically and operationally. Solid state and packed with innovation, the Champ Gyro offers a unique solution due to its simplicity of use and capacity to withstand shocks whilst maintaining performance.
For mining companies, the Champ OSA presents clear cost savings in terms of a reduction in or complete removal of single-shot survey charges, high end-of-hole validation survey costs and rig standby charges associated with surveys.
The Champ Gyro is equally useful for directional runs with motor. To use a single-shot to survey during motor runs, the entire bottom hole assembly needs to be tripped out of hole so the single shot can be clear of magnetic interference from the drill rods. By contrast, after orienting the motor, the Champ can be used to take check shots, providing azimuth, inclination and tool-face data throughout the motor run.
Australia (headquarters)
Canada
Southern & Central Africa
Axis Mining Technology Unit 2, 47 McCoy St Myaree, Perth Western Australia 6154 +61 (8) 9317 6911 info@axisminetech.com www.axisminetech.com
Canada (Quebec & Ontario) Géophysique TMC 282, Gilbert-Bossé Val-d’Or (Québec) J9P 0H4 info@geotmc.com www.geotmc.com
Digital Surveying 39D Botha Street Oberholzer, South Africa 2502 +27 (18) 788 6349 sales@digitalsurveying.co.za www.digitalsurveying.co.za
North, East & West Africa
Mexico
Brazil
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/MINERAL EXPLORATION
Cuiabรก mine's deep drilling project in Brazil
Complicated borehole trajectories AngloGold Ashanti's deep drilling project in Brazil's Cuiabรก region was conducted between 2013 and 2015. The purpose of the project was the confirmation of important ore extensions of the Cuiabรก mine gold deposit. The project's success was possible through collaboration between AngloGold Ashanti as exploration company and client, Servitec/Foraco as drilling contractor and Trust Solucoes Geologicas in a joint venture with BG Drilling Solutions as the directional drilling provider.
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Coring Magazine #3
Frederico Lana A. R. Figueiredo, Senior Exploration Geologist, Brownfields Exploration, AngloGold Ashanti
The Cuiabรก gold deposit is located in the northern part of the Iron Quadrangle in Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The region consists of an Archean granite-greenstone terrain composed of a basement complex, the Rio das Velhas supergroup greenstone sequence. The stratigraphy of the Cuiabรก area is part of the Nova Lima group, which forms the lower part of the Rio das Velhas supergroup. The lithological succession of the mine area comprises, from bottom to top, lower mafic metavolcanics intercalated with carbonaceous metasedimentary rocks, the gold-bearing Cuiabรก Banded Iron Formation (BIF), upper mafic metavolcanics and volcanoclastics and metasedimentary rocks. As observed in other greenstone-hosted gold deposits of the Iron Quadrangle, the Cuiabรก ore bodies display a strong structural control with the most prominent feature being their consistent down-plunge continuity.
Mineralization continuity confirmation is a strategic action for the future of the mine. The big challenge is to hit the ore shoots in depth, some of them narrow, bent and broken. Because of this specificity, control over the natural deviation of drill holes was essential. Natural deviation will tend to bring the drill holes perpendicular to the foliation in depth and its control is complicated and difficult, especially with a restricted and deep target area. Environmental restrictions on establishing the drill pads at ideal locations were another issue. An additional challenge was the fact that data on natural deviation trends from previous campaign produced controversial results, probably due to differences in drilling procedures and equipment between drilling contractors, and so on. The deep drilling project began in May 2013 and lasted for 2.5 years. During that time,
Simplified geological map of iron quadrangle Greenschist Facies Proterozole Covers
RIO DAS VELHAS SUPERGROUP MAQUINE GROUP Cycle 4
Non-marine Association (Casa Forte Formation)
NOVA LIMA GROUP Cycle 3
Cycle 2
Resedimented Association (Palmital Formation) Resedimented Association Volcaniclastic Association Resedimented Association (Distal turbidites) Clastic -chemical Sedimentary Association Coastal Association Resedimented Association
Cycle 1
D1 thrust fault D2 thrust fault D4 thrust fault Syncline, anticline Faster. Deeper. Safer.
Volcano-chemical Sedimentary Association Mafic-ultramafic Sedimentary Association Undivided Rio das Velhas Supergroup Granite gneiss complex
Inverted syncline, anticline Inverted fold Capital, town
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12 holes with 9 derivations were drilled, making 26,523 meters drilled in total. The equivalent of the total meters, if multilateral drilling was not in use, represents 34,523 meters. To drill this campaign, Servitec-Foraco brought on site an Atlas Copco CS14 for the shallower depths and an Atelier Val-d’Or’s VD-8000 for the final depths. The average depth of the drill holes was 1,720 meters, and the deepest, 2,300 meters. The whole drilling campaign was executed from just a few drill pads, resulting in large lateral distances between collars and targets in depth, bringing even more importance to drill hole navigation engineering. Each drill hole was programmed in two phases. During the first phase the drill hole had to make a smooth turn, followed by the second phase – a relatively straight section. Therefore, the key task was to bring that first curved section to the desired position before the drill hole stabilized by becoming perpendicular to the foliation. This was accomplished using a handful of methods.
The complicated borehole trajectories of the deep drilling project in Cuiabá mine
Control over drilling parameters was used in order to reduce or boost the natural deviation of the drill holes. This reduces the human factor, meaning that all drillers had almost the same pattern on drilling. The
Azimuth x Depth (m)
Azimuthal stabilization with RPC and core barrel configuration in action 16
Coring Magazine #3
RPC, a key parameter of drill hole deviation measured in bit rotation per centimeters drilled, can be increased or decreased with direct impact on boosting or flattening out natural deviation respectively. Core barrel configuration is another important parameter, and the use of different configurations in different cases is a strategic approach that combats unwanted drill hole deviation. As a rule, the more rigid the core barrel, the straighter the drill hole. Common tools in configuration are the standard and the full hole core barrel (also called hex barrel) and regular or extended reaming shells. Different variants and combinations were tested on the project for optimum results.
Directional drilling Even using RPC control associated with different core barrel configurations, the control over unwanted drill hole deviation was very limited. Both techniques described above are insufficient to follow the complicated borehole plan and execute the designed turn. The inconsistency and unexpected changes on the drill hole direction due to rock foliation and drilling parameters obliged the use of directional drilling tools – a retrievable wedge and the CWT (continuous wedging tool) system. The retrievable wedge is a wedge system that allows the drilling of a short sidetrack (kick) before all tooling is removed from the drill hole, leaving nothing on the bottom. The sidetrack created is less than one metre in length and has a smaller diameter than the borehole. For example, the sidetrack in N-size boreholes is normally B size. With a special flexible reaming configuration, the sidetrack created is reamed to the original size of the borehole. After the sidetrack is reamed, the 3m standard core barrel with taper bit is inserted in order to continue drilling and keep the new direction. New bits tend to cut the curve produced. A single
Dip Gain x Depth
retrievable wedge or a steel wedge can normally gain up to 1.5 degrees spatial offset depending of the rock formation characteristic (hardness, foliation, grain size, etc) and the wedge type. A 1.5 deg spatial deviation is equal to around 8.5 deg of azimuth change in a borehole with dip angle of -80deg. The retrievable wedge was employed throughout the Cuiabå mine project with good rates of success. However, in some cases, due to the strong influence of the regional foliation, the sidetrack results were lost and the process was unable to give the desired result. Such problems increase the cost of wedging and introduce uncertainties into the project. So, to minimize risk, BG Drilling's CWT drill hole navigation system, with its capacity to fight strong deviation trends, was brought on site. The CWT is a simple mechanical tool that performs short, wedge-like deviations, but in less time and a more controllable manner than the retrievable wedge. The CWT tested on the project quickly met expectations and the tool began to be used frequently. At the end of the year, a series of CWT deviations were unable to overcome the deviation trend, and for the second time the project was facing difficulties because the expected results were not achieved. A fast reaction from BG Drilling’s engineers produced a new version of the CWT and that overcame the limitations and the drill hole deviation issue. The directional drilling campaign was resumed and the CWT was successfully utilized until the end of the project.
Retrievable wedge for the future of the mine. The borehole branches/derivations executed were at depths of between 860m and 1,190m, about 1,000m above the final depth. In total 9 steel wedge were used to create new branches or by passes, 42 interventions with retrievable wedges and 68 interventions with CWT. A total 110 trajectory corrections were realized throughout the project.
Project summary
Future of the project
By combining drilling techniques and directional drilling tools, the project drill holes were navigated and reached the programmed targets with good precision. The majority of the drill holes were able to intersect mineralized structure, furnishing unique information with great importance
The deep drilling project is not completed and new boreholes are being planned along the mineralization continuity with final depths around 2,300 m and derivations below 2,000m depth. The program is expected to begin in late 2016 with the same parties that were involved in this first campaign.
Az Gain x Depth
Dip and azimuthal gain distributed in depth Faster. Deeper. Safer.
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DIRECTIONAL DRILLING
Directional Drilling in the Sudbury Basin
by Joe Roque - Manager, I 3 Directional Drilling Solutions, David Desbiens - Geological Technologist, Vale Brownfields Exploration, Brad Lazich - Project geologist, Sudbury Integrated Nickel Operations - A Glencore Company
Foraco’s drill site at Norman, Glencore’s property
History Mining and mineral exploration have a long tradition in the Sudbury Basin. As mining of near-surface ores depletes reserves, the mining industry is challenged to find new mineral resources deeper within the Basin, which leads to increasing reliance on core drilling and geophysical methods to find and define new ore bodies. The biggest advantage of using the core drilling method is that it provides a physical sample of the targeted mineral zone, and its biggest weakness is the uncertainty associated with the sample location due 18
to drilling deviating from the plan. Several methods are used to minimize deviation, but so far none has been completely successful. Over the decades of drilling the local stratigraphy, many devices and methods of controlling and correcting deviation have been tried. The use of steel wedges to correct deviation, or to initiate daughter holes, or to bypass broken materials is still in use today. Other methods, such as arc cutting, have been tried and abandoned because they were either unreliable and or too expensive. In-the-hole motor drilling has been used successfully, as has the steerable core barrel, yet due to issues related to additional
equipment, reliability and costs, local mining companies keep reverting to the use of wedging. One method that has earned the respect of workers for its reliability and predictability is the retrieval wedge. It can achieve predictable results when used in environments where deviations are well-behaved and to some extent predictable. The Achilles heel of the retrievable wedge is the poor results achieved when attempting corrections against strong natural deviations. Despite its weaknesses, improvements in methodology have made this one of the most reliable methods of controlling deviation and Coring Magazine #3
drilling daughter holes in the Basin for several decades.
Continuous Wedging Tool (CWT) The new arrival on the Sudbury Basin borehole steering scene is the Continuous Wedging Tool, or CWT. The CWT was developed by Bulgaria Drilling Solutions (BG Drilling) and is marketed in Canada by Foraco subsidiary i 3 Directional Drilling Services (i 3 DDS). The CWT is a non-coring mechanical steering tool that allows directional drilling by creating a side force to the drill bit in the direction of the Toolface. It is composed of two parts: a stator that remains stationary during directional drilling and keeps direction and a rotor that transmits the torque and bit weight to the bit. Its name is a little confusing since the tool itself does not resemble a wedge at all. The name continuous wedging was applied to the tool because, like a wedge, it guides the bit off the current direction of the hole using constant pressure on the bit in the direction of the toolface alignment while doing the directional drilling.
An important fact about this method is that the deviation achieved by the tool is only part of the overall gain; the stress imposed on the rods continues to push the hole in the same direction as the tool. The method takes advantage of this fact and uses a round barrel and tapered bit to facilitate the deviation, as it is a little more flexible and can do at least two coring runs past the end of the cut. The N Size CWT is physically approximately 2.7 meters long with an outside diameter of 72.0 millimeters and weighs approximately 50 kg depending on configuration. Other sizes are currently in development with the B size now being tested in the field. Although the mechanics of a CWT cut are simple and require fewer pulls than wedging, careful planning and evaluation of the rock hardness are required. A test cut to evaluate how the tool will react in a given environment is required, and adjustments are often needed. Normally, harder rocks require longer directional drilling cuts with the CWT to achieve the same deviation. In the Sudbury Basin, we aim to achieve
a two-degree overall correction, which is typically achieved by small incremental changes over the length of the cut and the subsequent drilling runs with the standard three-meter barrel and a tapered bit. The separation gain determined by the pre-reaming test dictates how the reaming of the CWT cut will proceed. Typically, daughter holes are started with a steel wedge and followed with enough CWT cuts spaced every six meters to build the deviation required to aim the new branch in the desired direction.
Introduction of the CWT to Sudbury Basin Given the rich history and expertise in deep directional exploration drilling by both Glencore and Vale, the Sudbury Basin was selected as the first potential CWT market in Canada. It was introduced at the end of 2015 during a practical demonstration for Glencore. However, owing to scheduling issues, the first tests were completed by Vale Exploration in December 2015, with two consecutive corrections in a hole drilled on the
Major drilling’s rig at Totten, Vale’s property Faster. Deeper. Safer.
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Copper Cliff Offset. In early January 2016, i3 DDS/BG Drilling did a test CWT directional correction for Glencore in a hole drilled by Foraco Canada operating a VD8000 rig, with positive results. The results lead to additional directional drilling assigned to the CWT. Since its introduction at Glencore and Vale, the CWT has been used to do most of the directional work on their surface drilling programs and underground at Craig Mine. Most recently, the CWT was also tested successfully at AER-Kidd project, located in the South Range, and its owner, Sudbury Platinum Corporation, has entered into an agreement to use the CWT for directional drilling. The method is proving effective, predictable and cost effective. Both Glencore and Vale have given the method positive reviews, and both have reduced the use of retrievable wedges in their projects. So far, five cuts have been made at the AERKidd project where wedging had failed to achieve results, with four of them successful. One CWT underperformed and the small correction gained on the first core run was lost in the second run due to incorrectly evaluating the pre-reaming test and reaming the cut too slow. Drill crews report that using the tool is easy because the operation is very similar to normal drilling, and the tool itself is short, fairly light and easy to handle. They have also been working well with BG Drilling/ i 3 DDS personnel.
Usage stats To the end of August, 88 CWT cuts had been done in the Sudbury Basin, or one CWT cut every 2.8 days, with a 95 percent success rate. The majority of these cuts (74 percent) were done on two projects where the clients are drilling daughter holes to expand their mineral resources. Both projects are quite distinct as to rock hardness and directional challenges.
Norman West Norman West is a Glencore Exploration project located in the north-east corner of the Sudbury Basin and is focused on expanding the current mineral resource and discovering new resources. Owing to the nature of the mineralization and the logistics of the drilling program, there are multiple approaches utilizing branch cuts at Norman West. The first approach is to use an historic near-vertical parent hole, or a new hole, to an approximate depth of 1,700 meters and guide it to towards its initial target using a steel wedge and series of CWT cuts. This method is being utilized throughout the property for target testing, due to the orientation of the zone depth of targets. 20
The second approach is to utilize the CWT instrument to correct and maintain new drill holes to the planned trajectory. Both methods work together in testing targets and managing lengthy drill holes. Overall, natural drilling deviation is small and manageable. Most CWT cuts were done at depths ranging from 1,600 to 2,200 meters within SIC rocks, mainly Felsic Norite where rock properties allow for manageable and predictable deviation.
Totten Mine Owned by Vale and located in the South Range along the Worthington Offset Dyke, Totten is the newest mine in Sudbury. The drilling objective was mainly to expand mineral resources using several daughter holes from one single hole drilled from the surface to achieve an average target spacing of 50 meters. The dyke crosses several geological environments. In this area, the stratigraphy is composed mainly of metasedimentary rocks that consist of argillites, siltstones, and sandstones. In this environment, natural drilling deviation can be very aggressive and unpredictable. As a result, the traditional retrievable wedge offers little to no correction, making the CWT the ideal tool for hole steering. Most directional drilling was done between 900 and 1,200 meters. Predicting the trajectory attitude was often challenging and resulted in several unplanned interventions to control deviations, adding to the number of CWT cuts used to build separation between branches.
Conclusion The CWT is a new directional drilling tool in the project geologist's tool box. It works well in tested geological environments, and it does exceptionally well in challenging sedimentary environments where traditionally it is almost impossible to control deviations using other tools. Planning daughter holes using CWT is similar to planning using wedges, with the added benefit that the CWT cuts are spaced at closer intervals and result in a quicker build-up. However, it is not a trouble-free tool. The use of the CWT requires good judgment and some deduction of the results within each rock type, mostly owing to differences in the rock hardness.
About the authors
Joe Roque holds a Diploma in Geology Engineering Technology from Cambrian College, Sudbury, Ontario, and has spent 33 years working with Vale in exploration projects across Canada, of which the last fourteen were supervising a group responsible for Vale’s surface drilling in the Sudbury Basin. The drilling in these projects ranged from shallow to deep drilling and often multibranch holes. This group was responsible for monitoring trajectories and steering the holes to their planned targets using wedging or monitor other borehole steering techniques done by outside service groups. Currently, Mr. Roque manages i3 Directional Drilling Services, a Foraco subsidiary; which has an exclusive arrangement with BG Drilling Solutions for the use of the CWT in CÂanada.
Brad Lazich is a professional geoscientist with 8 years' experience in the mineral exploration industry. He started his career with Teck Cominco working on greenfield exploration programs in Western Ontario and Northern British Columbia. He then transitioned to Sudbury where he worked with Vale and now Glencore within the brownfield exploration groups managing diamond drill and exploration projects. Brad is experienced in deep hole, technical projects that include wedging.
David Desbiens is a Cambrian College graduate and has been with Vale for 9 years. David is responsible for diamond drill hole planning with anticipated deviation, borehole monitoring and directional drilling in the Sudbury camp. While still early in his career, he has become quite knowledgeable of various directional drilling methods such as wedging, Devico and CWT.
As this tool becomes better known to exploration geologists, we expect that it will be used more often and will replace or supplement conventional wedging, since it achieves the same objectives more quickly and at similar or lower cost. Coring Magazine #3
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DIRECTIONAL DRILLING
IDS takes the challenge in Cigar Lake mine project
Team drilling’s fleet of drill rigs executing the ground freezing project at Cigar Lake Mine
Background The Cigar Lake mine is operated by Cameco Corporation. The high-grade uranium ore is in an unconformity-type deposit, and lies roughly 450 meters underground below Athabasca sandstone, surrounded by intense hydrothermal alteration and water-bearing fracture zones. Ground freezing is key to the successful mining of the deposit, and has resulted in several enhancements to mining conditions, including increasing the stability of the area being mined, minimizing the risk of water inflows into the mine from the water-bearing rock above the unconformity, and reducing the radiation resulting from radon dissolved in the water. Initial ground freezing during construction in 2005-2006 was conducted by underground freeze holes drilled from the tunnels below the ore body. The mine experienced a major water inflow in 2006 during the project's final construction phase. After a secondary inflow in 2008, the mine underwent more than three years of inflow abatement and remediation activities before construction activities resumed in 2010. During this time, the methods for ground freezing were reviewed and a hole test program for drilling and outfitting freeze holes from the surface was successfully completed. After the 2006-2008 inflows, a surface freezing strategy was chosen with a view to reducing the risk to mine development, 22
allowing ground freezing to start before the development of underground production tunnels and simplifying mining operations, since ground freezing infrastructure and activities are located on the surface.
Directional Constraints The first phase of the surface freeze project was awarded to Team Drilling LP with International Directional Services (IDS) subcontracted to provide gyro and directional support. The initial design for the freeze pad was all-vertical PQ diamond drill holes on a 5 x 5 or 6 x 6-meter grid with a 2-meter tolerance at the target depth of 460 meters. These parameters were developed to ensure the most effective pattern for ground freezing. Core was required throughout the ore body so all holes needed to be on track to target at 400 meters depth, after which all core from the bottom of the hole was kept for geology. At the beginning of this project, PQ retrievable wedges were used for directional control and implemented if the hole was outside drill tolerances. These wedges were designed by Team Drilling. Monitoring criteria required tight survey control using north-seeking SPT gyros. North-seeking gyros were chosen because of the vertical design and the magnetic effect of the PQ rods left in all the freeze holes. At the start of the project and prior to project expansion, drill holes were tracked by run-
ning gyro surveys every 51 meters of drilling. An additional complete survey was conducted at the end of hole. Typically, drill holes were first surveyed after collaring and setting the casing 5 to 10 meters into the bedrock. Overburden depths were 40 metres on average. From this first survey the decision was made to either set a retrievable wedge or go in with a directional motor. Once the initial correction was made, routine surveys were made until end of hole or until a correction was required. The first phase of the program required the holes to stay within a 2-meter radius and a total of 350 vertical drill holes were completed.
Directional Challenges Thanks to the success of these procedures, Cameco completed a ground freeze option study and extended the surface freeze project from a limited footprint on surface. Technical meetings prior to the expansion presented the new challenges to the freeze team – collaring the holes two metres apart and stepping off from vertical to offsets of 6 to 36 meters horizontally. A lot more directional drilling would be required, as constraints were tightened to +/-1 meter displacement on inclination and azimuth to accommodate the 2-meter collar spacing. Holes could only be collared a maximum of 2 degrees from vertical based on constraints for outfitting the hole for freezing. This meant holes designed up to 82 degrees Coring Magazine #3
would start with a 2 to 4-meter displacement from the proposed well path at the bottom of the casing. From there, a retrievable wedge would usually be set to make up the displacement before fine-tuning the path using directional motors. Prior to establishing 1-meter tolerances, magnetic survey equipment was used to orient the directional motors, with a high success rate. A standard single-shot tool would be used with non-magnetic drill collars. Because of the number of drill holes on the freeze pad, now totaling 600 kilometers of steel pipe, the freeze project had created a strong and variable magnetic field, rendering single-shot data unusable. At this point gyros were utilized for more accurate results while navigating the drill holes. One of the benefits of the directional motors is the ability to navigate into the proper direction by steering a high-sided motor to planned target then rotating the motor without losing navigation and continuing to keep drilling without pulling the rod string. Because of this procedure directional control could be fine-tuned within inches of the proposed well path without delays. With core not as important above the ore zone, destructive directional intervals were no detriment to the project.
IDS’s borehole graphic: blue – proposed drill hole, green – actual drill hole, greenunderground freeze drill holes, orange – additional surface drill holes.
Success Collision risks were the biggest challenge of the tightly spaced holes. Every new drill hole was threaded though a web of other drill holes. Displacement of adjacent drill holes ranged from 0.5 of a meter to 3 meters. On multiple occasions to fill a gap in freeze hole spacing, a hole would have to be navigated away from the projected hole path to avoid collisions, then navigated back on track to avoid intersecting another drill hole. Risks involved not only hitting the current surface holes, but also hitting underground drill holes above active tunnels. Even with all the risks, out of the more than 600 holes that have been drilled in the three-year project,
there was only one collision in the initial learning phase, and none since the implementation of the tighter 2-meter collar spacing. The project drilled over 600 holes with great success and was used to fine-tune not only directional procedures but also drilling in general. Hole deviations at end-of-hole averaged just over 1 meter from target, with exceptional performances of 0.4 to 0.5 meters from target. Like everyone involved in the project, IDS are proud to have overcome the technical challenges and celebrate the successful development of the Cigar Lake surface freeze program.
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DIRECTIONAL DRILLING
Directional Diamond Drilling
Definitions, terms and simple calculations
by Shteryo Lyomov, Phd, Dept. of Drilling, Transport and Oil & Gas Production, Mining and Geology U., Sofia, Bulgaria Directional diamond drilling (DDD) is powerful technology in the service of the mineral exploration industry. Its application plays an important role and is constantly increasing. A close look at its application reveals the most important factors to be considered in drilling programs and borehole planning: the tools and equipment to be employed, their technology, borehole design and analysis, manpower experience and overall economy. Along with these main factors, understanding the limitations of DDD is crucial for its economic and efficient application. Discussion of the factors listed above often runs into difficulties arising from differences in terminological and technical term definition. The author’s experience teaching drilling engineering at the Sofia University of Mining and Geology and frequent contact with industry personnel demonstrate the need to establish basic common terms and definitions in order to improve understanding of the process and lessen confusion. On the other hand, a few simple calculations are often helpful in analysis and decision making. Sometimes, even sophisticated software programs do not make simple practical calculations and analysis easy. The aim of this paper is to focus on some basic terms definitions and simple practical calculations. Directional diamond drilling Directional diamond drilling is a special method of drilling into the Earth's surface in order to explore ore bodies by reaching a specific zone or target and controlling borehole trajectory by special means. Directional borehole A borehole whose trajectory in three dimensions has been designed and consciously directed to reach a target or zone of interest within acceptable limits of accuracy. Vertical borehole A vertical borehole is “straight” hole , that has a trajectory close to vertical line passing thorough the collar. There is no strict definition of this category, 24
but deviation from 1.5 to 3 deg from the vertical line is usually accepted as "vertical'. Main (parent) borehole The borehole drilled first to assess a given objective in a formation or target. Often, the term mother borehole is used. Borehole branch Sidetrack, lateral, borehole branch are synonyms. They describe that portion of a borehole initiated from a point along the borehole path previously drilled to access a given objective. Multilateral borehole This describes a borehole with a single collar at the surface and several branches drilled from the main borehole. Multilateral drilling is highly efficient technology in deep drilling project to explore ore body targets and surrounding rock conditions. Azimuth The angle, in the horizontal plane,
between North and the projection of the tangent to the borehole axis at the point of measurement. In the drilling industry it sometimes means direction or heading, while drift is occasionally used. Borehole azimuth is usually specified in degrees with respect to the geographic or magnetic north pole. By industry convention azimuth is typically measured clockwise from north, 0 degree azimuth coincides with North, 90 degree azimuth with East, 180 degree azimuth with South, and 270 degree azimuth with West. Vertical boreholes don’t have azimuth. In near-vertical boreholes azimuth angle can change with considerable values for a small intervals. Inclination/Dip In diamond core and oil and gas drilling, these terms are often used interchangeably, mixing their actual meanCoring Magazine #3
ing. Inclination is the angle of the borehole defined by a tangent line and a vertical line defined by the earth's gravity vector at the point of measurement. Dip is the magnitude of the inclination of a plane from horizontal. This means that the sum of inclination and dip angles is equal to 90°: Inclination angle + Dip angle = 90 deg The confusion comes from the lack of convention about inclination measurement across the drilling industry. In oil and gas drilling, inclination changes from a vertical 0 degrees (downward pointing) to 90 degrees (a horizontal borehole); in diamond drilling vertical is denoted as -90 degrees and changes to 0 when borehole is horizontal. Depth (Measured/True Vertical) The measured depth (MD) is the borehole length measured along the borehole axis. This measurement differs from the true vertical depth (TVD) of the borehole, which is the projection of the borehole axis on the vertical axis. Closure. The closure is the distance or length of a borehole path projected on horizontal plane (borehole plan view).
Easting/Northing These terms are geographic Cartesian coordinates for a point. Easting refers to the eastward-measured distance (on the West–East coordinate), while northing refers to the northward-measured distance (on the South–North coordinate). The location of a borehole or target point can be found using easting/northing pairs. Tool face (TF) To drill a curved borehole, special deflection tools such as wedges, bottom hole mud motors, special core barrels, BHA and others are used. All these tools have a reference line, which shows the direction of borehole deviation when they are used in the drilling process. The toolface is the direction where the drill bit side force acts. A curvature is obtained as the result of the axial penetration rate combined with the lateral penetration rate. Tool face angle To control the direction of borehole deflection, the tool face angle must be calculated, set during orientation and kept constant while drilling. This position is called toolface angle. This is the angle in a plane perpendicular to the deflection tool longitudinal axis. It is measured with respect to the high side (HS) of the borehole, when inclination is greater than 1,5° -
3°(gravity TF). For near-vertical boreholes tool face angle is measured with respect to the north (magnetic or gyro TF). The TF angle can be determined by the following formula (Applied Drilling Engineering, 1986):
where: g – toolface angle, deg; q – initial inclination, deg; q – final inclination, deg; b – dogleg angle (overall angle change), deg. Dogleg Dogleg is the bending of the borehole in 3D space – the angle between two borehole survey stations. More precisely, it is the angle between the two tangents vectors at those points. A number of formulae, based on various assumptions are used to calculate DL. The one below provides reasonable results in calculations.
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DIRECTIONAL DRILLING
Where i is the rate of deviation (deg/30m), equal to build, turn or build-up rate, depending on the plane of deviation (vertical, horizontal or non of the first two). Kick-off Point (KOP) The KOP is the point at given (MD) at which a directional borehole is intentionally deviated. Selecting the proper KOP is important for reaching targets at specific depths and closure distances and to avoid excessive DL and high DLS values. Sidetracking Sidetracking is an intentional drilling operation in which the directional drilling tool is positioned (oriented) with the TF facing the desired direction. In some case in rocks with strong deviation tendencies, sidetracking may occur accidentally, for example during improper reaming operations. Borehole surveying A geometric measurement of inclination and azimuth at a certain depth (station depth) along the borehole trajectory. Data from surveying is used to determine a series of other parameters (such as TVD, VS, dogleg, etc.) using calculation methods such as minimum curvature method, average angle method, tangential method and others. There are many methodologies published in the literature.
where: f – initial azimuth angle, deg; f – final azimuth angle, deg. Dogleg severity (DLS) Dogleg severity is a measure of borehole bending in 3D space combined with its deepening, i.e. inclination and/or azimuth change with respect to the MD. It is expressed in degrees per interval length (deg/30 m or deg/100 ft). DLS is used to evaluate borehole conditions in relation to some technological issues like drill string fatigue and wear, trouble free running of tools (core barrel, packers, casing, etc.) -, casing wear, torque and drag. DLS it is the limiting factor to many directional drilling.
where: MD and MD are the measured depth at first and second survey station; CF is the dimension coefficient. It is 100 when DLS is expressed in deg/100 ft) and 30 when in deg/30 m. 26
Build/drop rate This figure gives the rate of change in inclination i.e. the derivative of the inclination of an advancing borehole with respect to depth. Build up is when borehole inclination is increasing (borehole gets more horizontal or flattens), while drop rate is used when borehole inclination angle decreases (the borehole gets more vertical or steepens). It is expressed in deg/m.
Azimuth and inclination extrapolation Assuming that borehole deviation has constant radius of curvature (DLS = const) and known TF, we can calculate the azimuth and inclination change after a correction and respectively the azimuth and inclination at the required new depth.
Turn rate (TR) This term describes the gradient of the borehole direction change projected in the horizontal plane. It is expressed in deg/m.
Borehole radius of the curvature In fact the mathematical definition of radius of curvature is curvature reciprocal, or with other words, this is the borehole radius in deviated interval. It is closely related to the DLS. The borehole radius can be calculated using the formula:
It should be noted that the real borehole path will be influenced by the natural trend of deviation and the result of these formulae should be assumed as approximate but still indicative.
Coring Magazine #3
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Faster. Deeper. Safer.
27
DIRECTIONAL DRILLING
Wedging in Diamond Drilling by Jeff Dagg, Fordia Technical Field Support
Wedging is tricky business. For many years, knowledge of wedges, their use and application, has been closely guarded by a select number of highly skilled individuals with years of drilling knowledge and experience under their belts. Historically, they have been known not to share well. However, directing a bore hole does not have to be so complicated or mysterious. Placing a deflecting wedge is one of the simplest and oldest methods of influencing the direction of a bore hole. The reasons for doing so are many. It is understood that no matter how carefully planned and drilled, bore holes are rarely straight. Several factors can occur that will have an effect on the direction of the hole, such as weight on bit, poor drill rig set up, fractures in the ground formation, bedding planes, or ground that alternates from hard to soft. Often the path of the hole needs to be corrected in order to reach a desired target. Alternatively, wedges are used to side28
track lost or broken equipment in the hole, or to intersect multiple targets at depth using a single parent or “Mother Hole”. Ground conditions will greatly affect the outcome of your wedge. Extremely hard, cherty or siliceous formations will resist deflection as the rock may be harder than the steel, causing the core bit to “bite” into the wedge rather than turn into the ground formation. Adversely, in soft talc-like formations, the bit tends to drill past the wedge with little or no change in direction.
Accurate and consistent hole surveying is essential to keeping a handle on deviation. The majority of wedges will produce 1.5 degree deflection, therefore it is important to keep a close eye on the bore hole path and correct it accordingly. It is important to keep the hole from deviating or turning more than 1.5 degrees over, for example, a 15m length, as this will place an excessive load on the drill rods and greatly increase the risk of broken rods or stuck equipment. For this reason, wedges should be spaced a spaced a minimum of 15m apart. Coring Magazine #3
Here are a few helpful suggestions to keep in mind when considering placing a wedge. •
Make sure the hole is clean, free from cuttings and sludge and is stable.
•
Keep detailed notes of the drill hole, and examine the core to determine the best location to position the wedge.
•
Never place a wedge in badly broken or fractured ground, sandy conditions etc.
•
Use a suitable lubricant in the circulating water, such as Torqueless™ or a polymer.
•
Keep detailed notes, sketches and measured lengths of everything in the hole including the rod string, wedge facet, dropper, adaptors, etc. Once the wedge is placed, note the exact location of the top of the wedge in the drill as caution is required on subsequent trips in and out of the hole.
at the bottom of the hole or on top of a cemented section, this wedge can be oriented but remains a permanent fixture in the bore hole. It generally requires up to 4 trips in and out of the hole to set the wedge securely and ready to drill past.
Clappison or Retrievable Wedge Named after its inventor Mr. Reg Clappison, this wedge can be oriented, and is removed completely after the deflection is made, leaving no steel in the hole. Hole diameter is maintained and the wedge can be re-used.
Casing Wedge
There are several different styles of wedges available for different applications. Here are couple of the more common ones.
An effective retrievable wedge that can be oriented, this style of wedge requires the corrected hole to be drilled one size smaller than the parent hole. The wedge facet is installed at any given point in the casing string, which stays in place. Drilling continues in the next smaller size.
Hall-Row or By-pass Wedge
One-Trip Wedge
Used to direct the hole and usually placed
This wedging system, offered by Fordia, is
as the name suggests, a wedge that allows the driller to lock the wedge securely at any point in the bore hole, orient the wedge, and anchor the facet in the desired direction – all in one trip. This is accomplished by its unique 2-stage locking device. The first stage positively locks the wedge at desired depth, without the use of cement or resins and the second locks in the direction or azimuth of the wedge facet. It is not retrievable and remains a permanent fixture in the hole. Fordia’s One-Trip wedge is available in sizes from B to P. These wedges are split in the middle, with a threaded connection just above the wedge face. This makes it much easier to transport and install in shorter sections, especially in underground application or on fly jobs. Most drillers have a preference when it comes to equipment but technology and driller experience allows manufacturers to improve on existing options. It can be wise to check with a manufacturer’s technical support team for advice and to tap into their combined experience. At Fordia, our mission is to make drillers’ lives easier. Contact us or visit www.fordia.com for more information about wedging or other new products and technologies to help make drilling easier.
Why buy drilling solutions from Fordia? Because our goal is to help drillers improve their performance.
fordia.com | T 1 800 768-7274 | info@fordia.com Faster. Deeper. Safer.
29
DIRECTIONAL DRILLING
Formulae in practice
Borehole planning and Toolface calculation by Kiril Apostolov - Directional Drilling Engineer, BG Drilling Solutions
Very often during the process of drilling for mineral reserves, the campaign reaches the point where a drill hole or holes have diverted from the proposed trajectory. In these cases, the current azimuth and dip angles of a drill hole need to be brought back to the planned ones as soon as possible. This correction of the trajectory might need to be executed numerous times during the drilling of a hole. In order to return the path of the drill hole to the desired direction a deflection device such as a wedge or directional drilling system will have to be employed. Though the geologists in charge know where the drill hole should aim in terms of azimuth and dip, that is not enough for the orientation of the deflection device. Only by knowing the toolface angle for the planned trajectory correction can the deflection device be set in the proper position down the hole and the necessary deviation achieved. The number of wedges or the length of the total deviation (if a directional system is to be used) depends on the dogleg (the overall spatial angle change) required. Toolface angle is defined as the angle between top side of the borehole and the normal vector pointing to the center of the curved section . However, the direction of that vector matches the direction of the lateral force that would induce the deviation. Therefore, toolface angle can be presented as a parameter that defines the position of the lateral force needed to deviate a borehole. In mineral exploration, toolface angle is measured in clockwise direction from 0° to 360°.
Calculation of deviation parameters If the final (required) borehole direction is projected on a plane perpendicular to the initial (current) borehole direction, that projection matches the direction of the lateral force. Therefore, toolface angle could also be defined as: the clockwise angle lying in a plane perpendicular to the initial(current) borehole direction, measured between top side of borehole and the projection of final (required) borehole direction on that same 30
Plane perpendicular to borehole‘s longitudinal axis - P
deviated section Υ = toolface
final (required) borehole direction
0°
270°
90°
gravity
Drill hole projection to the perpendicular plane P 180° initial (current) borehole direction
The projected line is where the toolface (deviation force) should be pointing at
Toolface angle definition plane. Various trigonometrical relations involving initial and final azimuth and dip can be used to calculate the toolface angle. As a result, several different toolface expressions are available in the literature, based on calculation of arc sine, arc cosine or arc tangent. All of them have their own peculiarities, owing to the properties of each function. For example, very small angles are handled better with sine function, while results from cosine function need less result post-processing, and period of tangent function differs from sine and cosine, meaning “raw” result will be treated differently. Some toolface angle expressions involve only initial and final azimuth and dip angles, others are rearranged to include the dogleg angle, which is the overall angle change between initial and final borehole directions. A commonly used expression for toolface
angle, based on cosine function, is given below (Bourgoyne, Adam T. Applied Drilling Engineering, SPE, 1986). The formula has been modified in order to meet the dip angle range used in mineral exploration – between 0° (horizontal direction) and -90° (vertical downward direction), as originally this formula is adapted to the oil and gas drilling industry. The toolface can be found using the following formula: , where 1
g– toolface angle, deg q 1 – initial dip angle, deg q2 – final dip angle, deg b– dogleg angle (overall angle change), deg., where Coring Magazine #3
Practicle example Δf – azimuth change, deg; The number of wedges ( found by the following formula.
) can be
What should the toolface angle be to set up a steel wedge to correct a drill hole from azimuth 65deg to azimuth of 80deg and from dip -70deg to dip of -75deg? And what will the number of wedges and the length of the deviation section be if dogleg severity is assumed to be 10deg/30m? Input data:
is the angle of the blade of the wedge.
Initial (current) azimuth f1 = 65 deg Final (required) azimuth f2= 80 deg Initial (current) dip J1 = -70deg Final (required) dip J2 = -75deg = 1.5 deg
of the standard steel wedge is 1.5 deg.
DLS = 10°/30m
, where
The length of deviation section could be calculated with the following formula:
=
, where
- lenght of deviation section, m (ft); DS – Dogleg severity, deg/30m (deg/100ft); To plan the required change in borehole trajectory a specific set of input information should be available. Those are: - azimuth and dip angle at the initial (current) point - final (required) values of azimuth and dip; - the dogleg severity (the rate of spatial angle change) suitable for the purpose of the borehole. When the DLS is not determined by some restricting factors, the DLS input can be somewhere from 9 to 12 deg/m for long corrections and 12-15deg/m for short wedge like corrections. Using the provided formulas the output data will be:
1. Calculation of dogleg angle b Δf = 80 – 65 = 15deg b = 6.7deg The Dogleg of the correction to reach the required direction is 6.7 deg. 2. Calculation of toolface angle g g = 144.94 deg ≈ 145 deg 3. Calculation of number of wedges:
In this specific case it will take 4.5 wedges with toolface of 145 deg to accomplish the task. The depth of the required direction should be considered in such a way as to accommodate 15m spacing between the wedges. 4. Calculation of the length of the deviation
So in this case the directional drilling system has to be used for 20m with toolface of 145 deg with adjustments for 10deg/30m DLS.
- the toolface angle
Note: An Excel spreadsheet and Android application containing all deviation calculations presented here can be downloaded from www.coringmagazine.com/links/
- the number of wedges needed or the length of the deviated section.
Next issue’s Formulae in practice article will consider borehole planning and the calculation of final azimuth and dip.
Contributing an article, case study or news item to Coring magazine is free and everyone is welcome to participate. Contact us at editorial@coringmagazine.com
Faster. Deeper. Safer.
31
DIRECTIONAL DRILLING
DeviDrill
The only directional core barrel For nearly 30 years, Devico has been providing directional core drilling services to the mining and construction industry. Devico technology is based around its directional core barrel, DeviDrill, but also includes borehole survey instruments and planning software. The DeviDrill was originally intended as a tool for geotechnical investigation along planned tunnel trajectories, but its potential in the mining industry was quickly discovered.
The DeviDrill differs from other directional drilling tools in several ways. With the De viDrill, a continuous core sample is collected as the correction progresses, making it possible to detect and log any interesting geological feature being drilled through. This is a particularly important feature in geotechnical projects, but also of great value in the mining sector. As a result, longer corrections can be performed safely without any risk of passing interesting geology or ore formations unnoticed. The DeviDrill is an N-size core barrel that is fitted directly onto an N-sized drill string and operated by drill string rotation. In other words, it functions like a normal core barrel, but allows the operator to steer the borehole in any given direction. Drilling equipment on site is normally sufficient to run the DeviDrill properly, with no need for additional pumps or drill string. The DeviDrill will not necessarily be in continuous use. Most of the drilling is performed with a standard wireline core barrel, while the DeviDrill is only used when a borehole trajectory needs to be adjusted. There are commonly two reasons to perform such adjustments. •
To control natural deviation, and
•
To hit multiple targets from one mother hole.
Deviation control can be a quick procedure. When a directional survey shows that the borehole has deviated from its planned trajectory, the drill string is pulled out and the core barrel replaced with the DeviDrill. 10 to 20 meters of directional drilling is often enough to give the borehole the correction needed to reorient it towards the intended target. As the DeviDrill is equipped with a coring bit, a survey tool can quickly be sent through to ascertain the direction at the bottom of the borehole, making it easier to determine at exactly what depth to end the correction. Curved core is produced from directional core drilling 32
The real benefit of directional drilling becomes apparent when multiple targets are
to be hit from one mother hole. Instead of drilling multiple holes from surface, creating daughter holes from within the mother hole significantly reduces the amount of drilling required to delineate an ore body. This means the delineation can be done more quickly, at a lower cost and with a higher accuracy compared to drilling all holes from the surface.
Onsite success On an exploration site in Western Africa, Devico technology played an important role delineating an ore body in difficult geology. Natural deviation caused the holes to drift significantly with unpredictable intensity, making it challenging to hit the narrow five-metre target several hundred meters below surface. When Devico was brought in to control natural deviation and drill daughter holes, the target success rate improved significantly. The natural deviation and strict limits to target area and angle meant several of the corrections had to be performed close to the target zone. Since core was being taken during the steering process itself, it could be immediately detected when the hole entered the ore formation.
Devico products Devico also manufactures leading-edge borehole surveying products. Surveying instruments include the non-magnetic DeviFlex, the DeviCore BBT core orientation system, the DeviShot magnetic surveying tool and the latest addition, the DeviSight alignment system. Devico delivers on time and saves on exploration budget. To learn more about Devico, visit www.devico.com. Devico – Save Money, Meters & Time Coring Magazine #3
Tae Sung Co
Exploration Drilling Equipment Tae Sung Co. is the leading manufacturer of exploration drilling equipment for Korea and the local region since 1980. We are specialized in the production of high quality impregnated diamond core bits, reaming shells, core barrels, casing, drill rods and more. We have been number one supplier in Korea for the last 35 years and preferred supplier to many other countries. Tae Sung produces diamond products of any size and any standard. Korea has a very long history in mining and
Faster. Deeper. Safer.
geology and our diamond products have been adjusted to meet the challenges of the Korean hard and extremely hard formations. Our impregnated diamond bits have proven track record and they drill with better penetration rates compare to other competitive products. We promise to supply you with the best quality products and we will be glad to share with you our competitive pricing. Our clients are always welcome to visit us and our factory.
Address: 31 Jangjeol-ro, Gwangmyeong-city, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of KOREA (14334) Tel: +82-70-7687-0462 Fax: +82-(0)2-2683-6733 ghlee95@gmail.com www.taesungdia.com
33
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Drilling equipment & tools Drill Rigs and Accessories ACKER DRILL Phone 570-586-2061 Fax 570-586-2659 sales@ackerdrill.com www.ackerdrill.com
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35
Survey equipment /manufaturers/ Survey Tools AXIS MINING TECHNOLOGY Phone 61-8-9317-6911 info@axisminetech.com www.axisminetech.com DEVICO Phone 47 72 87 01 01 Fax 47 72 87 01 11 info@devico.com www.devico.com
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Core Orientation
INERTIAL SENSING Phone +46 70 898 04 55 duncan.mcleod@inertialsensing.com http://www.inertialsensing.com
DEVICO Phone 47 72 87 01 01 Fax 47 72 87 01 11 info@devico.com www.devico.com
REFLEX INSTRUMENTS Phone 61 8 9445 4020 Fax 61 8 9445 4040 www.reflexnow.com
REFLEX Phone 1-705-235-2169 Fax 1-705-235-2165 reflex@imdexlimited.com www.reflexnow.com
BOART LONGYEAR Phone +1 801 972 6430 Fax +1 801 977 3374 Web:www.boartlongyear.com
Drilling services Diamond drilling contractors* FORACO Operations: International Phone 33 (0) 4 96 15 13 60 Fax 33 (0) 4 96 15 13 61 info@foraco.com www.foraco.com HY-TECH DRILLING Operations:Canada, Spain, Portugal, Ireland
Phone 1-250-847-9301 info@Hy-TechDrilling.com www.hy-techdrilling.com KATI OY Operations: Scandinavia Phone 358 207 430 660 Fax 358 207 430 661 info@oykatiab.com www.oykatiab.com
ORBIT-GARANT DRILLING Operations: International Phone +1 819-824-2707 Fax +1 819-824-2195 florence.damours@orbitgarant.com www.orbitgarant.com
Directional drilling BG DRILLING SOLUTIONS Operations: International Phone 359 889 532 653 info@bg-drilling.com www.bg-drilling.com DEVICO Operations: International Phone 47 72 87 01 01 Fax 47 72 87 01 11 info@devico.com www.devico.com
Catalogue terms: Regular inserts free of charge; colour background chargeable. All companies listed in this section are connected with but not necessarily limited to diamond drilling. To list your company or to make a change in your catalogue entry, contact us.
INTERNATIONAL DRILLING SERVICES Operations: International Phone 480-824-7100 IDSinfo@IDSdrill.com www.idsdrill.com
Surveying services DOWNHOLE SURVEYS Operations: Australia Phone +61 (0) 8 9361 4745 Fax +61 (0) 8 9472 3481 sales@downhole.com.au www.downhole.com.au
DIGITAL SURVEYING Operations: South Africa, Ghana Phone +27 18 788 6349 Fax +27 18 788 6348 sales@digitalsurveying.co.za www.downhole.com.au GYRODATA SERVICES CANADA Operations: Canada Phone 1 705 494 0075 Fax 33 (0) 4 96 15 13 61 don.black@gyrodata.com www.gyrodata.com
* Due to size limitations, the diamond drilling contractors section of this catalogue is limited to magazine contributors, partners or sponsored inserts. A comprehensive catalogue including all diamond drilling contractors will be available soon at www.coringmagazine.com
Contact us at editorial@coringmagazine.com
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Coring Magazine #3
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