Coring Magazine - Issue 8

INTEGRITY. SOLUTIONS. RESULTS.

Issue 8 //

Topic of the Issue //

October 2018

Drilling Health & Safety

ISSN 2367-847X www.coringmagazine.com

Explorat ion

21 Questions // Brian Maeck - Global Director - EHS&T at Boart Longyear

Product Review // The Sandvik DE712 Core Drill

In Focus // Boart Longyear Drilling Services

More Inside // Directional Drilling at Rajasthan, India Terra Walker Drilling

D ia mond

D r i l l i ng

Champ Gyro used to survey Australia’s longest diamond drill-hole at 3,217m.

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/EDITORIAL

Dear Readers I got my first drilling job when I was 23 years old, right after I graduated from university. I was assigned to work as a driller’s helper on an old rotary drill rig, located deep in the Libyan desert. It was a tough job, but I still have good memories of the experience. On a windy day my supervisor decided that the rig mast, which was about 15 meters high, had to be anchored, and a few wire ropes had to be tightened up at the top. He asked if anyone wanted to do it and I was naive enough to raise my hand. It looked like an easy task. I still remember how heavy the steel rope was and that while I was up there my legs were shivering. I completed the task successfully; however, I have to admit that I went up the mast without any gear to protect me from a free fall.

At that time, I had zero safety knowledge or safety culture, and no clue how wrong my supervisor was to have made such a request. Only now, after having had a good amount of field practice do I understand that the climb was very risky and it could have cost me my life if anything had gone wrong.

A few weeks later there was another unfortunate event. The whole rig fell over while we were working on it. It was pure luck no one was injured or even smashed. What caused the accident was another mistake made by the supervisor. He had flushed the hole for a few hours with pure water in the sands of the desert, to check if the lost circulation that had occurred earlier had been successfully recovered. Unbeknown to us all, the flushing was causing the ground underneath to cave in, and the whole rig toppled over. My work buddy was frozen with fear and I had to shout to get him out of there. Luckily, he managed to move aside in time. Afterwards the rig caught fire from his battery. A few seconds later I was pouring water on top of it with a big hose, feeling like the hero of the day without realizing that I was doing something dangerous, as one should never put out an electrical fire with water because of the risk of electric shock.

A couple of years later I was supervising an underground job for a drilling company. My team was quite inexperienced. We had just had a breakthrough in an abandoned gallery when the driller dropped the rods. We went down there, and it was a mess. There were broken rods all over the place and about 100 m of the drill string still inside of the hole, held by severely bent rods that hadn’t broken in the drop. We tried to fish the rods out with a regular tap, but the hole had collapsed, so the only way to get them out was manually, one by one, from below. It was +40 Celsius with no ventilation and no one is supposed to work under those conditions. We used a forklift to hold the rods and after the last one was removed with wrenches we could bring down the rest using complicated manoeuvres (as the hole was inclined). We spent a few horrible shifts getting everything out. Luckily the rods didn’t crash on top of us and no one was hurt.

These are just a couple of events from my personal experience and they are good examples of how operations should not be performed. I have learned my lessons and today I can happily say I care about safety more than any other aspect of my job. I don’t want to see either myself or any of my colleagues injured. We all have families; I know it’s a cliché, but that has always been my key motivator.

I know my stories are not a first and I know every one of you who has ever worked on a drill rig has similar ones. Let’s remember them as good lessons from the past and learn from them to do things correctly in the future.

Work safely!

GRIGOR TOPEV Founder / Managing Editor CORING MAGAZINE

Faster. Deeper. Safer.

3

Table of Contents /NEWS & EVENTS

5

The latest in the industry

INTEGRITY. SOLUTIONS. RESULTS.

/21 QUESTIONS

8 Exclusive interview – Grigor Topev in conversation with Brian Maeck, Global Director, Environmental, Health, Safety & Training at Boart Longyear /IN FOCUS

14 ‘Boart Longyear: Discovering the undiscovered since 1890’ – Andrew Cuthbert,

Senior Manager, Global Marketing & Communications discusses the company's

history, technical innovations and drilling services /PRODUCT REVIEW

Issue 8 //

Topic of the Issue //

October 2018

Drilling Health & Safety

ISSN 2367-847X www.coringmagazine.com

Exploration

21 Questions // Brian Maeck - Global Director -EHS&T at Boart Longyear

Product Review // The Sandvik DE712 Core Drill

In Focus // Boart Longyear Drilling Services

More Inside // Directional Drilling at Rajasthan, India - Terra Walker Drilling

Diamond

Dr i l l i ng

Coring Magazine October 2018

20 ‘The Sandvik DE712 core drill: Safety set as first priority’ – Robert Ewanow,

Product Marketing Manager, Surface Drills & Exploration reveals the product's

outstanding features and options

Cover photo Boart Longyear Drilling Services Issue 8 ISSN 2367-847X

/TOPIC OF THE ISSUE: DRILLING HEALTH & SAFETY

Not for resale.

Free subscriptions at: www.coringmagazine.com/subscribe

24 ‘Building a crew to work safely’ – Mike Bernard, Drilling Health & Safety

Specialist discusses the importance of crew orientation and safety

28 ‘DrillSafe: A new drill site safety initiative’ – Colin Rice, Managing Director, Colin Rice Exploration & Training (Pty) Ltd, explains how addressing

safety issues improves performance 32 ‘Personal Protective Equipment: Facts you may not know’ – Coring Magazine

discusses interesting information concerned with PPE and provides helpful

tips /DIRECTIONAL DRILLING

36 ‘30 years of directional core drilling’ – Rune Lindhjem, Product Manager at Devico discusses its anniversary, development throughout the years, current

status, and future plans 40 ‘Directional drilling at Rajasthan, India’ – David R. Walker, Managing Director

at Terra Walker Drilling discusses the execution of an exploration

drilling project in India /MINERAL EXPLORATION 42 ‘The creation of a validated structural geospatial workflow using oriented

drill core’ – Francine Long, P. GEO, Senior Geologist at Nordmin Engineering Ltd

discusses techniques to validate structural plotting of geological data /DRILLING HYDRAULICS

48 ‘Drilling rigs hydraulics: Fundamentals (Part 2)’ – Peter Kuusimaa, an experienced freelance specialist, gives an in-depth view of the component

level of a diamond core drilling feed control system /CATALOG

52 Diamond drilling services

54 Drilling equipment & accessories

57 Survey equipment

57 Miscellaneous

4

Coring Magazine is an international quarterly title serving the exploration core drilling industry.

Published in print and digital formats, Coring has a rapidly growing readership that includes diamond drilling contractors, drilling manufacturers and suppliers, service companies, mineral exploration companies and departments, geologists, and many others involved in exploration core drilling.

Launched in late 2015, Coring aims to provide a fresh perspective on the sector by sourcing authentic, informed and quality commentary direct from those working in the field. With regular interviews, insightful company profiles, detailed product reviews, field practice tips and illustrated case studies of the world’s most unique diamond drilling and mineral exploration projects, Coring provides a new platform for learning about the industry’s exciting developments.

Publisher Coring Media Managing Editor Grigor Topev Editor Simone Hutchinson Marketing and Communications Manager Martina Samarova Graphic Design Cog Graphics Printed by Dedrax Printing House Contact Us 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 #8

/NEWS & EVENTS

The Latest in the Industry

October, 2018

Epiroc to acquire Fordia, a Canadian exploration tools manufacturer

October, 2018, Australia

Deepcore Drilling announce finalist nomination for Innovation – Sound Enclosure Faster. Deeper. Safer.

Fordia Group Inc., a world-class Canadian manufacturer of diamond tools and equipment for the mineral exploration and geotechnical sectors joins the Epiroc team, a leading productivity partner for the mining, infrastructure and natural resources industries.

Fordia has about 250 employees and had revenues for the 12 months ending September 2018 of about €56 million.

Becoming part of the Rock Drilling Tools division of the Stockholm-based company, the Fordia brand, along with their solid team and current network will be leveraged.

Therefore, Fordia will continue to offer its solutions dedicated to improving the performance of its customers. With this acquisition, Epiroc increases its focus on the mineral exploration sector;

a focus that will be well-served through the quality products and outstanding service that already make the reputation of Fordia.

Helena Hedblom, Epiroc’s Senior Executive Vice President Mining and Infrastructure has said that this acquisition is strategically important as they have increased their focus on the exploration segment. She has added that the solid team at Fordia will play a key role as they continuously strengthen their value offering to customers.

The acquisition is expected to be completed in the first quarter 2019. The purchase price is not material relative to Epiroc’s market capitalization and is not disclosed. The business will become part of Epiroc’s Rock Drilling Tools division, and will continue to be based in Montreal.

As the leading Australian specialists in underground mobile and surface diamond drilling, Deepcore Drilling, in collaboration with their client, Kirkland Lake Gold, Fosterville, have successfully trialled the Sound Enclosure, to support the mines’ environmental and community obligations.

Deepcore Chief Operating Officer, Don MacDonald states, ‘The Sound Enclosure is the solution to the problem that many mining sites face; maximising their productive mining activities while successfully meeting all their stakeholder and community’s needs of safety, minimal environmental impact (reduced footprint), low noise and visual amenity.’

Designed and manufactured in Australia, the Sound Enclosure is a portable and dynamic engineered enclosure that can be situated on any surface to contain a drill rig. Its green exterior references a traditional barn and does not dominate its surroundings.

‘The outstanding feature of this innovative world-first design is the dramatic reduction of the amount of sound that is made by a drilling rig, during a 24-houra-day, 7-days-a-week operation.

Evidence from independent studies demonstrates that the Sound Enclosure significantly reduces noise emissions by 20%’, Mr MacDonald commented.

5

/NEWS & EVENTS

The Latest in the Industry

MinEx CRC, a $218 million

sector and major miners BHP,

research collaboration aimed

South32, Anglo American and

at developing technologies

Barrick committing $165 million

to increase the discovery of

(cash and in-kind) over the next

new mineral deposits, will be

10 years.

launched today in Adelaide by

Research organisations

the Hon Dan van Holst Pellekaan

supporting the CRC include

MP, Minister for Energy and

CSIRO, Curtin University, the

Mining.

University of Adelaide, the

The MinEx Cooperative

University of South Australia,

Research Centre (MinEx CRC)

the University of Western

has secured $50 million in

Australia and the University

Federal Government CRC

of Newcastle, together with

October, 2018, Australia

funding, as well as strong

Geoscience Australia, and all the

industry and research backing.

Geological Surveys in Australia,

World’s largest mineral exploration collaboration launches

Participants include 34 partners

with significant contributions

from the Mining Equipment,

from New South Wales, South

Technology and Services (METS)

Australia and Western Australia.

In February 2018, Granite Construction, a large infrastructure contractor and construction materials producer announced that it entered into a merger agreement to acquire Layne Christensen, a global water management, infrastructure services and drilling company.

The transaction was completed on June 14, 2018.

With the help of Layne, Granite will become a full suite provider of construction and rehabilitation services for the water and wastewater market

and address the infrastructure

June, 2018, United States

Layne Christensen acquired

by Granite Construction 6

needs. The experience and expertise of Layne’s employees guarantee future success for both parties.

Together the two companies will increase their market share and take advantage of what the industry has to offer. They believe that their strategic partnership will be beneficial to employees, customers, and shareholders. They intend to grow together by focusing on ethics, safety, and sustainability.

Coring Magazine #8

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/21 QUESTIONS

Exclusive interview with

questions

Brian Maeck Global Director – Environmental, Health, Safety & Training at Boart Longyear Grigor Topev: How did you get started in the drilling business?

Brian Maeck: I was living in London at the time, working for a recruitment firm specializing in civil construction and oil and gas. Through the firm I met inspiring people who had vast industry experience and knew everything about the industry they served.

They had started on the ground floor, so to speak, which was a stage that I felt was missing from my own career. I became fascinated with the industry that my father had worked in for over 33 years – mining.

My brother had started working with Boart Longyear in 2006 so I started picking his brain about the sights, sounds and overall work environment. It was not long before I was hooked. After an international phone interview, I was told that if I came back to Canada I’d have a job. After a flight across the Atlantic, I drove to Haileybury, Ontario and met my employer. I was dressed in a stylish London-tailored suit, and the head of Human Resources asked if I was interviewing for the CEO role. I said, ‘No, I want to be an Underground Diamond Drill Assistant.’ After some convincing I was given the job, and drove the 19 hours northwest to Red Lake, Ontario where I was inducted.

8

Brian Maeck Brian Maeck is the Global Director for Environmental, Health, Safety & Training (EHS&T) at Boart Longyear. He was educated at Canadore College in North Bay, Ontario where he was a graduate of the Broadcast Journalism program. He achieved health and safety accreditations through the University of Fredericton and is currently working towards earning his Master of Business Administration degree through Athabasca University.

Brian has been working with Boart Longyear for 12 years in their drilling and manufacturing divisions.

Since entering the contract drilling industry, he has been certified as a diamond driller, first line supervisor and trainer. Attaining several EHS-related certifications along the way, including incident management, investigation techniques and lead auditing, Brian managed EHS systems and programs for the company’s drilling services throughout Canada before relocating to the Boart Longyear headquarters in SLC, Utah. He has since developed and produced a new global internal training system that incorporates training standards from Canada, Australia and the USA.

GT: Have you ever broken a safety rule as a driller?

Unfortunately, we see rules get broken and sometimes they bring harsh consequences.

When I first started as a drilling assistant, I went through induction and general training, which took several days. I was assigned to a driller who had 30-plus years under his belt and I thought he certainly wouldn’t do anything that would put me in harm’s way.

The Project Manager said, ‘He’ll teach you every trick in the book!’ and I quickly found out that meant being exposed to more risk than I ever had in any previous work environment. Wanting to excel and follow the expert’s way of doing things, I sometimes put my safety, wellbeing, and rationale aside.

Later on in my drilling career I learned more about the precarious nature of some of these techniques and felt myself fortunate that I Coring Magazine #8

hadn’t been a casualty of not following safer procedures. The industry has come a long way since those types of practices were acceptable.

GT: How did you get involved in the sphere of Health & Safety?

BM: I had been a driller for some time and I felt that I was very good, following a routine that kept me competitive and feeling good about my progress. But one day, an unexpected and undesired event occurred due to these ‘practices’ and I was given a scare with luckily only a couple of cuts and friction burns resulting. I remember thinking that just that week my wife told me that she was pregnant with our first child. The experience caused dread, fear and regret but also a greater appreciation for the risks associated with the job’s tasks and equipment. That was a huge turning point as I recognized the need to take every precaution to be safer in my job. The next day, I tore the entire site down and re-set every part, I started analyzing the process as I knew it, and retaught myself how to drill, with the support of some good supervisors.

Eventually, I was recognized by my supervision and the mine client as being most improved, safety-focused, and an effective safety trainer. I was offered a position as an EHS and Training Coordinator for the site, and three years later I was the Canadian EHS Manager.

I learned the hard way. My safety journey is the same journey that many industry leaders are moving towards. I changed my personal safety culture due to a traumatic event. The challenge many businesses face is that they need to change hearts and minds by trying to appeal to people’s better natures through systems, programs and accountability measures. It is very difficult to instil new values.

GT: Boart Longyear claims to have employed the most progressive and effective safety programs. What makes them different?

BM: Boart Longyear’s programs have evolved over the years as our safety culture journeys further ahead. What’s most important about our safety system is that it has recently been redesigned to speak directly to our end user – the drill crew at our drill rigs, or the machinist in our manufacturing plants. We are simplifying the message, to ensure it makes sense to all personnel in 25+ countries.

Faster. Deeper. Safer.

If the safety program does not make sense to the end user, they won’t do it, or won’t do it well. I remember programs that we used to complete while waiting for the underground conveyance, to save time. It’s not that it wasn’t a good program, it just wasn’t designed to make us understand what value it brought.

Today, every Boart Longyear corporate EHS program is designed by the drill crew. We spend copious amounts of time going back to the sites to field test the programs and tools and ensure the drill crews instruct us in what is working for them and what isn’t. This approach makes us progressive – the ability to obtain instant buy-in by including the personnel who will be utilizing the tools.

What are Boart Longyear’s ‘Golden Rules of Safety’?

The Golden Rules of Safety have been around for several decades, they too have evolved to reference new risks to the business such as texting and driving. The Golden Rules are a list of EHS key safety fundamentals. They are a constant visual reminder to employees of our EHS commitments and expectations.

They are pulled from our more robust EHS standards, which outline our requirements.

They are easy to read and remember, and they support the highest tier of our EHS Management System.

GT: In my opinion the most difficult part is to create a safety culture and a safety mentality in individual people. How do you do that within the company?

BM: Today, Boart Longyear’s motto is: ‘Make it Safe, Make it Personal, Make it Home’.

The connection between the field and our corporate body has never been closer. Our senior leaders are regularly in the field and set the example. Our key performance indicators are designed to measure leadership EHS performance in the field, and for the first time in our 128-year history, we have more Leading (proactive – such as mandated management interactions and hazard identification programs) indicator programs that are measured than we have Lagging (reactive – such as injury rates).

We are taking the concept of visible felt leadership to a new level, and we drive results through data obtained from the field.

All of our programs are measured, assessed and analyzed for conformance. While this quantitative approach may seem mechanical and not conducive to changes in safety culture, what it does very well is point leadership in the direction it needs to go to

ensure safety success. For example, one of the benefits of the indicator programs is that they provide non-conformance data that identifies ‘at-risk’ sites. We can then respond, coach, mentor etc., prior to incidents occurring. We are trying to prevent injuries by changing the behaviors that cause them.

GT: What are the 2018 H&S statistics for Boart Longyear’s drill sites?

BM: Like most EHS professionals, I focus on critical risk first and foremost. It is primarily identified by fatality rates and lost time rates.

There are potential incidents that, had they occurred under different circumstances, could have caused serious bodily harm or fatalities. However, I am very happy to say that Boart Longyear’s fatality rate does not exist, and our lost time rate is world class. A lost time injury means that an employee has been injured and as a result cannot return to work the following scheduled shift. At the time of speaking we are meeting our aggressive targets for 2018 (operating at 0.13, below our target of 0.15, utilizing the 200,000 work hour Lost Time Injury Rate calculation). We are proud of this result, especially considering that, since the market is picking back up, we are hiring more new and inexperienced employees now than we did over the past five years during the downturn. We struggle with minor injuries primarily affecting the hand that could include laceration and pinches of fingers. We focus on guarding and exclusion methods to prevent employees from harm, however, there are still manual processes that we are striving to eliminate through our engineering and research and development departments.

GT: What are the most dangerous parts of the drilling process and the drill rigs?

BM: The rod’s rotation is without a doubt the most dangerous aspect of the drill rig.

The rotation can spin incredibly fast in order to cut rock. It is a critical risk that we have mitigated through engineering solutions.

The most dangerous element we face at Boart Longyear is surprisingly not drilling. It’s driving. Employees driving to work, driving to site, driving home. If there is going to be a fatality at Boart Longyear it will be in a vehicle on the road. We know this based on a decade’s worth of data and have taken global measures to again reduce the risk. We focus on driver behavior and have all crew vehicles fitted with In-Vehicle Monitor Systems (IVMS). These IVMS units measure speed, seatbelt use and aggressive driving, and report back to management.

9

/21 QUESTIONS

Most importantly, these units coach. ‘Please reduce your speed’, the unit will tell the driver, knowing that if they receive a second warning they will be recorded and reported on. It’s a big brother approach we have accepted to save lives, and it works.

GT: What is the most severe incident that you have ever witnessed?

BM: I have been to several employee funerals where the deaths were caused by motor vehicle accidents. All but one were offwork accidents – driving in personal cars or recreational vehicles. The work-related vehicle incident involved an icy road that caused the vehicle to slide and roll. The fact that the others were not work-related fatalities does not matter. When you look into the eyes of a spouse and the children of a lost one the pain is the same.

I want people to take safety home with them. To understand that the culture of safety is changed by a value change. That our employees are not only modifying the way they work, to do it the right way, the safe way, but to go home and act the safe way there, and on the roads.

GT: What are the three most common injuries on drill sites?

BM: 1. Finger injury, by using a pipe-wrench, hammer or other hand tool.

2. Back injury, due to lifting.

3. Muscle strain, due to repetitive tasks.

GT: Do you think that the time when drillers worked without helmets and safety glasses is really over?

BM: Yes, I believe so. The cultural shift is marked by the types of injuries we see now.

Our employees know that Personal Protective Equipment is the last resort, and there is no

question that there would be consequences if our safety system requirements are not met.

We utilize an EHS Accountability Process to ensure a consistent method for holding employees accountable when an incident occurs or when there is a Standards Breach.

Accountability is key. A safety standard is not worth the paper it’s written on if there is no accountability for adhering to it. There have been cases where an employee had removed their cut-resistant glove and did not put it back on to reach something that causes a laceration, but we are finding these cases of forgetfulness less and less. And we measure this to ensure the number of cases is decreasing!

GT: We all know that safety is different during night and day shifts. Is it possible to resolve this issue?

BM: Yes, the same standards have to apply, and there are consequences if they are not. We also monitor adherence through inspection and audit.

I was recently in Mali, Africa, and witnessed our EHS Coordinator make a surprise nightshift visit to report back on conformance.

First, to set a standard, expectations must be made apparent to all parties. Secondly, their understanding of the expectations must be determined. Then it is about consistent accountability to ensure the standard remains high.

GT: Mining companies usually have very strict safety policies. An increasing number of regulations can create a stressful work environment by making workers fearful of making mistakes and being banned. In that sense, too much safety might be considered unsafe. What is your comment on that contradiction?

BM: This relates back to my answer about simplifying the programs. Safety for safety’s sake does not translate well to a field worker.

The program must have meaning and more importantly be understood. There is no such thing as too much safety in my opinion. There is either a right way to do the job or a wrong way. Early in my career, I was taught some methods that happened to be unsafe and I had to quickly learn what is safe versus what is just acceptable. A program must speak to the employee and answer all the ‘why’ questions. It must perform a function of the job, and there has to be a visible benefit.

Our programs have been reduced to ensure what we do is done well and serves a purpose.

GT: There are many rules and precautions but to what extent do drillers accept and follow them in reality?

BM: Over the past several years we have been working on the operating rhythm of our job sites. Regardless of whether you’re on a drill site in Laos, Australia, Africa, Canada, the US or Latin America, the operating rhythm is the same, and our safety measures are embedded in that rhythm. Each component of our safety measures is recorded, tracked and monitored.

The safety components are always done, because they are done every day. No one is deviating from the process anymore because this is what we know, and it is what new-hire employees see first day on the job.

The Pre-Start Information Board Meeting has the same formatted structure on every site. We address task hazards and assign field level risk assessments every day. We get to the job site and conduct our global preoperational checks. We review standard work procedures and conduct the assigned field level risk assessments that the supervisor will review and sign off.

NEW

If you have a question for Brian Maeck, email us at editorial@coringmagazine.com and we will publish the answer in ‘Post-21 Questions’ in our next issue.

10

Coring Magazine #8

Brian Maeck with the crew on-site in Mali We are also working to take the redundancies out of our processes. We will be paperless in 2019, with a tablet in the hands of drillers to conduct inspections, review work procedures and report hazards or incidents. All of that data will be monitored for conformance through managerial reports.

We have better near-miss reporting today than ever before, because the report is instant and easy to do on a tablet.

GT: Preparation is as important as the operation itself. What are the most important things that drillers must do before they start working?

BM: Identify hazards and evaluate associated risks. Prior to releasing our THINK Field Level Risk Assessment (FLRA), drill crews redesigned our risk matrix to remove ambiguities. Today, FLRAs are done all over the world, every day. Even though in some remote parts of the world we deal Faster. Deeper. Safer.

with literacy issues, our THINK FLRA has a version of the process with imagery to assist employees through the process.

GT: In this relation, do the pre-ops (preoperational cards) have any real effect?

BM: Absolutely, all inspections are designed to identify deficiencies with equipment.

While not fallible, countless pieces of equipment have been ‘tagged-out’ and taken out of service because they did not meet inspection requirements. It is the most effective way to take what could be hazardous equipment out of the equation.

GT: When it comes to safety, I believe that there is a gap between theory and practice. Is it possible to fill this gap and how?

BM: Over the past three years we have introduced new training material that is managed through a digital learning

management system platform. This material was written with the end user in mind. It is not generic, but specific to their tasks and how they might respond.

I remember my fire extinguisher training. It consisted of four PowerPoint slides based on the acronym ‘PASS’: 1. Pull the pin.

2. Aim the nozzle.

3. Squeeze the trigger.

4. Spray from side to side.

I remember the acronym, and what it stands for, but the training did not prepare me for what to do if there is a fire underground, and I only had 15 seconds to decide what to do, before the drift became full of life-threatening smoke. The new BLY Integrated Training System (BITS – the name was designed so we could have the acronym BITS) is designed to answer those questions.

11

/21 QUESTIONS

GT: In my experience, most of the drilling H&S rules, regulations, and innovations are issued by major mining companies and drilling contractors just follow them.

Shouldn’t it be vice versa?

BM: I think that has changed over the years and there is much more collaboration now.

I’ve seen the Pre-Start Information Board Meeting design and format adopted by the major mining houses, or BITS training module programs being shared and used by our clients. I don’t think in this new age of safety focus that anyone in the industry will not take advantage of good ideas to achieve safety goals. Even between competing contractors I am constantly impressed by how well we all share safety best practices.

This year I spoke at the Canadian Diamond Drilling Association’s Annual General Meeting about the benefits of capturing inspection data on non-conformance to determine at-risk sites in order to prevent injury. I even brought along our system vendor to answer system questions.

We all want to succeed in our safety objectives and put our employees’ wellbeing first.

GT: Have risk rates decreased throughout the years?

BM: Unquestionably, our injury rate has been decreasing significantly over the years, along with our competitors. This is due to the shift in culture and focus. Not too long ago, the ability to secure a contract was solely based on cost, today you can’t even bid on the contract without a strong safety performance as an organization.

GT: When it comes to safety, what is the best piece of advice that you can give to all the people working out there?

BM: Listen to your gut. If it feels wrong, or off, it probably is. Listen to that voice and do not try to justify your actions in your mind.

You may have gotten away with a shortcut

once, but it WILL catch up with you. When you hear that voice, respond – ask questions, challenge the norm, work on new ideas.

Report those individuals that do not want to listen to reason and work the right way.

Lastly, stop and refuse to work if you are asked to do something you feel is wrong. No one has the right to put you in harm’s way.

GT: In your opinion, what direction will drilling safety take?

BM: We are headed toward autonomous drilling, where manual processes will be limited to a minimum. Engineering solutions (other than hazard elimination) is the most effective safety control. We want to engineer out the hazards with hands-free drill rigs. I am a big fan of our engineering department and we collaborate regularly. In the 12 years I’ve worked with Boart Longyear, I’ve seen drillers adapt from pneumatic air rigs to hydraulic, and then to fully electronic touchscreen drilling consoles. Drilling will one day be done from the comfort of an office.

SAFE AND RELIABLE DRILLING Since 1890, Boart Longyear has pioneered innovative drilling products and services that are safe, reliable, and maximise productivity. Whether you are seeking contract drilling services or solutions from our extensive product range, you can count on Boart Longyear for all your drilling requirements.

Did you know Boart Longyear now provides a range of down-hole instrumentation? Contact the drilling experts.

www.boartlongyear.com/drillingservices 12

Coring Magazine #8

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Boart Longyear

Discovering the undiscovered since 1890

by Andrew Cuthbert, Senior Manager for Global Marketing & Communications at Boart Longyear

Freedom™ Loader providing hands-free rod handling to an LF™350e drill rig 14

Coring Magazine #8

/IN FOCUS: BOART LONGYEAR

History In 1890, a young mining engineer named Edmund J. Longyear set a new standard for innovation in mining. Longyear, a member of the first graduating class at the Michigan Mining School, sank the first diamond drill hole on North America’s Mesabi Iron Range in northern Minnesota.

Longyear realized there was a need for exploration drilling companies as the US iron ore mining and steel industry continued expanding, and he soon formed a contract diamond drilling company to serve this market.

Now known as Boart Longyear, the company has continued to grow and expand internationally. Still driven by the desire to help customers safely decrease costs and increase productivity, it has grown to become the world’s leading provider of drilling services, drilling equipment, and performance tooling for mining and drilling companies globally. It also has a substantial presence in aftermarket parts and service, energy, mine de-watering, oil sands exploration and production drilling.

A continual legacy of innovation Boart Longyear’s market-leading position in the mineral drilling industry is driven by a variety of factors, including technological innovation, engineering excellence and advanced manufacturing capabilities. In its tradition of pioneering technology, in 1953 the company applied for a patent on the first wireline core retrieval system–the Q™ Wireline System–an innovation that revolutionized the diamond drilling industry.

The advantages of the genuine Q wireline system quickly generated industry-wide Faster. Deeper. Safer.

adoption because it increased productivity on the worksite and made tripping core from the bottom of the hole safer for the drilling assistant. Next came the introduction of the reliable strength of the RQ™ rod; and recently launched in June 2018, Boart Longyear’s patented and innovative XQ™ rods have been shown to be stronger, last longer and enable the same drilling rig to drill 30% deeper.

Continually testing products in the field with its Drilling Services team, Boart Longyear’s engineers have been able to develop and manufacture a variety of drilling products, with immediate application and feedback. Drilling Services brings technical issues or suggestions for improvements to engineers, who then research, design, and develop solutions. These solutions are tested, tweaked to perfection, produced by the manufacturing team and implemented by the global Drilling Services team.

With decades of powder metallurgy experience, continual improvement has led to some exciting innovations with the revolutionary Longyear™ bits being the latest in the company’s line of successful diamond coring bit technologies. After the promising initial results, trials were started using the new Longyear bits on all Boart Longyear Drilling Services sites in Australia and select sites globally. The new design has already been proven to drill further and faster than surface-set bits and cut through much harder material, which has been shown to place as much as 23% more core in the box.

Digitalization and instrumentation For Boart Longyear’s Drilling Services team, it’s not just about drilling a hole, but more about what information can be gathered to make more informed decisions. In the last few years, the company has successfully introduced a number of its own geologicaldata-gathering technologies. These technologies allow its drillers to determine critical information about the orientation of structural elements, determine the azimuth and dip measurement of boreholes, and even provide geologists access to real-time geological data as the core is drilled.

These innovations are giving even more of a competitive edge to its drilling capabilities.

Using the company’s TruScan™ technology, its Drilling Services teams provide accurate data from the retrieved core samples which can be quickly viewed by geologists. The time to collect data is significantly reduced and the data aids in the logging and interpretation

A demonstration of the revolutionary Q™ Wireline coring system in 1953 of the geology. This means more accurate conceptual geological models can be built while the drill is still on the borehole. Mining companies can make accurate and timely decisions on where to drill next or to what depth.

Early Boart Longyear drilling equipment 15

/IN FOCUS: BOART LONGYEAR

Global drilling services Whether the request comes in for a mineral exploration drilling contractor, water services, or production drilling, Boart Longyear has the equipment and teams ready to take on any challenge. The company operates drilling programs in all parts of the globe which vary from early stage exploration projects to mineral resource management projects on operating mine sites–for both major mining and junior exploration companies.

Boart Longyear consistently delivers innovative solutions to the most technical drilling challenges, in some of the most complex operating environments. This is accomplished through its continuous investment in safety, people, and equipment which has led to a rock solid reputation and a long track record for safety and innovative solutions.

Exploration drilling in isolated and remote regions has its challenges for any drilling service company. Utilizing the experience of

locally based companies has its advantages, but there are obviously areas where these resources are not readily available. In such situations, requesting the help of a drilling service company with a proven track record becomes essential. In order to mitigate the risks involved, Boart Longyear conducts management planning techniques to first undertake detailed research to determine all the major cost drivers.

Cost-driver analysis for location drilling typically includes an evaluation of the manpower needed, the ability and costs to locate to the site, the means of bringing in and having drilling rigs available, and accessibility of parts for equipment maintenance to keep the project operating efficiently. A huge advantage for Boart Longyear is that not only does it have the skilled workforce at a number of regional locations that can be deployed, it also manufactures drill rigs, parts, and tooling, so maintenance is planned and parts and consumables are readily available for the

project no matter where it is located. Greater part accessibility minimizes drilling downtime and keeps the project on schedule and within budget.

Make it safe, make it personal, make it home It takes more than just a great safety program to protect employees. Boart Longyear takes pride in making safety a part of its sustainable culture and safety is a critical part of how its drilling programs are conducted, as well as how its equipment and tooling is developed.

World-class safety and training programs promote employee empowerment and engagement at all levels. Customers expect operational results, but they also require that contractors live up to the safety standards required for their sites. The company wants all its employees to enjoy the work environment and put in a good day’s work, but more importantly, always ensure that every employee returns safely home.

A drill crew conducts a field-level risk assessment to ensure safe operation 16

Coring Magazine #8

Before working on any site, new drilling services hires are immediately inducted into global safety programs and trained on the importance of how to conduct field-level risk assessments. Everyone is given stop work authority so they can quickly react and stop any unsafe activity. Although many drilling crews are measured on key performance indicators (KPIs) that place time and performance pressures on the amount of work, meters drilled, and core obtained, Boart Longyear supervisors and drillers and even offsiders are encouraged to slow down and proactively approach tasks safely, communicate properly, and report potential risks and near misses.

Drilling capabilities Exploration and mining companies rely on Boart Longyear’s drilling services to provide industry-leading core recovery rates and highly accurate geological data. The company’s technical expertise, experience,

and measurable performance data is delivered through consistent and reliable service.

Surface coring With access to a diverse fleet of surface coring rigs and equipment, Boart Longyear’s global drilling team can meet even the toughest project requirements. In order to deliver the best core samples and geological data, a team of experienced technical experts first works tirelessly to understand the project objectives as well as the ground and site conditions then uses the information to recommend the best solution for the project.

Then the right trained crews and advanced equipment is brought in to complete the surface coring project.

Boart Longyear offers a range of directional drilling services with innovative steering/ survey tools to provide greater mineral production from one hole and save significant time and money. Directional motoring can

be attained to depths beyond 10 000 feet to achieve any target. Using these methods, safety and environmental benefits can also be realized because drill rigs don’t require as much relocation and fewer surface holes are needed.

Additional capabilities include providing highly qualified personnel and equipment for geothermal projects to effectively drill in high-temperature/high-pressure formations.

The company also offers fly drill capabilities with the largest global fleet of heli-portable rigs and equipment for greenfield or projects not accessible by roads.

Underground coring Boart Longyear offers diverse underground coring drilling solutions utilizing modular coring rigs and mobile platforms to safely and efficiently move drill crews from site-to-site.

Its LM™ series of modular diamond drill rigs feature easily interchangeable components, allowing for space constraints without

An LS-244 Drill set up for core drilling on a prepared drill pad in western Nevada, US Faster. Deeper. Safer.

17

/IN FOCUS: BOART LONGYEAR

Surrounded by picturesque mountains, the Boart Longyear team drills for core in the Clayton Valley, Nevada, US sacrificing depth requirements. The latest in rod handling technology and integrated drill control interfaces means crews can work hands-free, safely and all while increasing productivity.

Underground production drilling A diverse range of underground production drilling services includes long-hole drill and blast, cable bolt drilling, slot and inverse raises, V-30 drilling, and more.

The experienced drilling service teams are dedicated to delivering safe, fast, and effective production drilling by using pneumatic, electric, and hydraulic down-thehole (DTH), or top hammer methods. Boart Longyear uses portable drills for versatility in drilling all angles which decreases move time and is ideal for narrow vein mining.

18

Sonic drilling Boart Longyear’s drillers are the industry’s most experienced in sonic drilling, which dates back to the 1990s. Whether drilling for environmental water supply development, geo-construction, geotechnical or mineral exploration, sonic drilling technology offers several distinct advantages by utilizing high frequency resonance to eliminate or minimize the friction between the subsurface material being encountered and the tooling/ core barrel being advanced. This allows both efficient penetration and maximum in-situ core recovery in a variety of subsurface conditions.

Rotary drilling The company’s large fleet of rotary rigs and locally certified drilling crews tackle rotary drilling projects throughout the world for applications including dewatering, freeze holes, paste holes, mineral exploration,

Underground operations with an MDR rig at a gold mine in WA Australia Coring Magazine #8

Readying a T130 rig with hands-free rod handling equipment at a site in Australia geothermal, oil and gas pre-collars, cavern wells, injection/extraction holes, water test holes, and monitor wells. The teams have over 40 years of expertise using mud, air, reverse circulation, and proprietary dual-tube flooded-reverse methods.

Ever-increasing safety and productivity In order to solve a challenge for a mining client in Canada, Boart Longyear’s Drilling Services engineering team created a multiphase plan to add both functionality and mobility to their existing production drilling equipment. The original rig was slow to move and would hold up traffic on the ramp which cost the mine time and money. After careful planning, engineering and execution, a new StopeMaster™ MDR rig was created that could move quickly under its own power, maneuver in tight spaces, included handsFaster. Deeper. Safer.

free rod handling, and allowed for semiautonomous drilling with a new LMi control interface.

At BHP Billiton’s Olympic Dam mine in Australia, Drillings Services was able to leverage the advantages of the innovative drill controls and versatility found in its LM™ series of underground diamond core drill rigs to improve site-move times by 11% and increase monthly productivity by 13.5%.

The team also introduced rod-handling equipment as part of its diamond core drilling services which increased safety by reducing occurrences of hand injuries.

In the US, a large government water supplier asked Boart Longyear Drilling Services to expand its well production located within a residential zone. The challenge was drilling the well without exceeding the noise threshold of the zone’s ordinances–a maximum of 65 dBA. After proactively studying the ambient noise levels,

sound attenuation curtains were constructed and instead of using typical diesel/hydraulic rotary drills, the crew utilized a Boart Longyear™ LR™175 electric/hydraulic rotary drill with a quiet genset operating the electric motor and a self-contained electric mud system to successfully stay below the noise threshold. The result of all these efforts exceeded customer expectations providing a newly drilled well that produces 1500 gallons per minute (gpm); whereas other wells in the area produce an average of 200 gpm.

No matter who the client or where the project, Boart Longyear’s Drilling Services team is constantly looking at ways to improve on safety and productivity like these examples above. It’s not just about drilling holes, but getting the right information, improving the process, working safely, reducing environmental impact, and providing the best value to the customer. C 19

/PRODUCT REVIEW

The Sandvik DE712 core drill: Safety set as first priority Sandvik’s impressive addition to its range of DE700 series exploration drills

by Robert Ewanow, Product Marketing Manager Surface Drills & Exploration at Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology

20

Coring Magazine #8

Confirming its credentials for significant safety and reliability, the Sandvik DE700 series core drills for surface applications has sold more than 500 units globally since its official launch in 2005. Of particular note is the DE712 model which is based on the proven design of the Sandvik DE710.

In line with the company’s Safety First priority, the Sandvik DE712 meets worldwide safety standards, including CE marking and MDG 15 guidelines.

Capabilities include: Depth capacity of 1 126 m (3 693 ft) N size Feed force of 5.5 tonnes (12 000 lbf) Pull force of 9.3 tonnes (20 000 lbf).

Setting new benchmarks for safety and dependability The DE712 is simple to operate, boasting central pilot hydraulic controls of all drilling operations and radio remote-controlled tramming, to remove the operator from the rig. The remote control function is an enhancement on the previous model.

A motion alarm sounds when the rig is tramming. It features stepless rotation speed control and a self-propelled drill unit, and is supplied with a standard rotating rod guard with interlock to protect the operator. The DE712 also features hydraulically operated left-hand and right-hand walkways with safety handrails standard, and a DA510 Safe-T-Spin which is capable of making up and breaking out of rod joints during tripping operations. The certified FOPS is installed to protect the operator during the drilling operation.

‘With the improved design and features of the DE712 we’ve achieved even higher levels of reliability’ says George Tophinke, Global Product Line Manager at Sandvik.

‘We’ve been committed to covering every detail when it came to making refinements to our tried and true Sandvik DE710 rig. After listening very closely to our customers’ needs and preferences, we’ve incorporated them into the design of the DE712.’ Tophinke says that Sandvik is already receiving positive feedback about the rig’s performance, ease of use and productivity. ‘We’re proud of Faster. Deeper. Safer.

Sandvik DE712 Hero

the fact that the DE712 has truly raised the bar for exploration drilling operations worldwide.’

Advanced features born of solid experience Available in fuel efficient EU Stage 5 or Tier 3 diesel engine models, the DE712 features a ‘P’ size rotation unit with a chuck drive and hollow spindle. One rod clamp can support B, N, H, P and S rod sizes. Its wireline spooler increases the life of the rope, and also general uptime through its smooth rewinding. Plus, its fire suppression system is suitable for subzero climates.

To top it off, for shipping purposes the compact design of the DE712 fits into a 40ft high closed container. The arctic package can be fitted as an option and is both easy and cost effective to ship.

Outstanding options include: •

•

The DE712 N, H and P Jaw Kit – optional but highly recommended.

Includes chuck jaws and guides, plus rod holder jaws A high altitude boost system, enabling operation about 2 000 m plus (6 560 ft).

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/PRODUCT REVIEW

Solid Sandvik backup As ever, Sandvik stands by its reputation for world class aftermarket support and service.

Spare parts for the DE712, as well as the full range of tools and consumables for exploration startups and ongoing operations are available through Sandvik warehouses across the globe.

Sandvik’s wide range of exploration products include: •

Complete underground and surface core barrel systems, including inner tube consumables Full range of drill bits, reamers, PCD bits, casing shoes etc All sizes of diamond rods and casing Automatic core cutting saws Geological consumables Wedging tools Casing cutters Water swivels and hoisting plugs Full range of adaptor subs RC hammers and rods Dust suppression and sampling systems

• • • • • • • • • •

Plus the company offers competitive tooling packages with the sale of drill rigs, and can tailor suites of services to suit individual project requirements. C

Find out more For further information and technical details regarding the Sandvik DE712 core drill contact your local Sandvik Mining and Rock Technology sales office, or visit www.rocktechnology.sandvik.

Sandvik DE712 Control Panel

Coring Magazine is free for drilling contractors, manufacturers, mining and exploration companies and all individuals in the field.

Subscribe now: www.coringmagazine.com/subscribe/

22

Coring Magazine #8

TRUEST THREAD PROFILES FOR THE BEST FIT Featuring thread profiles in their truest form, Sandvik’s RP640 series R wireline drill rods has raised the bar for optimum fit and performance. Our high standards of material specifications, heat treatment and machining results in a top quality thread form.

And rather than accepting standard machined thread practices, Sandvik has introduced an environmentally friendly thread compound that significantly reduces the problem of thread galling.

Providing maximum depth capacity and pullback, the Sandvik RP640 R thread profile delivers best practice to all your deep hole drilling needs.

FIND OUT MORE AT ROCKTECHNOLOGY.SANDVIK Faster. Deeper. Safer.

23

/TOPIC: DRILLING HEALTH & SAFETY

Building a crew to work safely

by Mike Bernard, Drilling Health & Safety Specialist

Regardless of which drilling company you work for, how big the company is or how well the safety program supports the drilling effort, the safety measure that matters most is that which concerns the drill crew.

Without the combined leadership, knowledge and effort of the supervisor, driller and offsiders respectively, none of the company’s safety resources will mean much at the drill.

Safety is a big responsibility. This may sound like yet another safety guy telling you, ‘I’m only here to advise,’ but there is more to this article than offering pat advice. Safety is what you should practice when no one is looking because for 99% of the time that you spend at the drill, no one is looking. Shortcuts, bad habits and poor training can all creep in to damage your efforts.

Do not be afraid of this heavy responsibility.

There are tried and tested ways to ensure a safe crew. These techniques should form the basis of everything you do with your crew. The best part is that these methods can be practiced by anyone – safety does not have to be about the supervisor yelling until something is done right or the driller refusing to talk to the offsider until the offsider has figured out the task (yes, I’m old enough to have learned both ways!)

Orientation Every drill company has some kind of orientation program, whether it is two hours of filling out paperwork in your home office or two weeks spent watching people work with the drill. For our purposes, orientation is what is happening at the project site. The drill, equipment, site access, work locations (water stand, laydown, access points) and client requirements are all things your crew needs to know.

Orient the new crew member to the work site, the equipment and other crew members. Let them know they will be trained on all necessary equipment in due time, but they are not to operate any equipment without proper training. Proper training is always conducted by the current

Well-organized drill sites in Namibia, Australia, and Arizona 24

Coring Magazine #8

company on present equipment. We once had an employee get injured because a co-worker jumped on a skid loader that the employee had not been trained on, and it had cable winch controls that were installed backwards. The operator thought he was loosening the cable. Instead, he was tightening it on the offsider’s fingers.

Never assume a new crew member has learned everything they need to know from their experience on previous locations, cover everything using a checklist to make sure nothing has been forgotten. If there has been good training in the past it will show up during the new training, but the point of the training is to ensure bad habits are eliminated and that there is clear understanding of local standards and practices. Take time after training to observe the worker operating. Check communication, maintenance, inspections and technique. Do other team members understand the task? Is the driller giving them time to complete the task? Is the crew looking out for one another?

Set expectations ‘The least you accept is the most you can expect’ is how one former supervisor put it to me. Accept no shortcuts or sloppy work – performance will only get worse if you allow poor practices. Clear, patient communication is the best way to set

high expectations. This begins during orientation as you describe practices and policies. Things like, ‘rig moves are only during daylight hours’ or ‘No equipment operated by you until you have a signed training document.’ This can sound like a never-ending list of harsh rules if delivered from a list in a monotone but having a discussion with the worker where you include these standards as they arise helps retention and compliance.

Build the worker you want to see. Your entire crew is part of building a new worker. Respect, positive reinforcement and coaching are always best, even if you need to include criticism or corrective actions. Practice the ‘sandwich’ method of correcting someone. Positive first, then the item needing correction, then another positive. For instance: Positive: ‘You have great handwriting that makes it easier for the client to see the hole number and meterage when he can read the box clearly.’

Correction: ‘But the client pays us to tell him exactly where the sample is from, so recording the correct number of intercepted meters is the absolute priority when marking samples.’

Positive: ‘You are also stacking the boxes very neatly, which makes it easy for the client to know what the hole depth is and makes it easier to transport them.’

Crew were in a hurry and did not fit the last cover Faster. Deeper. Safer.

Kansas Then LISTEN. One of the hardest jobs a supervisor has is to shut up and listen.

Does the offsider know how many meters fit in a box? Does he know the current hole depth? Has he checked with the driller to check depth? Can he do the math to add the current meters to the previous count?

Maybe no one has ever told him why the numbers are important (the client pays us).

Unacceptable pin replacement 25

/TOPIC: DRILLING HEALTH & SAFETY

Or he is unsure which way to put core in the box (did he lose track of the top of the core barrel when carrying it to the box?

Training A national pizza chain in the US does not consider a new worker trained until they have been working a month. Working on a drill crew with all the safety demands, different equipment and changing locations is far more complex than building a pizza.

Yet we often wonder why a new offsider is still making mistakes after three days!

Equipment training Remember, you are enforcing the standards.

If the new driller is not operating the drill as safely as you wish, he requires more training.

I don’t care how many years he has been pulling levers.

What is your training technique? Training someone will always make you a better operator as you reinforce best practices.

As drillers and supervisors, we seldom have enough time to learn to be teachers too.

Do you grab the controls when your driller is having trouble? Do you yell instructions when the machine is screaming and everyone is wearing earplugs? One of the best techniques when things go wrong is to sit with a cup of coffee and talk about the problem before taking action.

Below is a simple method to teach someone a skill, but even this simple method requires time, patience and

Site inspection in Nevada 26

practice. (This technique expands on Steve Carwell’s ‘How to Teach Anyone Anything’.)

Do not try to rush the training. Make sure your employee has the current steps in place before adding more.

How to train people in anything Do it at full speed Seeing the process at full speed demonstrates the expectations for that part of the operation, but most importantly it reminds the trainer of the small, individual steps that will need explaining.

Do it slowly, explaining This is where you make sure you are telling the student why something is done that way. Are you removing the latch head with wrenches or a clamp on a stand? Which wrenches? Where are they stored for easy access (not on the ground!)? Is the next core barrel ready? Where is it kept for easy access?

How much grease do you pump into it? What parts are checked for wear each time? Why is the prepared barrel and latch head moved to the ready location before you dump core in the box?

Do it while the student explains You have just dumped a great deal of information on the student. Not only are you checking their understanding, you may be trying to communicate too much of the process at once. If the student struggles to remember the whole process, break it down a bit to ease understanding.

How long will it take to find what you need?

Explain while the student does it Your explanation is reinforcing your standards and expectations while the student is focusing on the motor skills and muscle memory required to complete the task. For students that are kinesthetic (learn by doing) learners, this is the most important step.

Don’t be afraid to repeat this step a few times while the student works out the necessary movements.

Student does it slowly and explains This step is often the most work for the instructor. You are listening to the explanation to ensure understanding but also

Utah Mountains. Muddy but Organized.

Coring Magazine #8

Organized storage to make sure that you covered each item. You are observing the process, watching hand and finger placement to avoid bad habits and providing hints that have helped you over the years. Did the student flip the spear tip down before moving the assembly? Such a small thing but an important habit to develop early!

Student demonstrates at full speed This will not be the same as the instructor’s full speed and it shouldn’t be. The instructor is once again looking for understanding, missed steps or awkward hand placement that will hurt after a 12-hour shift. I usually explain ‘full speed’ by asking the student to

practice smooth, certain movements. ‘If you start smooth, the speed will come. If you start fast, you may never be smooth.’ We can all think of the rammer-jammer operator that would have benefitted from slowing down a bit. Easier on the offsider, the equipment and in the end, on production.

Of course, everything takes time, which is the rarest and most important thing we have on a drill. Study after study has found that time spent training, setting things up correctly and correcting deficiencies as soon as possible pays off by resulting in more production with less downtime. Mike comments, ‘In the old days, we moved the drill and anything we needed to drill the first 20 meters. Everything else was moved as and when the assistant had the time. Sites were a mess, production was slow and people were hurt. Now, we move everything, set it up for safe production, conduct a check to make sure that nothing is forgotten, BEFORE we start drilling.’

Creating a safe crew requires a similar culture change. Everyone must understand the expectations for a safe and respectful workplace. No shortcuts are tolerated by any member on the crew. Questions are welcomed by everyone. Coaching is done respectfully. Everyone must be trained on the equipment they are to operate.

Both operators and procedures must be reviewed and audited to make sure they are practicing the safest methods possible. C

DIRECTIONAL

CORE DRILLING

SOLUTIONS

About the author Mike Bernard is a recently retired safety specialist who worked for Major Drilling for 25 years and as an underground miner for 15 years before that. He has worked both surface and underground projects in Africa, Latin America, North America and in Australia.

Mike can be contacted via email: utemike@yahoo.com

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27

/TOPIC: DRILLING HEALTH & SAFETY

DrillSafe: A new drill site safety initiative

by Colin Rice, Managing Director at Colin Rice Exploration and Training (Pty) Ltd

Much exploration drilling is conducted in remote locations, far away from mining activity, which means these operations can escape scrutiny from the prying eyes of a safety department! In the past, this situation was particularly true in South Africa where drill sites were rarely visited or inspected by safety personnel. As a result, standards were often poor, and many exploration drilling projects did not even come close to complying with the applicable legislation.

This has changed over the past ten years however, as the subject of safety on exploration drill sites has come sharply into focus driven primarily by South African’s onerous legislative requirements. As a result of this intense focus, the safety measures taken by the majority of South African exploration drilling contractors have improved significantly and are comparable with the best international companies.

This process has not been easy; many mistakes have been made along the way and we have learned some valuable lessons.

I believe there is value in sharing these lessons with our colleagues elsewhere in the world and that is what DrillSafe sets 28

out to achieve. The following three lessons are what DrillSafe helps exploration drilling professionals to be clear on.

Lesson 1: Know the law In South Africa, our legislation defines a mine as: ‘any borehole or excavation made for the purpose of intentionally searching for or winning a mineral.’

Every single exploration borehole, whether the hole is being drilled for a mining company, an exploration company or an individual, is ‘a mine’ and has to comply with all the regulations that apply to a mining operation. It does not matter if the borehole is 50 or 5 000 meters deep – all are subject to the same requirements.

Interestingly, the legislation excludes water from the definition of a mineral, so a water well drilled on a farm or a domestic property is not a ‘mine’ and does not have to comply with the formidable regulations that apply to an exploration borehole.

The Mine Health and Safety Act (1996) is the primary piece of legislation in South Africa governing mining (and therefore exploration) activities, but, as the name implies, the Act was written to regulate mining and not exploration drilling activities.

Like all legislation, the Act is long and dense with legalese, which makes it difficult for the layman to interpret precisely what sections apply to an exploration operation.

As a consequence of this barrier, many contractors do not fully understand what their legal obligations are and, more importantly, they often do not understand what their legal liabilities are. This is a significant problem that exposes both

contractors and mining or exploration companies alike to every possible legal dispute in the event of an accident.

It is crucial that we all have a pretty good understanding of what our legal responsibilities are in the country in which we are operating.

Lesson 2: Understand the nature of drill site hazards Exploration drilling entails an extremely complex set of interrelated processes carried out by people of differing

An example of a poorly maintained overshot–this grease nipple has clearly not seen grease for some considerable time.

Coring Magazine #8

experiences and skill sets, using highpowered equipment in a variety of environments. Unless we have a very clear understanding of these interrelationships, we cannot begin to understand the hazards associated with an exploration operation, and contractors and mining companies will be exposed to significant risks. Until we all have this understanding we cannot develop an effective safety management system.

After working over many years with mining, exploration, manufacturing and contracting companies, it has become plain to see that the level of understanding about hazards associated with drilling operations is not always high enough. It is critical that all operational personnel have the ability to effectively identify every hazard associated with each activity that is part of a drilling operation.

Lesson 3: We must share safety knowledge In South Africa, it is a legal requisite that accidents in mines (and therefore exploration operations) are reported to our authorities. Accidents are ‘graded’ according to their severity, but regardless of their grade all Lost Time Injuries will trigger a full investigation of the causes of the accident.

Unfortunately, the detail of these accidents gets swallowed up in the paperwork for other mining incidents. We do not have a database of drilling-specific incidents and accidents, nor do we have a readily accessible database of accident or incident alerts.

In many countries, Australia is a good example, there is a mechanism to share accident alerts through either a state regulated structure or through a national structure.

There is no doubt that one of the most effective mechanisms that we could use to improve safety performance is the sharing of knowledge gained from incidents and accidents – yet South Africa does not have such a mechanism in place.

How we tackled the problem In October 2017 we decided to re-launch an initiative aimed at addressing the three issues described above – DrillSafe, www.drillsafe.co.za. (Initially launched in 2013, it was redesigned last year.)

Faster. Deeper. Safer.

A spring-centered control lever held in position by a rubber band. Spring entered hydraulic control valves are fitted on winch controls for a specific purpose, this is an extremely dangerous practice unfortunately frequently observed on drill sites.

DrillSafe is a web-based initiative through which we publish, first, a series of technical articles on major drill site hazards such as rotating drill rods, hoisting operations, wireline retrieval and high-pressure hoses. We do not believe that you can fully understand the hazards associated with rotating drill rods, for example, if you do not have a good understanding of the mechanical properties of drill rod material, the different grades of steel used in the manufacture of drill rods and the characteristics and efficiency of the different thread designs available. In these articles we delve deeply into the technical aspects of such issues.

Secondly, we also publish a series of articles on the legal aspects of exploration drilling. In these we examine the regulations that impact on exploration activities and we interpret them into easy to understand

requirements. It is interesting that these ‘legal’ articles are one of the most popular parts of the website – even though they are based on South African legislation they are read by people around the world because similar regulations are applicable in many other countries.

Thirdly, DrillSafe addresses the need for knowledge transfer concerning accidents and incidents. We consider this exchange of information to be an essential part of the initiative and so we manage it in a specific way. When we become aware of an incident or accident, we ‘anonymize’ it by removing any reference to a person, a place, a product or manufacturer – our interest is only in sharing information from the incident.

While we consider this part of DrillSafe to be of huge importance, it is the one that we struggle with the most. There isn’t a mining company in the world that does not devote 29

/TOPIC: DRILLING HEALTH & SAFETY

a huge amount of space on their websites or other publications to their ‘commitment to safety’ yet very few are willing to share safety information – in fact, several mining companies have a policy to not share safety information! This is astounding and extremely disappointing. Let me give you some examples: A few years ago, I was involved in an accident investigation in which a drill rig assistant was asked to climb up the mast of a drill rig to correct something that was out of place. He placed his foot on one of the struts and had half of his left foot amputated when the rotation head was lowered. Neither the mining company nor the contractor gave us permission to publish a safety alert, in fact we were threatened with legal action if we did!

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An artisan was fatally injured when the steel wire rope on a utility winch snapped.

Again, this information has not been released by the mining company.

A pulldown rope on a top drive drill snapped while hoisting the drill string – there were no injuries but there certainly could have been. Again no information has been shared.

These are just some examples of the type of incidents that we are conscious of and which the industry as a whole should be made aware of – no matter where in the world we are operating. DrillSafe is trying to fill this gap.

While the DrillSafe initiative is based in South Africa, it has attracted enormous international appeal – as at mid-July, the website has received visitors from 139 countries (according to the United Nations,

there are only 196 countries in the world), which suggests the initiative is fulfilling a need in the industry.

DrillSafe is a genuine attempt to improve levels of safety performance in the exploration industry and to do this we invite companies and organizations from around the world to join us and contribute by sharing information and experiences. C

For more info: Email colin.rice@colinrice.co.za Website www.drillsafe.co.za

Coring Magazine #8

DIAMOND BITS FOR OPTIMAL PRODUCTIVITY The advanced matrix technology of Sandvik’s RV400X/RZ400X series diamond core bits delivers unsurpassed balance between best penetration rates and optimum bit life.

Understanding composition and application is critical to the success of any drilling program. The comprehensive RV400X/RZ400X range of impregnated bits offers the ideal solution for your particular project, no matter how extreme the formation. From free cutting to the most difficult, unconsolidated conditions, trust Sandvik for the perfect diamond bit for your core drilling needs, every time.

FIND OUT MORE AT ROCKTECHNOLOGY.SANDVIK Faster. Deeper. Safer.

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/TOPIC: DRILLING HEALTH & SAFETY

Personal Protective Equipment

Facts you may not know

by Martina Samarova, Marketing and Communications Manager at Coring Magazine

For this edition of Coring Magazine, which is dedicated to safety, we decided to look at the current standards regulating personal protective equipment (PPE), to report on the lesser known facts and present them to our readers. This article sets out to give you helpful tips, enrich your PPE knowledge and help you make the right choice when it comes to safety equipment. With so many brands on the market today, it can be difficult to tell the good equipment from the bad. The first step should always be to check a product for an internationally recognized safety mark or guarantee, such as ANSI, ISO, EN, AS, etc. Below we will discuss the current models and latest safety specifications for each type of personal protective equipment.

Safety helmets Safety helmets (or hard hats) are among the most important pieces of personal protective equipment. Their main purpose is to provide shock absorption and protect the head from falling objects, water and electrical hazards.

Hard hats were patented by Edward Dickinson Bullard, who owned a company for mining equipment. At first Bullard sold protective hats, made of leather. By 1919 he came up with the idea to sell hats made of steamed canvas, glue and black paint, which were called hard-boiled hats. The hard-boiled hats enjoyed great success among workers, so Bullard continued to develop and improve them and even added an internal harness suspension system. In 1938, he introduced hats made of aluminum. Two years later aluminum was replaced by fiberglass and by 1950 hard hats were made of thermoplastics.

Today, hard hats are made of different materials – polyethylene, polycarbonate resin, resin-impregnated textiles, aluminum, fiberglass. Polyethylene is the most preferred and is widely used for the shells of hard hats produced for the drilling industry. Other components, like the harness, are usually made of vinyl and nylon.

Regular hard hats are called Type I but there are also Type II hard hats that are rarely used.

While Type I hats mostly protect the upper part of the head from impacts, Type II protect both the upper and the side areas. This is achieved with an additional layer of foam that covers the whole inner surface of the helmet. Besides protection from side blows, it provides additional protection to the head

from impacts from above (harness + foam).

This is very important in drilling as there are many risks related to side blows when users are engaged in drill site activities. Impacts can occur during manual or automated rod handling, in the event of flying objects, or even when a person slips and falls on the ground. So, the Type II helmet can be considered an upgrade to the common type and therefore is strongly recommended.

On the negative side, it is more expensive, slightly heavier than the Type I hat, and the foam makes your head hotter, which is uncomfortable unless outside temperatures are low. However, such problems will in most cases be minor considerations, compared to the extra safety that Type II provides.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of the US Labor Department, helmets fall into different classes depending on the level of protection they provide – Class C, G or E. Class C (conductive) is light and comfortable to wear, offers impact and penetration protection, but it does not protect from electrical hazards.

Class G (general) guarantees protection from penetration and voltage protection up to 2Â 200 volts. Class E (electrical) has the qualities of both C and G and endures up to 20 000 volts.

Manufacturers put hard hats under different control tests in order to check their flammability and penetration endurance.

For example, hard hats are tested in extremely cold or hot environments prior to every experiment as this reveals whether temperature amplitudes change their qualities. Make sure you do not use helmets

The safety advice and information given in this article was sourced from a number of standards agencies and drilling industry websites as well as statutory guidance, which we provide at the end.

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Coring Magazine #8

Hard Hats Type I and Type II © 2018 MSA — The Safety Company msasafety.com that have low endurance factors and inspect them before every use. In the event of an impact they should be replaced immediately even if there is no visible damage to the shell.

Users must not put hoods, winter hats or baseball caps under the hard hat unless they are specially made for that purpose by the manufacturer as this may reduce the hat’s protective qualities and put the wearer’s life at risk. Helmets should not be painted as this can make them less effective when it comes to electrical hazards. If a user wants to put stickers on the hat, this should comply with the manufacturer’s instructions. Only nonmetallic and pressure-sensitive stickers are considered safe. A suitable place to put them would be 20 mm from the edge. Stickers should never be used as a means to hide cracks or holes. Users should refrain from

This symbol indicates that a hard hat can be worn backwards Faster. Deeper. Safer.

putting papers, packs of cigarettes or other items between the shell and the suspension as this may make the hat less efficient.

All helmets should have labels that inform the wearer of the manufacturer, class, standard, manufacturing data, etc. Make sure you are aware of what type of helmet you are wearing. If necessary, request this information from your employer.

A very important part of the hard hat is the chin strap. The chin strap is often underestimated and many models do not even have it. This is the only detail that prevents the hat from falling down and may be really helpful, especially if side blows occur. It is recomended for every user to chose a hat with a chin strap that can be tighly fastened, despite the discomfort that it may cause.

When stored for longer periods of time, helmets should not be exposed to direct sunlight, heat or humidity. Inappropriate storage may damage them and put your life at risk. Cleaning is a must! It should be done only according to the instructions of the manufacturer as strong cleaning compounds and chemicals can damage the plastic of the shell. The best and easiest method is to use just lukewarm water and soap.

Some users tend to wear their hard hats backwards. This is acceptable only as long as the helmet has the corresponding symbol. If not, your hard had is not reversible.

Make sure your helmet can be used at very low or very high temperatures. According to the ANSI/ISEA Z89.1-2009 standard, an LT stamp on the hard hat means that it has been tested at -30° C (-22° F) , while a HT mark informs that the hard hat meets performance criteria after having been preconditioned to higher temperatures (60°C; 140°F).

When it comes to high visibility, know that hard hats marked with HV indicate that the hat meets all the testing requirements of the standard for high-visibility colors.

This includes tests for chromaticity and luminescence.

Users should replace their hard hat when the shiny surface appears dull or chalky, if the shell becomes brittle, or if cracks appear in the shell. It is very important to remember that hard hats do have a limited lifetime and eventually they expire. The lifetime of a helmet is 2–5 years but if an accident occurs, it must be changed immediately.

Safety glasses Safety glasses protect the eyes from flying objects like metal and wood particles, sparks, splashes of harmful fluids and such like.

There are different types of eye protection equipment – safety spectacles, goggles, welding shields, laser safety goggles and face shields.

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TOPIC: DRILLING HEALTH & SAFETY

The first pair was made and patented in 1880

by P. Johnson, who sought to protect the eyes of firemen and all workers exposed to bright light. Garrett Morgan patented a gas mask that included safety glass 34 year later.

Wearing safety glasses became a common practice in different industries after World War II though.

The most common material for lenses is polycarbonate. In 2001 another material called Trivex was introduced. Trivex lenses are lighter, thicker, and more resistant to impact and chemicals. Furthermore, they provide sharper central vision and better clarity.

Both polycarbonate and Trivex are prone to scratches but there are modern scratchresistant coatings that can make their surfaces nearly as hard as glass. Some glasses with scratch-resistant coatings often carry a K mark on the lenses.

Some anti-fog coatings last longer than others. They can remain effective for more than 25 washes and withstand disinfection by soaking in diluted bleach or by using alcohol wipes without losing their antifog performance. Glasses with an anti-fog coating may be marked with an N. Note that the lack of K and N markings does not necessarily mean there is no additional coating on the lenses. Different standards may use different markings to indicate the types of coatings. The best way to make sure that the glasses have an anti-fog and scratchresistant coating is to check the instructions provided by the manufacturer or ask the distributor before you purchase them.

The best way to clean your safety glasses is to use a lens cleaning kit or lens-cleaning towelettes.

There are safety glasses that are specially made for users with corrective lenses and even fit over corrective glasses.

Safety glasses which are made in accordance with the ANSI standards have the name of their manufacturer on the frame or in the corner of the lenses as well as other different markings.

The best safety glasses will protect not only the eyes but the temples as well. They must be wide enough but not too heavy as users usually wear then all day long.

Safety glasses should have zero-distortion lenses as these do not strain the eyes.

Distortion is usually caused if the lenses are made of recycled materials. That is why it is really important to buy safety glasses with high-quality virgin lenses.

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Safety glasses If you are working with safety glasses that have UV protection and you want to tell whether they have lenses with distortion, you can conduct the following experiment. While holding the glasses in your hand, direct the lenses to a random focal point and look at the objects that are reflected in them. Slowly move the glasses and check how the objects change. If the lenses are distortion free, the reflected objects will look normal. If they are not, the images will bend and appear rippled.

It is very important for all employers to provide high-quality safety glasses as usually drillers wear them all day long.

When the lenses are of poor quality, the eyes compensate for the distortion and will become strained.

Safety shoes The first safety shoes were made in the early twentieth century; before that, people used leather shoes or clogs made of wood to protect their feet. Safety shoes are recommended for all people who are at risk of foot injuries. According to OSHA, protective footwear is most needed when the work process involves heavy and sharp objects, molten metal, or liquids that may damage the skin. Safety shoes are usually made of leather and rubber, with plastic or metal elements for enhanced protection.

In the event of a hazard, they should prevent your toes, metatarsal bones, and heels from getting hurt. Safety shoes should be heat and water resistant but breathable.

They should have oil and slip resistant outsoles. The best models have shock absorption footbeds, moisture and antimicrobial linings. Note that models without

Metatarsal boots Š 2018 L.P. ROYER INC royer.com laces are easier to put on and take off but if you prefer models with lacing, choose the ones with speed hooks for easy lacing.

In addition, employers should pay attention to the type of laces provided on safety footwear as some do not hold a knot well.

Some users spend more than eight working hours on their feet and as a result they often suffer from swelling and blisters.

Uncomfortable footwear can seriously damage the feet and cause medical conditions like plantar fasciitis (heel pain) and even back pain. Users can avoid these side effects by wearing orthopedic safety shoes.

These shoes are designed to support every part of the foot and guarantee that you will feel comfortable throughout the day.

The most common safety shoes worn today are composite toe shoes. In the course of time they have proven to be more effective than steel toe shoes. Composite toe shoes are more comfortable to wear, they weigh less and do not conduct heat or electricity.

The safest foot wear for drilling is the metatarsal boot. Besides the standard safety features, they additionally provide protection to the fragile metatarsal bones. Metatarsal boots can have external or internal guards, or a combination thereof (external + internal).

The guards are made of thick pieces of plastic that are impact resistant and placed over the laces in the metatarsal area. They are rarely used in diamond drilling, but they are strongly recommended.

Safety gaiters Not only feet but also the lower legs can be exposed to hazards, so it is equally important to keep them safe. In addition Coring Magazine #8

Gaiters or ‘perneiras’ to all the usual work-related risks, drilling industry workers face the danger of being bitten by poisonous snakes. For this reason lower leg protection can really be a life saver. In order to avoid being bitten by venomous reptiles, workers often use safety gaiters. Gaiters cover the area between the foot and the knee. They are made of PVC laminate, three polypropylene splints, electronic welding and other synthetic materials.

They offer protection not only from snakes, but also from abrasive, exfoliating, thermal agents, and welding processes.

In some countries like Brazil gaiters or ‘perneiras’ are a compulsory part of PPE for drilling jobs.

Ear protection Exposing yourself to loud noises can damage your hearing. Hearing loss can happen instantly or gradually and in most cases is irreversible. For that reason people who are exposed to noises at or higher than 85 decibels should wear hearing protection.

The two types of hearing protection recommended for the drilling industry are ear plugs and earmuffs. Earplugs have been used since ancient times when they were made of wax or clay. The earplugs that we use today became popular in the twentieth century. The first earmuffs were patented in 1877 by a teenager called Chester Greenwood, who had very sensitive ears and aimed to protect them from the cold.

Of the two, ear plugs provide better sound protection as they block sounds with both low- and mid-range frequencies whereas earmuffs usually block only midFaster. Deeper. Safer.

range frequency sounds. Ear plugs may be difficult to fit. But some of them are made of silicone or foam, which makes them moldable. If you are using foam plugs, you have to roll them with your hands, gently pull your ear and then put the plug into the ear canal. The foam will expand, giving you maximum protection. Ear plugs can be disposable and reusable. Reusable ones are easy to clean with soap and water. Ear plugs for multiple use can be worn between 2–4 weeks but you have to make sure that they are properly cleaned with soap and lukewarm water. Because of the risk of infection, multiple-use ear plugs are not recommended.

Earmuffs are easier to use in noisechanging environments such as on a drill rig. Earmuffs protect not only the ear canal but the outer part of the ear as well.

They are more comfortable and are the recommended ear protection type when drilling. Keep it in mind that earmuffs can lose some of their protection if they are incompatible with the safety glasses or the helmet that you use, so for that reason make sure you have compatible kinds. It is very important for earmuffs to be inspected regularly and replaced every 6–8 months. This is often neglected. Old or damaged earmuffs would not provide maximum protection and may put your hearing at risk.

Electronic earplugs and earmuffs protect from loud sounds but allow you to hear quieter sounds like speech.

Sometimes it is hard to tell whether you are being exposed to less than 85 dB or more. So here is a practical rule. If people, who are at about one meter’s distance from you, can hear you only if you shout, it is time for some hearing protection.

Final advice Always make sure you have and wear all the requisite PPE at the right time. Keeping spare ear and eye protection within hand’s reach is a must. Request the manufacturer’s safety specs for the PPE you have and get familiar with it. Immediately replace any failed PPE. Never neglect the manufacturer’s instructions for the use of PPE. And last, but not least, make sure your employer knows you care about what kind of PPE they provide you with. Obviously, for that purpose you need to know what to ask about – we hope this article will help you with that. C

References and further reading Standards agencies ANSI (American National Safety Institute) ISEA (International Safety Equipment Association)

Statutory guidance United States www.osha.gov – Website of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of the US Labor Department.

Especially see: www.osha.gov/Publications/ osha3151.pdf Canada Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/ prevention/ppe/ European Union European Agency for Safety and Health at Work See especially the Regulation (EU) 2016/425 on personal protective equipment: www.osha.europa.eu/en/ legislation/directive/regulationeu-2016425-personal-protectiveequipment

Industry websites Forklift Accessories www.forkliftaccessories.com/ forkliftblog/10-weird-facts-abouthard-hats-you-probably-didntknow MSA–The Safety Company www.msasafety.com ROYER www.royer.com

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/DIRECTIONAL DRILLING

30 years of directional core drilling

by Rune Lindhjem, Product Manager at Devico

2018 marks the 30th year since Devico was established with the ambitious goal of becoming the world leader within directional core drilling (DCD) technology. Over these 30 years, the company has grown from a two-man operation outside Trondheim, Norway, to a multinational corporation providing directional coring services worldwide.

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In the mid-80s Viktor Tokle, the founder of Devico, was involved in borehole surveying, and noticed how most holes would deviate from their intended, straight path. He started working on an idea to control borehole deviation, and developed the first directional core barrel prototype in 1986. In 1988 this DEVIation COntrol tool led to the incorporation of Devico.

Even though the initial idea was to control natural deviation, it was quickly realized that a directional core barrel had potential to be used for many other areas of application as well. One of the first commercial use cases was a mineral exploration project for LKAB in Northern Sweden. The purpose of utilizing directional drilling was to overcome the natural deviation forcing the holes away from the ore zone and steer the initial hole to a very accurate target intersection, then go back up a few hundred meters to sidetrack and steer a branch hole to a second target.

With this method the holes would hit their

intended targets, and several hundreds of meters could be saved compared to drilling the second target with a new hole from the surface.

A very different type of project followed the completion of the work in Sweden. Devico was now hired to drill horizontal pilot holes for drainage tunnels in Trondheim. The idea was to drill straight holes with a small incline and ream these up to the tunnel diameter.

The incline would secure stable flow and prevent the need for pumping stations, thereby avoiding expensive and continuous service and maintenance costs. The project was completed successfully with 11 holes drilled up to 250 m in length with average deviation of less than 0.1%, and shortly followed by similar projects for other cities in Norway.

In the following years the technology was also taken into use in geotechnical investigation projects for tunnels and underground caverns. This involved a Coring Magazine #8

Drilling in northern Sweden in the 1980s

Directional core drilling along tunnel alignment

different type of directional drilling, with much larger changes in both azimuth and inclination, for instance turning a borehole from a start inclination of 45 degrees to 0 degrees in order to follow the planned horizontal tunnel alignment. The core samples retrieved gave the design engineers very detailed and relevant information about location, magnitude and properties of each weak zone and rock formation. Such holes were completed for prestigious projects like the Shinkansen high-speed railway in Japan, and under famous landmarks like the Manhattan Bridge in New York City.

Orientation and survey tools

DeviDrill development In the 80s and 90s, conventional core drilling was still quite common, and the initial DeviDrill systems were developed for this method of drilling. Devico developed a wide range of systems based on market demand, and in the late 90s could offer directional core drilling technology for most standard sizes ranging from 56 mm to P-size (117 mm).

Conventional drilling, however, meant that only one drill run (3 meters) could be completed at one time before the whole drill string had to be pulled out of the hole to retrieve the core sample. As this method could be quite labor intensive and inefficient, especially in deeper holes, the wireline technique became more common, and soon the market demanded a wireline version of the DeviDrill. The first prototype was developed in 2000 and enabled drilling of long directional sections without having to retrieve it from the hole. Since then the DeviDrill WL has evolved into becoming the worldwide standard in directional core drilling.

Faster. Deeper. Safer.

The most vital part of directional drilling is knowing the orientation and direction of the core barrel. Initially, Devico used standard surveying technology both for setting the drilling orientation of the DeviDrill and for surveying the achieved deviation. These technologies were somewhat cumbersome to use with the directional core barrel and it was quickly realized that more adapted instruments were necessary to get a more efficient system.

Already in the early 90s a system using drill mud pulsation was developed. This consisted of an instrument with gravity detectors that measured the rotation angle of the DeviDrill and a system to signal through the drill mud when a pre-programmed orientation had

been achieved. The result was a much faster orientation and quicker start of drilling, and the system was successfully used until the conventional drills were finally retired about 10 years ago.

When the wireline DeviDrill was prepared it was found that an orientation tool placed in the inner tube assembly would be best solution, and the first DeviTool EMS was brought to life. This tool was designed to be more robust than what was typically common, as it was required to spin along with the drill rods during drilling. Following the success of the DeviTool a miniature magnetic version was designed to survey through the drill bit along with a non-magnetic tool for use in magnetic environments. A core orientation tool was also developed, making Devico a supplier of the full range of directional drilling and surveying technology.

DeviHead core orientation integrated in head assembly 37

/DIRECTIONAL DRILLING

International market Norway is a country with a long history of mining, however, due to recession and lower metal prices most of the mining activity ceased in the 80s and early 90s, just in the period Devico was working to get their technology established in the market.

That meant an international focus became necessary right from the start, which was challenging without the communication channels we are used to nowadays.

The best way to succeed was to take the opportunities that arose and work hard to achieve the expectations of the clients.

Results from the geotechnical projects in Norway and mining work in neighboring countries would then bring the word about the technology to other international markets.

Slowly but surely the awareness of directional coring spread, and the technology really started gaining worldwide attention after the release of the wireline version in 2000. Devico now has distributors and representatives in all main mining markets and a technology that has been used in a growing list of more than 60 countries across the six continents.

Current status and future Since the full range of products was developed in early 2000, Devico has been working with the market to improve its products and develop new technology and methodology. These developments include,

Curved core sample from directional coring

among others, continuous non-magnetic survey technology, core orientation built into the head assembly, rig alignment and positioning products and intuitive Android based user interfaces for most instruments.

Devico is now celebrating 30 years by moving into brand new, purpose-built office and manufacturing facilities in Trondheim, and has also invested in a local test drill rig facility that significantly reduces time to

market for new products. As the company is finishing its first 30 years as a pioneer within directional core drilling and borehole surveying, it is preparing for the next 30 by focusing more than ever on research and development of new products and technologies. As a result, several exciting new releases of both directional drilling and survey tools can be expected in the near future. C

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Coring Magazine #8

Faster. Deeper. Safer.

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/DIRECTIONAL DRILLING

Directional Drilling in Rajasthan, India

by David R. Walker, Managing Director at Terra Walker Drilling

Background

The project

Terra Walker Drilling, led by David Walker, was awarded exploration drilling in 2016

by Vedanta – Hindustan Zinc Ltd in Zawar Mines, Rampura Agucha Mines and Kayad Mines, Central West in the state of Rajasthan (India).

The company started surface exploration drilling at two different underground mines in the area in mid-2016, and is now expanding to underground drilling, looking for shallow - to deep-seated zinc, silver and lead deposits.

Terra Walker has mobilized seven state-ofthe-art surface drill rigs for the project. These all-terrain surface drilling rigs have drilling capacities of 600–2500 meters, while the hole depths range from 650 meters to 1800 meters.

The scope of work required the team to plan drill holes capable of reaching deep targets within 15 m x 15 m spacing. This task and the geological constraints as well as certain drilling difficulties made directional drilling necessary, so steel and retrievable wedges were utilized to execute the program.

One of the difficulties was that some of the drill pads were confined, so we are drilling three separate legs off of the mother hole. The targets are deep and small, so borehole accuracy is critical. We have our own in-house geologists who monitor this activity continuously. Another challenge was that we had to drill a few drill holes with very precise trajectories. At this point, Terra Walker contacted International Directional Services (IDS) for advice on a suitable downhole steerable motor that could

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complete the drill holes and hired them as the directional drilling supplier. Directional drilling has helped intersect these targets in tough geological conditions (vertically, highly fractured rock), with well-defined natural deviation.

During the more complicated directional tasks IDS supported Terra Walker by providing training on the hole planning and operational set-up and supporting the maintenance of their downhole motors. An IDS representative spent time out in the field ensuring that the Terra Walker crew understood the plan and he cleared up any operational concerns. The support provided by IDS extended to help with preparing an operating manual for the crew detailing the best and easiest methods for using a downhole motor.

Execution We are now running the downhole motor from a depth of around 350 meters up to 750 meters with an average correction of 35–70 meters per run (inclusive of correction).

Coring Magazine #8

We are planning some critical corrections in the near future to save on measured-depth drilling to achieve competitive corehole completions.

The future holds a multiple years-long program of multilateral holes, up to three from the mother hole. We have organized all the equipment and accessories necessary to take up the challenge and are confident that our team will successfully fulfil the job’s requirement and complete the coreholes as per plan.

Most of the completed holes have been successfully navigated with precision. The results from the IDS downhole motors are encouraging, and the project will most probably be extended – there are plans to keep two rigs engaged for running the downhole motors. The client has plans for more aggressive exploration and Terra Walker is hopeful that they will increase their directional fleet with another set very soon.

Additional rigs are currently being deployed as TWD has been awarded an underground contract at another Vedanta-HZL property, Rampura Agucha Mines.

Terra Walker Drilling plans to use all the latest technologies like downhole motors, core orientation, TN14 Gyro and continuous monitoring by Multishot Survey Tools. The company has established the best safety practices in India, which combined with its deep knowledge and expertise, achieve the best results possible. C

Terra Walker Drilling Team

About the author David R. Walker, Managing Director of Terra Walker Drilling, has extensive experience in the drilling industry, with over 25 years in the business. He is the founder and President of Walker Drilling in Canada and under his able guidance, Walker Drilling has developed a strong value-based international clientele.

A visionary in his field, David believes in setting the highest standards and developing best practices. He is committed to capacity building and skill development in his personnel, and envisions that Terra Walker Drilling will soon emerge as a game modifier in the drilling industry.

Website: www.terrawalker.in Drilling in India Faster. Deeper. Safer.

Mud motor training with IDS 41

/MINERAL EXPLORATION

The creation of a validated structural geospatial workflow using oriented drill core

by Francine Long, P. GEO, Senior Geologist at Nordmin Engineering Ltd.

The importance of using structural data in every discipline within geology cannot be overemphasized.

Dedicated geologists spend enormous amounts of time collecting critical structural data. This same dedication should be used to validate and plot the data into products for use as tools to make sound geological decisions, interpretations, and validation of structure, lithological, and resource models.

Insufficient oriented-core structural datasets being collected on various project sites or access to this data is a significant issue that could delay the development of spatial workflows.

I had the good fortune to work with Moneta Porcupine whose team had been collecting orientated drill core over a period of years with the intent to use the data to make sound geological decisions. This case study focuses on the methodology I used with Moneta Porcupine to create a ‘Validated Structural Geospatial Workflow’ 42

and the geological aids and products which came out of these collaborative efforts.

Note: the dataset used in this case study is fictitious and for demonstration purposes only.

Background For over ten years I have been working with geological datasets in various 2D-3D software platforms. Early on I coined the phrase ‘Validated Geospatial Workflow’ to communicate my database goals to my colleagues and managers. The phrase emphasizes such ideas as the importance of validating historic data, especially for preventing the repetition of mistakes, such as incorrect conversions of historic database projections. Equally important to validating historic data is the validation of new or current dataset collection procedures. Any collection of geological data will only ever be as robust as the quality assurance and quality control (‘QA/ QC’) measures that are implemented throughout the geological dataset collection process.

Validated Geospatial Workflows are often created by a database/GIS geologist in which one of their roles and responsibility becomes overseeing the input of geological data, the QA/QC of both past and present 2D and 3D geological data and overseeing the current geological data

collection procedures. These workflows ensure quality control measures are set, communicated, and established along every step of the process, as much as is humanly possible, to prevent data errors.

This role often encompasses reviewing all past and current geological collection data procedures and methodologies. Database geologists will ensure the appropriate steps are validated, suggest possible solutions to increase production or make a process more efficient for all end-users, and ensure

Figure 1 - Discussion of orientated core procedures at Moneta Porcupine Core Shed Coring Magazine #8

the standardization of that dataset across collaborations between one geologist collecting data and the next geologist taking the same type of data. Synergies will always be crucial when attempting to establish difficult workflows that have many components, difficulties, and room for error.

Sample validated structural geospatial workflow Below is a sample list of validation steps.

This is the methodology used by Moneta Porcupine to accomplish its goals and it can be used as guide to create your own project-specific validation checklist.

Dig into the past Ask geological loggers questions about the instruments, procedures, and methods they currently use and what they know about the past data processing or the post-processing that occurs after the structure data is collected. Keep a strict timeline. Know what structural data was collected before you begin tackling this exercise.

It is important to remember that historic structural data may have been collected with different tools or conventions which may differ from present day data collection methodologies and establishing a timeline of data collection is key.

Teamwork Do not assume. Ensure every logger in the team is consistently using the same quality control procedures. Work through this together as a team. Establish a feedback system, where the structural data collection feeds back into the geologist’s interpretations, to see if the interpretations make sense. Moneta Porcupine employed teamwork and collaboration to discuss the different scenarios that may arise and how to handle them, ensuring consistency.

Ensure the team knows the procedures for the drill contractor’s collection methods and for marking the orientated core in the field (a good example of this practice was discussed by Author Brett K. Davis in the article ‘Oriented drill core’ of Issue 2 (2016).

Discuss the common mistakes that can occur with this type of data collection.

Faster. Deeper. Safer.

Discuss the structural collection procedure and rehearse it together.

Ask questions, such as: What qualifies as orientated core with a high confidence level, and what does not qualify?

What qualifies as proper collection?

What are the various methods loggers use to determine how confident they are in the orientated core?

What methodologies are followed when pieces of core are ground up/faulted and are in-between core that matches up well?

How many and what type of measurements do we take? How are they being recorded in a way useful to making useable observations down the line?

Is the cut line taken from the top or the bottom of the core (important for plotting parameters)?

Are the structural measurements going to be recorded as a ‘from’ or a ‘to’ point, or will this be a collection from a midpoint measurement? (We had geologists doing both types of this collection style.)

Cross reference core photos with structural plotting products.

Create a rock launcher to look at what the measurement would look like in the field.

Issues identified and remedied early in Moneta Porcupine’s program were the scale (amount) of the measurements being collected, and the timely singlehanded post-processing calculation being done on each structural measurement by each geologist. This created quality control on many levels and eliminated the discrepancies between data collection methods, confusion on the top/bottom reference line, and helped in identifying the historic changes which were made to the database to meet the specific guidelines of one geological software program. These problems were addressed and corrected one by one only through teamwork and collaboration with each person in Moneta Porcupine’s geological team.

Figure 2 - Displays high intensity of structural measurements taken along one drill hole and significant intercepts along that drill trace to ground in truth the continuation of the fold structures along the Thompson Nickel Belt along Thompson East.

Field work became a valuable tool as it allowed me to gain regional scale perspective when plotting and overlaying soil samples or structural measurements onto geological maps. This scale now varied dramatically compared to looking at structural measurements taken downhole off orientated core.

When the Moneta Porcupine team began looking at plotting oriented-core structure measurements along drill hole traces, we had to first discuss the scale (amount) of

Scale Early on in my career I received field work mentorship from senior geologists.

One summer I spent in a canoe with a Brunton compass collecting structural measurements along the edges of the shoreline. Our purpose was simple, attempt

Figure 3 - Kenometer tool used to collect orientated structural core 43

/MINERAL EXPLORATION

measurements being taken (Figure 2).

There was repetition of many similar measurements taken along drill traces making it not only time consuming, but difficult to validate and create interpretations from this data. The team determined ways to extract out the key measurements from these datasets and as our confidence grew alongside our knowledge of our geological model, the team became better at identifying what to highlight as key structural measurements.

Below is a drill hole providing an example of high intensity vein collection on the top of the hole and the limited collection where significant intercepts lie closer to the bottom of the drill hole. The scale of data collection in any setting, be it regional mapping or orientated core, is impossible to ignore. Discussions were required to ensure relevant and timely information was collected and fed back into the modelling goals to aid in decision-making.

Figure 4 - Example of post-processing alpha-beta structural data using a batch process to calculate dip-dip direction

Collection and postprocessing of structural data Moneta Porcupine collected alpha-beta angles primarily using a tool called a kenometer (Figure 3) to perform the Structural Plotting Parameters.

The data exists as alpha-beta angles and can be plotted relative to hole, with the Structural Reference Line being the ‘top’ of the core in Moneta Porcupine’s case.

There are many structural conversion calculators which exist to aid in the conversion of collected ‘alpha-beta’ angles to ‘dip-dip direction’. Software programs are available for this conversion, such as Geo-Calc (Figure 4).

Historically, this was Moneta Porcupine’s standard practice for the post-processing of alpha-beta structure data collected using reflex data. Multiple software programs now include this conversion built in as a function and became an alternative for Moneta to aid in post-processing of structure data. For example, Geosoft has a function for this named ‘Convert Orientated Core Angles.’

Benefits to using the built-in functions 44

Figure 5 - Example of post-processing alpha-beta structural data using Geosoft built-in conversions Dip – Dip/direction

Figure 6 - Example of Structural Plotting Parameters using alpha/beta when reference line is taken from Top of Core

include that it decreases time spent on conversion, it uses the most accurate downhole surveyed gyro data point and it eliminates human error (which is difficult to prevent using conversion calculators).

To ensure that the historic collected structural data conversion was done correctly, and the Geosoft Function was plotting correctly Moneta Porcupine validated them against one another. The team compared the Geo-Calc conversion data to the ‘Convert Orientated Core

Angle’ (Figure 5) tool in Geosoft and were able to achieve nearly identical results.

This completed the step of checking that the post-processing of the historical structure data set was done correctly and that the future geo-processing was in line with our standardized methods.

Structural plotting in 3D software programs There are two ways to plot structure data in your 3D geological software programs: Coring Magazine #8

Figure 7 - Example of Structural Plotting Parameters using Dip/Dip Direction (Note – ref. line is not required)

Figure 8 - Plan Map of demonstration dataset

Plotting using alpha-beta angles (Often referred to as Top of Core Axis. See Figure 6.)

Dip Reference ‘Relative to hole’ (dip is measured with respect to the hole axis, 90 degrees being perpendicular to the hole axis ‘alpha angle’; for ‘relative to hole’ dip direction is measured clockwise from North).

Ref Line Top or bottom of hole (the ref line is the mark on the hole casing).

Plotting using calculated dip-dip direction Dip Reference ‘Absolute’ (dip is measured downward from horizontal, dip direction is the azimuth angle, measured clockwise from north).

Note Ref Line Not required.

To validate plotting procedures along sections and 3D space, both sets of data should be plotted to achieve replication of one another to ensure that the plotting parameters are understood and correct.

One note of caution, certain geological software programs may require the dip to contain a negative sign before the numerical dip value. In certain cases, historic structural data was found to be changed to specifically support certain software requirements. In general, you should not make changes to the main geological datasets simply to meet software requirements.

Faster. Deeper. Safer.

Figure 9 - Alpha/Beta plotting compared to Dip/Dip-Direction plotting

Techniques to validate structural plotting on structure data When plotting your structural data utilizing plan, section, or other geological schematic tools, further validate the plotting parameters using visual techniques to compare the structural plotting back to the original raw data collected.

The figures below, using the fictitious demonstration dataset, are plotted with vein intercept structural measurements.

These illustrations demonstrate validation

techniques and the result of a schematic geological interpretation using structure data to help assist validation of the model Validation of structure 2d data plotting: Plan When validating structure plotting parameters on the Plan map, compare both types of plotting parameters to ensure they are set correctly. Selecting a few drill holes out can make it helpful to visually validate this data using the American right-hand rule against the strike/dip of the originally collected data.

45

/MINERAL EXPLORATION

Validation of structure data plotting: The tadpole plot Another technique for validating plotting procedures is to use a graphical tool called the tadpole plot (Fig. 11). This is a way to simultaneously display the data as a dip (represented by the rounded circle) and dip-direction (the direction of tail), using the same direction as a 360-degree circle, and comparing this with the original data collected by the logging geologist.

Validation and plotting of structure data: 2D section Below is a comparison of plotting structural data with an alpha/beta and with a dip/dip-direction on an E-W Section. If the parameters are set accordingly, various section azimuths can be plotted, and the data should plot correspondingly. In this example vein structural data is plotted to serve as a guide to model the mineralized envelope.

Similar exercises could be done with bedding, contacts, lithological units, and fault measurements.

Figure 10 - Showing the strike dip

Plotting parameters: Alpha/Beta

Plotting parameters: Dip/Dip-Direction

Validation and plotting of structure data plotting: 3D section Structural data can be plotted as 3D disks and viewed in 3D in geological software programs to act as a modelling and validation tool for your geological interpretation. Figure 13 shows the validation of 3D plotting between alpha/ beta and dip/dip-direction on an E-W Section.

Geological products used to aid geological decisionmaking and validate models With further extraction from the fictitious dataset, Figure 14 is an example of a low and high grade modelled mineralized envelope wireframe. This interpretation used the aid of the structural vein intercept and fault structure data orientation to help guide the geological interpretation and give a higher degree of confidence in the geological model.

46

Figure 11 - Tadpole plotting Coring Magazine #8

Plotting parameters: Alpha/Beta

Plotting parameters: Dip/Dip-Direction

Figure 12 - Comparison of plotting parameters

3D Plotting parameters: Alpha/Beta

3D Plotting parameters: Dip/Dip-Direction

Conclusion The creation of a Validated Structural Geospatial Workflow can be a difficult exercise due largely to the number of steps involved, the number of QA/QC measures required, and the lack of datasets available to develop one. However, I hope I have shown it is well worth the effort. Validating each step in the workflow and applying the techniques discussed in this article will ensure that the collection, post-processing, and plotting of data are done correctly, and this will improve your confidence in the various geological models you rely on.

This technique can be applied using various measurements beyond vein orientation, including bedding, lithological contacts, and faulting. C

About the author

Figure 13 - Showing 3D plotting

Francine Long is a professional registered Canadian Geologist having an active 11(+) years of experience.

She has been a part of the technical team on over 80(+) projects, including many focused on the advancement of Greenfield and Brownfields exploration projects up to and beyond resource stages, and multiple projects in both underground and open pit production environments. Francine has worked in gold, silver, VMS, and Cu-Ni base metal projects in various geological environments across a number of continents and has both technical and GIS expertise. Currently, Francine is working at Nordmin Engineering Ltd. She has a BS (Honours) Major Geological Sciences, Minor Environmental from Queens University, (2008) and a Certificate in Applied Digital Geography and GIS From Ryerson University (2011).

One of her strengths is the the ability to quickly review, interpret, and validate raw data and current models to provide further opportunities for definition and enhancement of geological deposits.

When Francine is not solving geological mysteries, she enjoys walking her dog, practicing yoga, and exploring new travel destinations.

LinkedIn profile: www.linkedin.com/in/francine-longp-geo-6001a239/

Figure 14 - Low and high grade modelled mineralized envelope wireframe Faster. Deeper. Safer.

47

/DRILLING HYDRAULICS

part

Drilling rig hydraulics: Fundamentals

by Peter Kuusimaa, Freelance Specialist in Drilling Hydraulics

Welcome to the second part of my series on drilling rigs hydraulics In Part 1 (Issue 7) we got to grips with feed control terminology – pulldown and holdback (pullback) as well as how and where they affect diamond drilling rig hydraulics. This second part gives an in-depth view of the component level of the diamond core drilling feed control system. Before we get started let’s have a quick look at our cylinder feed system example, which we will be talking about in this article.

The name ‘cylinder feed’ comes from the component in the system that generates pulldown and holdback forces; in our case, this is the cylinder. To be more precise, the cylinder’s piston side generates holdback and its annulus side, pulldown force. Note also that in our example the rotation head is directly connected to the feed cylinder and there are no wire-ropes or chains, which doubles the travel but halves the force.

Pulldown hydraulics and components in a feed system Most diamond core drilling rigs have a separate circuit for the pulldown-holdback hydraulics, consisting of separate small displacement, of either a fixed or variable pump and/or pressure regulator, which controls the pressure going to the rod side of the cylinder, and thus creating the pulldown force. There are different names for this set up: slow feed, fine feed, micro feed, etc. They all refer to the nature of the feed rate, which can vary a lot during drilling, but normally

48

the feed rate will be lower than 50 cm/ min. Where the so-called floating holdback system is used, a rapid feed and slow feed can be supplied by the same pump. In some cases, using the same pump for both the slow and rapid feed can lead to more inefficient hydraulics and rapid heating of the oil while the system is used.

Fixed displacement pump

Let’s have a look of the following example.

To maintain the feed rate, the required oil flow for feeding the cylinder is 8 L/min.

Consider these two different systems – one has a 25cc fixed displacement pump and another has a 25cc variable displacement pump. If a diesel engine is running 2000 RPM, in both cases, the theoretical flow from the pumps would be 50 L/min. With the variable displacement pump, the pump regulates itself to create a smaller displacement

If a fixed displacement pump is used, a pressure regulator is needed for adjusting the pressure at the feed cylinder’s rod side and, thus, the pulldown force. In most cases, the pressure relief or pressure reducing valve is utilised, as shown in Fig. 1.

Normally, a pressure relief valve is fitted to regulate pulldown pressure using fixed displacement pump type hydraulics. But if a pressure reducing valve is installed instead of a relief valve, the system will need a separate pressure relief valve to limit the pressure between the pump and the reducing valve, which makes the system more expensive and complicated.

Variable displacement pump If a variable displacement pump is used with a suitable controller, the pump itself can be used to adjust the pulldown pressure. A benefit of this system is that heat generation is lower, since the pump is producing the right amount of oil to maintain the adjusted pulldown pressure.

Figure 1 - Showing the pulldown side of the core drilling rig hydraulics with a pressure relief valve (number 2), where arrow indicates oil flow direction and pulldown pressure can be read from the gauge (number 1) Coring Magazine #8

producing just enough oil to maintain both the current feed rate (8 L/min) and the adjusted pulldown pressure.

By contrast, the fixed displacement pump produces 50 L/min no matter what the feed rate is. Excess oil is then directed to a tank via a pulldown regulator if a pulldown pressurerelief valve is used, or through a separate pressure limiter if a pressure-reducing valve is used. Naturally, the excess oil flow will generate heat while it flows through the regulator.

In reality, there are still many diamond core drilling rigs that have a fixed displacement pump in their feed-control hydraulics. These pumps can be used successfully so long as they are correctly sized for the system. For example, if you ensure there is little excess flow passing through the pulldown regulator, even at lower feed rates, and the feed cylinders are sized so that there is no need for high pulldown pressure. In other words, a bigger feed cylinder piston requires less pressure to create the same amount of force as a cylinder with a smaller piston.

Holdback hydraulics There are several different ways in which the holdback hydraulic circuit can be set up. In this article we are going to examine two of the most typical circuits and their features.

A holdback system that utilises only loadinduced pressure on the holdback side of the feed cylinders.

This system is widely used in surface diamond coring rigs and other types of surface rigs like RC and water-well rigs.

Normally, the system consists of a pressurerelief valve and reverse flow check to allow oil to flow in other direction while feeding upwards. As mentioned earlier, the system utilizes holdback load-induced pressure in the following way. As drilling progresses, increasing numbers of drill rods will be added to the drill string if no device is in place to counteract the ever-increasing drill-string weight. Consequently, the WOB (weight on bit) would keep increasing, eventually destroying the drill bit.

The pressure-relief or reducing valve on the holdback side can be used to counteract the drill string weight. In other words, the higher the holdback pressure, the less the string weight on the drill bit. (By contrast, on the pulldown side, increasing the valve setting will increase the WOB.) Normally, the pressure-relief valve and the feed cylinders are sized to allow the driller to balance the string weight (i.e. zero WOB) with the rigs’ maximum-rated drilling depth. However, in real life there are many other factors which affect the holdback force – such as friction

Figure 2 - Showing the pulldown side of the core drilling rig hydraulics with a pressure relief valve (number 2) connected to variable displacement pump, where arrow indicates oil flow direction and pulldown pressure can be read from the gauge (number 1) Faster. Deeper. Safer.

between the drill string and the hole, drilling mud buoyancy, hole deviation, etc.

A floating system that utilises a combination of a hydraulic pump and pressure-reducing valve to create pressure at the holdback side of the feed cylinder.

This system and its variants are widely used in underground diamond coring rigs, although there are a few manufacturers which have adapted this kind of system for shallowdepth oil and gas rigs as well. The floating system is based on two pressure-reducing valves, or, to be more precise, three-way pressure reducing and relief valves, which allow for bi-directional oil flow through the valve. In other words, the same valve can act as either a pressure-reducing or relief valve, depending on the setting of the valve and the load-induced pressure, which affects the ‘sensing side’ of the valve. The floating system functions in a similar way to the previously described holdback system, with a higher setting on the holdback valve increasing pressure between the valve and feed cylinder thus reducing the weight on bit.

However, there is one interesting difference, and I personally encountered it while providing training and commissioning.

A driller can stop the feed down movement of the drill string and the rotation head if the holdback regulator is set high enough.

Figure 3 - Showing the holdback side of the core drilling rig hydraulics with a pressure relief valve (number 2) and reverse flow check (number 3) where arrow indicates oil flow direction and holdback pressure can be read from the gauge (number 1) 49

/DRILLING HYDRAULICS

For instance, if the valve is set to higher pressure, the drill string and rotation head stay stopped and the holdback gauge pressure reading will not increase, since the system is utilising only load-induced pressure. (This is described above in the holdback system.)

In a floating type system, the system behaves in some cases in a very different way.

Using the same example of where a holdback regulator is set further in from the point where the drill string and head are stopped, the holdback pressure keeps increasing and the drill string and rotation head start to feed up. In other words, the system can produce a negative WOB if the holdback regulator is set further in, which a holdback system is not capable of doing.

Both systems have their own benefits and shortcomings from either a drillers’ or hydraulics point of view. Although, based on my personal experience, switching from one system to another can be highly confusing.

Train a driller in one type of system at a time to ensure the driller masters each system properly. C

50

About the author

Figure 4 - Showing the holdback side of the core drilling rig hydraulics with a floating type system, pulldown side pressure reducing valve (number 3), holdback side pressure reducing valve (number 4) and pulldown (number 1) and holdback (number 2) gauges arrows indicating oil flow direction

Peter Kuusimaa is a Finnish mechanical engineer who has been working with and designing hydraulic or fluid power systems for drilling rigs for over 17 years and in different continents. He is currently based and works in Australia.

He has been part of many major drilling companies and nowadays he works as a consultant and a freelancer.

Peter is writing a series of articles for Coring Magazine that will go through drill rig hydraulics fundamentals, hydraulic pumps, motors, feed controls, valves and more.

You can find Peter at Comet-Tech Pty Lty, on www.comet-tech.com.au or at comet-tech@bigpond.com.

Coring Magazine #8

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Diamond Products Cont.

FORSUN ULTRA-HARD MATERIAL INDUSTRY Phone 86-731 84254020 Fax 86-731 84252208 info@forsuntools.com www.forsun-tools.com GEO DRILLING MACHINERY MANUFACTURING Phone 90-312-354-8576 Fax 90-312-385-6215 www.geosondajmakine.com HARGRAND DRILLING TOOLS Phone 86-010-61599828 Fax 86-010-61599828 whp@baoqizt.com www.hargrand.com HOLE PRODUCTS Phone 909-939-2581 Fax 909-891-0434 www.holeproducts.com

pilotdiamondtools.ca sales@pilotdiamondtools.ca +1 705 497 3715

PARTNER OF THE WORLD’S BEST DRILLERS Supplier of world-class diamond products to the diamond drilling and construction industries.

Business models and technology have changed over the years, but Pilot Diamond Tools’ core business values have not.

+1 705 497 3714

EXPLORATION DRILLING EQUIPMENT

taesungdia.com kytjsh@empas.com 82 2 2671 2600

A 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.

82 2 2683 6733 DI-CORP Phone 775-424-3045 www.di-corp.com

DIMATEC Phone 1-866-202-5875 Fax 1-204-832-4268 info@dimatec.com www.dimatec.com

DRILLING HQ Phone 1 (208) 690-3111 Info@DrillingHQ.com www.drillinghq.com

DYNAMIK Phone 1-877-867-8398 Fax 819-762-2325 info@equipementdynamik.com www.drilling.dynamik.com

SAFARI DIAMOND DRILL BITS Phone 1-888-500-BITS(2487) Fax 604-275-2487 safaribits@telus.net www.safaridiamonddrillbits.com SANDVIK MINING AND CONSTRUCTION Phone 1-905 632 4940 Fax 1-905 632 2172 www.mining.sandvik.com SINOCOREDRILL Phone 86-510-82723272 Fax 86-510-82752846 sales@sinocoredrill.com www.sinocoredrill.com TECSO Phone 34-91 870 15 47 Fax 34-91 871 41 69 comercial@tecso-sa.com www.tecso.es

HOFFMAN DIAMOND PRODUCTS Phone 800-444-4180 Fax 814-938-7625 sales@hoffmandiamond.com www.hoffmandiamond.com HUD MINING SUPPLIES 27 (0) 11-974-1500 info@hud.co.za www.hud.co.za JUFERMA Phone 34-91 498 93 07 Fax 34-91 498 93 06 diamondjuferma@juferma.com www.juferma.com LEVANTO DIAMOND SOLUTIONS Phone 358-9-511-470 Fax 358-9-5114-7470 info@levanto.fi www.levanto.fi MBI DRILLING PRODUCTS Phone 1-819 762-9645 Fax 1-819 762-2845 www.mbidrillingproducts. com/en/

Core Barrels (A-Z)

Faster. Deeper. Safer.

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/SERVICES & PRODUCTS CATALOG

Core Barrels Cont.

DIAMANTINA CHRISTENSEN Phone 56(9) 7707 9371 christensen@christensen.cl www.diamantinachristensen.com DI-CORP Phone 775-424-3045 www.di-corp.com

DRILLING HQ Phone 1 (208) 690-3111 Info@DrillingHQ.com www.drillinghq.com FORDIA Phone 514-336-9211 Fax 514-745-4125 info@fordia.com www.fordia.com

FORSUN ULTRA-HARD MATERIAL INDUSTRY Phone 86-731 84254020 Fax 86-731 84252208 info@forsuntools.com www.forsun-tools.com HARGRAND DRILLING TOOLS Phone 86-010-61599828 Fax 86-010-61599828 whp@baoqizt.com www.hargrand.com

HOLE PRODUCTS Phone 909-939-2581 Fax 909-891-0434 www.holeproducts.com ICEMS Phone (16) 3367-3126 Fax (16) 3361-5073 icems@icems.com.br www.icems.com.br

JUFERMA Phone 34-91 498 93 07 Fax 34-91 498 93 06 diamondjuferma@juferma.com www.juferma.com

SANDVIK MINING AND CONSTRUCTION Phone 1-905 632 4940 Fax 1-905 632 2172 www.mining.sandvik.com

K. MAIKAI Phone 81-3-3490-8433 Fax 81-3-3490-8622 www.kmaikai.co.jp/eng

SINOCOREDRILL Phone 86-510-82723272 Fax 86-510-82752846 sales@sinocoredrill.com www.sinocoredrill.com

KUVAWALA CORE DRILL EQUIPMENTS Phone + 91 22 66635452 Fax + 91 22 66607358 mgk@kuvawalacoredrill.com www.kuvawalacoredrill.com MBI DRILLING PRODUCTS Phone 1-819 762-9645 Fax 1-819 762-2845 www.mbidrillingproducts. com/en/

TECSO Phone 34-91 870 15 47 Fax 34-91 871 41 69 comercial@tecso-sa.com www.tecso.es TERRA TEAM OY Phone 358-9-849-4030 info@terra-team.fi www.terra-team.fi/en

Drill Rods & Casings (A-Z)

SPECIALITY CHEMICALS, PARTS AND ACCESSORIES di-corp.com info@di-corp.com 1-800-661-2792

Di Corp focuses on all aspects of your industrial project; Mineral Exploration, Drilling Fluid Supply, Cementing & Stimulation, Mining, Research & Development, Testing Equipment, and all Small Bore Drilling disciplines.

BARKOM Phone 90-312 385 60 50 Fax 90-312 385 35 75 info@barkomltd.com www.barkomltd.com

GEO DRILLING MACHINERY MANUFACTURING Phone 90-312-354-8576 Fax 90-312-385-6215 www.geosondajmakine.com

BOART LONGYEAR Phone 1-801-972-6430 Fax 1-801-977-3374 www.boartlongyear.com

KUVAWALA CORE DRILL EQUIPMENTS Phone + 91 22 66635452 Fax + 91 22 66607358 mgk@kuvawalacoredrill.com www.kuvawalacoredrill.com

DIAMANTINA CHRISTENSEN Phone 56(9) 7707 9371 christensen@christensen.cl www.diamantinachristensen. com FORDIA Phone 514-336-9211 Fax 514-745-4125 info@fordia.com www.fordia.com

SANDVIK MINING AND CONSTRUCTION Phone 1-905 632 4940 Fax 1-905 632 2172 www.mining.sandvik.com TANGSHAN JINSHI SUPERHARD MATERIAL CO. Phone: +86-0315-3156039 Fax: +86-0315-3156010 export@jsexplo.com www.jscoredrill.com TECHNIDRILL SAS PHONE +33 492 088 220 Fax +33 492 088 229 rolf@technidrill.com www.technidrill.com

Wedges (A-Z) FORDIA Phone 514-336-9211 Fax 514-745-4125 info@fordia.com www.fordia.com REFLEX Phone 1-705-235-2169 Fax 1-705-235-2165 reflex@imdexlimited.com www.reflexnow.com

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SONDA PARTS Phone 55 – (31) 3391 3810 Fax 55 – (31) 3391 3810 comercial@sondaparts. com.br www.sondaparts.com.br/ TERRA TEAM OY Phone 358-9-849-4030 info@terra-team.fi www.terra-team.fi/en/

Coring Magazine #8

Survey Equipment Survey Tools (A-Z) DEVICO Phone +47 72870101 devico@devico.no www.devico.com INERTIAL SENSING Phone +46 708 980 459 dag.billger@inertialsensing.com www.inertialsensing.com REFLEX INSTRUMENTS Phone 61 8 9445 4020 Fax 61 8 9445 4040 reflex@imdexlimited.com www.reflexnow.com SPT STOCKHOLM PRECISION TOOLS Phone 46-8-590-733-10 Fax 46-8-590-731-55 info@stockholmprecisiontools.com www.stockholmprecisiontools.com

Core Orientation (A-Z) REFLEX INSTRUMENTS Phone 61 8 9445 4020 Fax 61 8 9445 4040 reflex@imdexlimited.com www.reflexnow.com

DEVICO Phone +47 72870101 devico@devico.no www.devico.com

BOART LONGYEAR Phone 1-801-972-6430 Fax 1-801-977-3374 www.boartlongyear.com

COREFINDER Phone +55 62 992720023 contato@corefinder.com.br www.corefinder.com.br

Miscellaneous Drilling Fluids (A-Z) ENVIRONMENTALLY SAFE DRILLING FLUIDS & LUBRICANTS matexdrillingfluids.ca orders@matexdrillingfluids.ca +1 403 720 7044 +1 403 720 4951

Faster. Deeper. Safer.

Control Chemical (1989) Corporation has been a manufacturer of high performance drilling fluid systems and our proprietary vegetable oil lubricants under the Matex brand name for over 25 years.

CEBO HOLLAND B. V. (BAROID) Phone +31 255 546 262 info@cebo.com www.cebo.com MUDEX Phone +61 (8) 9390 4620 info@mudex.com.au www.mudex.com.au TIGER FLUIDS Phone +61 (0) 417 60 11 info@tigerfluids.com www.tigerfluids.com

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Drilling Fluids Cont.

Packers (A-Z) HOLE PRODUCTS Phone +1 909 939 2581 Fax +1 909 891 0434 holeproducts.com SON-MAK Phone +90 224 482 44 40 Fax +90 224 482 44 39 info@son-mak-com.tr www.son-mak-com.tr

Core Trays (A-Z)

BY FAR THE BEST STORAGE SOLUTION FOR CORE SURVEYS corecase.com.br contact@corecase.com.br +55 51 3012 6531

Core Case designs and develops core boxes and accessories using 100% recycled material. They are resistant, lightweight and easy to carry, as well as more durable than wooden boxes.

PROSPECTORS Phone +61 (02) 9839 3500 Fax +61 (02) 8824 5250 sales@prospectors.com.au DYNAMICS G-EX Phone +61 7 54826649 sales@dynamicsgex.com.au www.dynamicsgex.com.au

Health & Safety

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Coring Magazine #8

LET DI-CORP HELP YOU WITH OUR COMPLETE EXPLORATION PORTFOLIO

CANADA · USA · MEXICO · SHIPPING WORLDWIDE CORE RETRIEVAL SYSTEMS · DIAMOND CORE BITS TRICONE BITS WIRELINE DRILL ROD & CASING · DRILLING FLUIDS & GREASES

www.di-corp.com | info@di-corp.com | 1.800.661.2792

Faster. Deeper. Safer.

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TORQUELESS The Ultimate Rotary and Diamond Drilling Product!

• Enhances both bit-life and penetration rates during drilling operations.

Protects against rod wear, prevents rust, and extends bit life.

• Extremely effective for lubricating down hole motors and eliminating magnetization of drill rods.

• Protects drill rod wear when using wedges in diamond drilling.

• Increases tool joint life by reducing torque in the hole.

• Inhibits swelling of clay-like materials such as saprolites, talcs and kimberlites.

• Enhances the effectiveness of powdered mud systems.

• Non-sheening when accidentally introduced into a water course.

VISIT OUR WEBSITE TO LOCATE A DISTRIBUTOR NEAR YOU!

www.matexdrillingfluids.ca