Right Balance

Finding the right balance in

exploration drilling
Chips or cores?
The question often faced by geolo-
gists and contractors is deciding
which method of exploration dril-
ling will get the most effective and
economical results. These days, the
answer is quite likely to be a com-
bination of chip sampling and co-
ring. Three key factors have proved
decisive in the successful search
for minerals and precious metals:
time, cost and confidence. In other
words, the time required, the cost
of getting the job done, and con-
fidence in the quality of the sam-
ples brought to the surface for
analysis. This is more a question
of basic technology and logic than
one of science. But it is interest-
ing to see these three factors ex-
pressed as a mathematical for- There are pros and cons with both RC drilling and core drilling.
mula: confidence over time multi-
plied by cost, equals profit. With
profit, as always, as the driving
Substantial savings can be made by pre-collaring holes using RC drilling, once
force.
the general location of the mineralized zone has been established.

Conventional core drilling

The technique which produces cores of
subsurface material, core drilling, is the
most commonly used method of obtain-
ing information about the presence of
minerals or precious metals, as well as
rock formations. However, reverse cir-
culation drilling (RC), which produces
samples as chips, is gaining ground.
The reason is easy to see. RC drilling
is a faster and more economical way of
pre-collaring a deep hole in order to get
down to where the orebody is located. Fast and
economical
Once there, the driller can then decide RC drilling
to continue with RC drilling to extract without taking
chips for evaluation, or switch to dia- samples
mond core drilling to extract cores. In
this way, RC drilling becomes the per-
fect complement to conventional core Pre-collaring Mineralized zone: Chip
drilling. Selecting which method to samples from RC and/or
cores for evaluation
use for actual sampling work depends
largely on the preference of the geo-
logists, and their confidence in the
quality of the samples. Today, RC dril-
ling has become so advanced that more

underground mining methods 17

 Right Balance

of parts, fuel, casing, water, and con-

Scenario 1
100% core drilling
457 days
Scenario 2
50% RC (pre-collars only), 50% core drilling
301 days
Scenario 3
75% RC (pre-collars & full holes), 25% core drilling
223 days
In case three core drilling rigs would have been available in scenario 1, expected time is
152 days compared with 457 days.
In case three core drilling rigs would have been available in scenario 2, expected time is
149 days compared with 301 days.
A rough conclusion gives that the RC rig is somewhat faster than 3 core drilling rigs together.
457 days 2,580,000 USD
301 day 740,000 USD
223 day 320,000 USD
Approx. cost of RC drilling – 30 USD / metre
Approx. cost of core drilling – 80 USD / metre
Table 2.
and more geologists believe that chips
are perfectly sufficient as a means of
determining ore content. The commer-
cialization of RC drilling started in the
1980s but the technique has certainly
been around for much longer.
Principles for RC drilling showing flow of
compressed air and chips. The sampling
collection box is integrated into the cyclone.
70m core / 24 hours with 1 core drilling rig
70m core / 24 hours with 1 core drilling rig
70m core / 24 hours with 1 core drilling rig
Table 1.
As early as 1887, Atlas Copco Craelius
had developed a rig that could retrieve
cores from depths of 125 m. Confidence
in these samples among geologists was
high, allowing them to evaluate a piece
of solid rock. In those days, time was
not necessarily of any great importance
and neither was cost, with inexpensive
manpower readily available.
However, the demand for such pro-
ducts quickly increased, and availability
had to keep pace. This is very much the
case today with sharp market fluctu-
ations, and so technology innovators
have to find ways to optimize profit in
all situations.
Time factor
DTH hammers were invented in 1936
and became popular during the 1970s,
mainly for water well drilling applica-
tions. However, the method proved
very useful for prospecting, affording
an initial evaluation on the spot of the
cuttings emanating from the borehole.
DTH drilling offers a considerably
higher drilling speed compared to core
drilling, and the method was further
developed to increase its performance.
Higher air pressures combined with high
availability of the hammer are two fac-
tors that make it possible to drill faster.
Durability of the bit inserts is also much
improved, allowing more metres to be
drilled without having to pull up the
drillstring, further improving efficiency
and utilization of the hammer.
The logistics surrounding the dril-
ling programme concerning availability
sumables also have a direct influence
on the number of metres drilled per
shift.
Significant time savings can be achie-
ved by using RC and core drilling in
a balanced combination (see table 1).
Here we can see that one RC rig can be
used to drill enough pre-collars to keep
three core drilling rigs running for 24
h/day. The time factors show obvious
benefits using a combination of the two
methods. In this scenario, a minimum
of 25% of the total metres drilled were
specified as core drilling.
Cost factor
The cost perspective does not have
any negative surprises in store as the
costs are mostly related to the time fac-
tor. The investment in RC rigs and equip-
ment is higher compared to those of
core drilling, but as shown in table 2,
the costs are reduced when a combina-
tion of the two methods is used.
In this example, it is shown that both
time and costs favour RC drilling. The
figures are easy to evaluate. They vary
depending on the location and the local
conditions, but the relativity remains
the same, and is strongly reflected in
the development of the exploration
drilling process.
To further shorten time and cost, im-
mediate results from on-site evaluation
can be used, for which a scanning pro-
cess is already available.
However, in the future it may not be
necessary to drill to obtain sufficient
information about the orebodies, and
manufacturers such as Atlas Copco
Craelius are already taking up the chal-
lenge to develop equipment and tech-
nologies with no limits and low envi-
ronmental impact.
Confidence factor
The third variable in the equation is
the confidence factor, because investors
and geologists place strict demands on
contractors to deliver the highest qual-
ity geological information. Investors
always require a fast return on their in-
vestments, and the geologists need solid
results for the mine planners. However,
whenever a gold nugget is found, the

18 underground mining methods


%
100
80
60
40
20
0
Canada latin
america
Ratios between core and RC drilling. The figures reflect total exploration expenditures from national statistics for surface and underground.
exploration drilling will not be carried
out by the same people, so reliability of
information is critical. There are many
reasons why geologists should choose
their drilling method carefully.
If there is no need for continuous in-
formation about the geological forma-
tion on the way down, there is no need
for samples. It is just a matter of mini-
mizing the drilling time. The geometry
of the orebody is already known, and
just a reconfirmation of the boundaries
is necessary. In this case, RC drilling is
an efficient method to use.
A first scanning of virgin territory
is being done where the goal is just to
obtain a preliminary indication of pos-
sible content. In this case, the geologist
is not relying on any mineralized struc-
ture or geometry. With an evaluation
giving positive results, a programme of
core drilling is the logical way to con-
tinue in order to bring the project to a
resource/reserve status.If the minera-
lized structure is identified but the
geometry and rate of content varies,
RC drilling is used as an indicator for
ensuring continued grade control.
The geologist wants dry and repre-
sentative samples in order to make opti-
mal evaluations. RC drilling below the
groundwater table was previously be-
lieved to undermine sample quality.
Core drilling therefore remained the
only viable method for these depths
Today, the availability of high pressure
compressors and hammer tools makes
it possible for RC drilling to reduce
costs even for these depths.
These days, professional contractors
deliver dry sampling down to depths
underground mining methods 19
Right Balance
rC drilling
Core drilling
russia australia Se asia uSa africa
China
of 500 m. By sealing off the bit from favour core drilling rigs, which are much
the rest of the hole it can be kept dry. lighter and more adaptable in order
A correct selection of shroud vs bit tol- to be flown into remote and sensitive
erance maintains a pressurized zone environments.
around the bit. Boosted air pressure is In areas with extremely cold climates
needed to meet the higher water pres- and where permafrost is present, RC
sure on its way down the hole. In addi- drilling may have its limitations. Anti-
tion, a dry bit drills faster. freeze rock drill oil can help to keep
It must be remembered that infor- the hammer and bottom of the hole free
mation from a core is crucial in esti- from ice. Other purely practical issues
mating the period of mineralized struc- determine the choice of one or the other
tures. The core helps the geologist to drilling method.
calculate the cost of extracting the An intelligent, balanced choice be-
mineral from the ore. Large volumes of tween the two methods is the key to
rock have to be excavated to obtain just optimal results. The geologist plays an
a few grammes of a valuable mineral. extremely important role in finding this
Cores also yield geotechnical data. balance, as do the manufacturers such
Data about slope stability can be of the as Atlas Copco Geotechnical Drilling
highest importance. Ground conditions and Exploration, who continue to pro-
are naturally also of great importance vide the right tools for the job.
and may produce questionable sam-
ples if some of the information from Jan Jönsson
fissured zones is left behind in the
hole and not collected. In such circum-
stances, core drilling could be the only
alternative.
Increased usage of
RC drilling
RC drilling is on the increase, and may
well account for 55% of all metres
drilled in 2008. The diagram above
shows some estimated ratios between
core and RC drilling in different parts
of the world in 2002. In terms of metres
drilled, RC accounts for 50% and core
drilling for 50%. Tradition and environ-
mental impact play large roles. RC rigs
are heavy, and are mounted on trucks
Explorac 220RC.
or track carriers. This fact tends to
Superior Productivity
in Exploration Drilling

In these busy times for exploration drillers, the focus is on

superior productivity at lower cost.

Through innovative products, local presence and technical

support, Atlas Copco delivers the most competitive solutions
for diamond core drilling and reverse circulation.

On surface or underground, from Arctic regions to sunburnt

deserts - you can count on the most comprehensive range of
exploration drilling equipment wherever you are.

Committed to your superior productivity.

www.atlascopco.com