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New Heights in Exploration drilling

26/05/2020 by in Knowledge Base, Case Studies, Press Release

Mining companies invest millions of dollars in exploration campaigns. The main objective of their investment is to obtain core samples and from these core samples they will obtain all the geological, structural and mineralogical information they need to make an evaluation of the reserve.

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Close Up image of Core Retrieved

These core samples must be clearly positioned geospatially (x, y, z) otherwise they will not have the necessary validity to support any discovery, since they determine the depth and size of the ore body.

Most of the Geological programs are focused on the core orientation however that is only 50% of the task. Stockholm Precision Tools AB Sweden assists our worldwide client’s geological departments with training courses to teach that the other 50% of the challenge is related to gathering accurate borehole survey information. Our training emphasizes that the use of correct technology such as the GyroMaster™ and Gyro RigAligner™ is extremely important. 

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GyroMaster™
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Gyro RigAligner™

The best technology is not the one that has the best marketing but the one that complies with standard quality control procedures not only in theory but also in real data comparisons. It’s the task of the mining companies to verify each technology and compare it with real borehole data making in-run and out-run comparisons, verifying that the north-seeking gyro matches the land surveyor.

But this is usually not a reliable indication of the accurate result. SPT tools, thanks to the Navibore™ Technology, uses a down-hole autopilot which is capable of finding and correcting itself along a survey path, eliminating all possibility of drift. 

The GyroMaster™ is accepted as an industry standard and this reputation has been gained by delivering consistently accurate results to our clients. GyroMaster™ is the only north-seeking gyro capable of working in continuous mode from vertical to horizontal.

One of the main advantages is that survey data can be measured centimeter by centimeter providing a high resolutioin survey with very tight ellipses of uncertainty. The accuracy is better than 0.1% of the total measured depth compared to 1% with other competitor technologies. 

Taking into account the importance of the clarification above, the  GyroMaster™ and the Gyro RigAligner™ deliver the accuracy and precision needed by our clients exploring & developing gold or other precious mineral reserves in the global mining industry.

Stockholm Precision Tools AB approach is totally different to what our competitors are promoting because our highly focused in-country support service includes providing the customer with a calibration service that ensures the integrity and reliability of the tool provided in each country.

In addition our remote monitoring of tool data from anywhere in the world ensures SPT can address any issues instantly, saving time and money, avoiding unecessary shipping of tools out of the country and unecessary support personnel deployment to the worksite for repairs.

This remote backup service is especially important in remote locations and during local distubances when transportation can be a limitation for many mining companies.

The accurate orientation of drilling rig a key factor for the borehole deviation.

For the development of mining drilling campaigns, specialized drilling companies are hired. They have their own protocols and procedures for conducting drilling activities but when it comes to the bore hole survey it is difficult to control the parameters if you don’t have reliable survey technology.

Accurate rig alignment has been demonstrated to bring huge savings in waste rock reduction and accurate, first time blast hole patterns

QA/QC (Quality Assurance / Quality Control)

SPT has dedicated significant resources to the creation of our unique gyro survey processing technology. This processing software is built into our gyro tools. Every survey is evaluated automatically by the application which includes an integrated error model and error rejection system.

This is then an internal automated survey QA/QC procedure, ensuring that not only does every survey meets or exceed our stringent QC requirements but also that there is no room for data “interpretation” post-run – the survey either passes or fails the QC checks.

Consistently small in-run vs. out-run survey closures demonstrate the accuracy of our tool modelling, design & engineering. In addition our portable software-driven calibration stand is always available in each country for final tool verification.

As part of the drilling program, the mining company provides an action plan that includes the starting coordinates of each drilling point.

The drilling company must then assign its machine to ensure that it is starting at the exact place that has been assigned according to the plan (Inclination or Dip Angle, Azimuth, and Coordinates). This control is as equally important as the well trajectory measurement. 

Reduce integration risk

If the drilling rig does not start with the initial data provided by the mining company, there is a risk of economic loss (loss due to drilling at a wrong point, or additional cost for repeating or reinstalling the machine with the actual data).

If the drilling rig starts correctly with accurate information and in the final measurement there is still a difference in angle and / or azimuth, it is an operational or terrain problem.

The approach of SPT is to ensure the SPT Gyro RigAligner™  works back to back to with the GyroMaster™ providing the client with both technologies calibrated and verified by the same manufacturer thus reducing the risk of any integration problems.

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