According to the latest data from the Ministry of Energy and Mines of Peru, investment in mineral exploration exceeded USD 443,000 in 2023. Peru ranks second in Latin America for gold and silver production and second globally for copper production.
With major mining companies operating throughout the region and diamond drilling campaigns reaching depths of up to 2,000 meters—at inclination angles between -35° and -90°—precision in drill rig alignment has become a critical factor in ensuring operational efficiency and reliable results.
In this context, and as part of its digital transformation toward a smarter mining operation, a mining company set out to incorporate cutting-edge technology to optimize its field processes.
The problem: long lead times and limitations in equipment alignment
At one of the company’s mining operations in Peru, up to eight diamond drilling machines were aligned each day. Setting up and aligning each machine took approximately 120 minutes per machine, for a total of 16 hours per day for this stage alone.
It is estimated that the cost per hour per Stand by drilling, including waiting for machine preparation, is at least 135 USD. Using this data, we can calculate the cost of alignment maneuvers to be approximately 64,800 USD per month or 777,600 USD for 12 months of operation.
Furthermore, considering the estimated average operating cost in Latin America, estimated at USD 60 per hour, between personnel and drilling equipment, the economic impact would reach USD 960 per day, or more than USD 28,000 per month for alignment tasks alone.
Studies reveal that initial deviation of drilling rigs increases annual operating costs by 5% in a mine. This deviation can generate significant consequences, such as the need for additional drilling, loss of rods and accessories, reduced ore extraction, dilution, downtime, and production delays.
Although deviations can be partially controlled during drilling, there are geological and operational factors that directly influence their occurrence. The greater the degree of stratification, foliation, fissuring or less cohesion of the rock, the greater the probability of deviation; on the other hand, homogeneous rocks, with fewer planes of weakness, have less tendency to deviate the borehole trajectory.
Another source of error is the initial orientation of the drilling rig. Misalignment from the beginning generates a base deviation that increases with the depth of the borehole, as long, inclined boreholes tend to deviate more.
For example, a 3° alignment error in a planned 2,000-meter borehole such as this mining unit, with inclinations ranging from -35° to -90°, could result in a deviation of up to 86.69 meters. This calculation does not include frequent inclination and azimuth errors. The greater the inclination, the greater the gravity pitching effect.
Depth, initial machine orientation, and geological ground conditions are the main factors that determine the magnitude of borehole deviation. Therefore, implementing high-precision alignment tools is imperative to ensure successful operations.
With SPT’s Polestar Aligner, the mine could not only improve the survey, but also store and transmit data efficiently, ensuring its integrity and availability in real time.
The solution: implementation of Polestar Aligner™
To address these challenges, Polestar Aligner, SPT’s technology for accurately and efficiently aligning drill rigs, in this mining unit’s operations.
Thanks to its state-of-the-art inertial navigation technology, it finds True North in a matter of minutes, even in remote or high-latitude locations, ensuring accurate alignments for up to 6 continuous hours without the need for a second verification point.
Its compact, lightweight, and rugged design makes it ideal for extreme conditions. Its integration with SPT SmartCloud™ allows for easy import of drilling plans and automatic synchronization of data in the cloud, providing fast and effective access to data. The Polestar Aligner significantly reduces deviations, ensuring accurate drilling and minimizing alignment errors.
This solution made an immediate difference in this mining unit from the first steps of the process. In November 2023, Polestar Aligner was commissioned with a field team to evaluate its performance on 14 diamond drilling rigs.
The setup time was reduced from 30 minutes per machine to just 10 minutes. Additionally, alignment time was reduced from 90 to 30 minutes per machine. Overall, survey times were reduced by more than 60%, and up to 10 working hours per day were saved in setup and alignment processes compared to previous technologies.
In addition, to ensure an efficient transition and maximize the use of the new solution, a training plan was established for the personnel, which included field training, virtual sessions and face-to-face training at SPT’s offices in Lima.
Thanks to these results, the technology has been adopted progressively and is currently operational in four rigs. Operators highlight its compact and easy-to-maneuver design, accurate data quality, and the speed of information delivery with SmartCloud™ as the most valued benefits, in addition to its results.
Results
The implementation of Polestar Aligner had a significant operational and economic impact on the operation of this mining company:
- 60% decrease in total alignment time by optimizing both setup (from 30 to 10 minutes) and alignment (from 90 to 30 minutes per machine).
- Reduction of up to 18 working hours per day, thanks to the optimization of the setup and alignment processes on the 14 machines evaluated.
- Operating savings of 600 USD per day, equivalent to more than 18,000 USD per month, thanks to the reduction of man-hours and equipment usage.
- Deep boreholes with extreme angles such as -90°.
- Continuous operation for up to 6 hours without recalibration, even in areas with magnetic interference, reducing drift, accuracy failures and downtime.
Conclusion
Implementing Polestar Aligner represented a significant advance in deep drilling alignment processes by optimizing time, reducing errors, and improving data traceability. Additionally, they achieved monthly savings of over $18,000 in alignment time alone, proving Polestar Aligner to be an efficient, strategic technological investment for the mining operation.
