Mineral Exploration is the official publication of the Association of Mineral Exploration British Columbia.
Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/370216
F A L L 2 0 1 4 19 geochemical, mineralogical and physical rock property data in a single database available anywhere in the world in real time. Signifi cantly, it is possible to embed electrical sensors within composite drill rods, opening the door to the collection of information immediately as the bit passes the rock. Rig-managing geolo- gists in the future will be armed with sig- nifi cantly more information when mak- ing key – and costly – decisions about shutting down or extending exploration drill holes and planning followup holes. Safety innovation may not have the glamour effect of shiny carbon fi bre drill equipment technology, but over the past several years the prevailing mindset has shifted to recognize drill safety as a clear money saver, a social obligation and an area devoid of innovation. A major qual- ity certification program – launched in 2012 by the Canadian Diamond Drilling Association – is becoming the stick by which drilling contractors are measured. Only fi ve Canadian drilling contractors have successfully achieved Drilling Excellence Certifi cation ( DEC), which shows it is not simply a stack of paperwork and a rubber stamp. By con- trast, DEC is a single integrated system that improves health and safety as well as environmental and quality performance. Perhaps the biggest technological leap will be applying coiled tube (CT) technology to mineral exploration. CT drilling is commonplace in the oil and gas sector where steel or composite tub- ing – fl exible enough for rolling on large spools – is used mostly for interventions down existing wells. Replacing straight drill rods for fl exible tubing in mineral exploration holes precludes whole core recovery, but the faster drill rates owing to uninterrupted drilling could outweigh this downside. The DET CRC – betting that CT drilling will replace conven- tional drilling in greenfield explora- tion applications – has built a prototype rig, which recently completed its first test hole. Researchers aim to have the wrinkles ironed out by 2018 with CT mineral exploration drilling costing $50 per metre. While information gleaned from drilling has been the cornerstone of min- eral deposit discovery since the 1950s, technological leaps have been sporadic and drilling has suffered from the repu- tation of being "old school." But don't be surprised to see more carbon fi bre and computers and fewer pipe wrenches the next time you visit a remote drilling rig.