ACCURATE RIG ALIGNMENT:

 

On all drilling projects, boreholes are planned to maximise the borehole intersection of subsurface structures or orebodies. This requires that the initial drill machine setup is completed in such a manner as to ensure the highest possible accuracy of the borehole orientation at the start of drilling. This is known as rig alignment.

 

Making use of a dedicated rig alignment system is a cost-effective method for both aligning the rig as well as documenting planned over actual orientations as part of the project QA workflow.

 

Key points:

• Accurate rig azimuth.

• Accurate rig Inclination/ dip.

 

ELECTRONIC MULTISHOT SURVEYING (EMS):

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An Electronic Multishot Survey (EMS) makes use of the earth's geomagnetic field to determine the orientation of the borehole with reference to magnetic north. By taking a series of station measurements, at set depths down the borehole, the drill hole path in 3D space can be determined.

Having accurate borehole trajectory information is vital in the geologists' understanding of the 3-dimensional positioning of any sub-surface information associated with the borehole and subsequent downstream models.

 

Key points:

• Single-shot surveying- taking a single measurement at a specifically required depth.

• Multi-shot survey – multiple measurements acquired at different depths /depth intervals.

• Wedge setting – measuring the orientation of the wedge and assisting in the alignment of the wedge to the desired deflection orientation.

• EMS surveys require a magnetically undisturbed environment to acquire accurate orientations. So, open a hole below any steel casing.

 

 

NORTH SEEKING GYRO SURVEY:

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The North Seeking Gyro instrument is an ultra-accurate, highly reliable downhole directional survey tool. Unlike EMS survey tools the north-seeking gyro is unaffected by any localized magnetic interference. It can be run inside the casing, drill rods and magnetically disturbed formations with no effect on positional accuracy. As it is a North Seeking Gyro, all measurements are referenced to the geographic north.

Having accurate borehole trajectory information is vital in the geologists' understanding of the 3-dimensional positioning of any sub-surface information associated with the borehole and subsequent downstream models.

 

Key points:

• Not affected by magnetic interference.

• Acquire data in casing and drill rods.

• Collar azimuth is not required. Only the local latitude of the hole needs to be entered into the software.

• No sight alignment is required.

• Short and lightweight tool.

• Ultra-accurate and reliable.

• Rugged design.

• Azimuth is referenced to the geographical north.

• Output data in Excel.

• Can be run as a single or multishot survey.

• Can be used for wedge setting/alignment checks.

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DIRECTIONAL WEDGING & QA:

 

Wedging is an operation whereby digital surveying field specialists/ field technicians work closely with drillers to hit a piercing point. Initially, the system would extrapolate how the borehole might progress based on decisions made between field technicians and the drilling team. Thereafter, either a motor run or wedging method will be chosen depending on the Azimuth dip required. Throughout the next phases, field technicians monitor the borehole as it progresses as part of Quality Assurance Control (QAC).

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Key points:

• Improvement to mine planning, geotechnical mine design and safety issues.

• Provision of data for effective discovery.

• Planning and extraction. 

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