Our suite of drilling services includes surface and underground exploration and production drilling, and drill & blast.
We use a young, high-tech rig fleet incorporating the latest features to boost efficiency and drilling precision.
We are incorporating an increasingly automated fleet and advanced data generation capability to drive even greater efficiencies and provide real-time insights to help optimise your project.
Our sample quality provides data that helps build clarity below the ground to ensure our clients have confidence in making decisions above it.
Exploration Drilling
Confirm Potential or Reassess
Quality data from drilling activities is critical. At the exploration phase, it helps inform decisions that can ultimately determine whether a project advances or not.
Therefore, exploration drilling isn’t about the hole, it’s about the sample. We deliver clean, representative samples to support confident decision making.
Services
- Air core
- Reverse circulation
- Diamond core
- Directional
- Deep hole diamond
Optimise Budget
We deliver rapid mobilisation, accurate hole placement and efficient, consistent metres to make the most of your exploration budget.
Data Informed Decisions
The technologies we use to capture data at the rig provides the insights to support faster adaptive decision making, translating into reduced exploration costs.
Investor Engagement
Our quality samples coupled with real-time site data helps build the ore body picture faster and supports regular, credible news flow to keep investors engaged.
Technology HiTT-ing the Target
We use Well Force International’s unique HiTT borehole management software allowing both drill crews and geologists to monitor the progress of bore holes and assess if the agreed plan and settings are delivering the required result.
HiTT shows a unique 3D view of the trajectory of a drill hole, with full 360° rotational views that provide complete visibility of the progress of your drilling program enabling early intervention if needed.
HiTT can also model hypothetical scenarios based on the knowledge of ground conditions to generate both visual and data reports on the results.
Grade Control
The Difference Between Ore – or Not
Accurate grade control drilling directly influences resource estimation, ore versus waste delineation, short-term mine planning and mill feed quality, vital components to an economically viable mine.
We deliver precise, reliable grade control drilling to accurately define ore boundaries, minimise dilution, and maximise the value of every tonne mined.
Services
- Reverse circulation
- Advanced / Deep grade control
- Shallow grade control
- Underground diamond drilling
- Underground RC drilling
Reliable Availability
We keep on schedule with rig availability of ~85%+, flexibility to adapt as plans change and trained crews who drill accurately to avoid costly, time-consuming re-drills.
Quality Samples & Handling
Our crews are trained to understand the importance of delivering consistent, uncontaminated samples for confident decision making.
Trusted Data
Our daily reports provide accurate data fast, ensuring you can have confidence that the predicted grade matches what the plant actually receives.
Blast Hole Drilling
The Foundation for Optimal Production
Precision is vital in blast hole drilling, with hole depth, spacing, and angle directly affecting fragmentation, dig rates, and downstream productivity.
Using the latest automation and data generation technologies, our teams execute the drill plan precisely, ensuring spatial and depth accuracy and consistently delivering target outputs to meet required broken stock levels.
Services
- Blast hole – all sizes
- Pre-splits - all sizes
- Down the Hole (DTH)
- Rotary top hammer
- Drill & Blast
Precision Drilling
As well as extensive employee training, we employ hole navigation system (HNS) technology that guides the rig to the correct location and controls hole placement, depth and angle to exactly match the drill plan, maintaining a high pattern efficiency factor and even fragmentation, while avoiding misfires and overbreak.
Reliability & Consistency
Our fleet maintains rig availability of ~85%+, ensuring we consistently meet the pace of the excavation fleet with reliable, balanced broken stock levels. Our rigs are capable of drilling from 89 – 251mm holes, ensuring we have flexiblity to adjust drill programs to maintain consistency as required.
Data Driven Productivity
Real-time Measure While Drilling (MWD) data ensures operators drill to the correct parameters, as well as delivering geological insights that enhance blast efficiencies and safety. It also supports fleet reliability, identifying maintenance needs to avoid unplanned downtime.
CASE STUDY: Optimising Accuracy and Productivity
Leading Adopter of Automated Fleet
Fleet automation is a powerful driver in our industry’s pursuit of greater efficiency, enhanced safety, and increased sustainability.
Our digitised fleet of Epiroc D65 blast hole rigs at a major site in Tanzania – the first implemented by a drilling contractor globally - streamlines operations by automatically detecting the precise location and depth required using GPS coordinates, reducing mine surveyor workload and unproductive rig standby time.
Additionally the real-time Measure While Drilling (MWD) data generated, has a number of other benefits:
- Detecting incorrect parameters for immediate operator correction, drill compliance increasing by ~20%
- Identifying maintenance needs early to avoid costly downtime or equipment damage, reducing average maintenance downtime by ~20%
- Improved sequencing, with unproductive tramming time reduced by ~34%
- Improved productivity, meters drilled has increased by ~10%
- Reduced consumables costs reduced by ~30%
- Providing rock property insights that enhance blast safety and results, in turn affecting downstream mine to mill processes and cost efficiencies
- Improving blast safety indicating where possible explosive product run away down hole may occur for preventative action.
Underground Drilling
Accessing Deeper Deposits
Underground mining brings unique operational requirements and an additional layer of complexity when operating in confined environments.
Our crews put safety first always and we utilise advanced equipment for optimal mobility and operator safety.
SERVICES
- Diamond core
- Reverse circulation (RC)
- Grade control
Safety
Safety is paramount given restricted space when working underground. Our safety culture is built on critical control management, employees who are committed to working safely and modern rigs incorporating the latest safety features including automated rod handlers and remote-control panels.
Fit-for-Purpose Equipment
We limit downtime with an underground fleet that ensures manoeuvrability in confined spaces for faster rig movements and repositioning and accurate placement.
Emissions Controls
Wherever possible we limit demands on mine ventilation by using electric powered or hybrid rigs that reduce Diesel Particulate Matter (DPM) emissions and limit heat generation during drilling operations underground.