Bits ‘n Pieces – The Driller’s Blog

Surface set diamond core bits are often considered old-school tools in diamond drilling. They were the only choice for drillers years ago. Like many other things, new methods and technologies have caused diamond drilling to evolve, and diamond impregnated core bits are more common today. The surface set bit had only one layer of diamonds on the surface while with an impregnated core bit has several layers of diamonds all through the matrix.

INTRODUCTION:

Some people are simply mosquito magnets. In the summer months they are the ones who are endlessly bitten and around whom mosquitos seem to swarm. So if you are a diamond driller who is working on a remote job in the bush, the summer months can be a real pain if the mosquitos love you. While there are many mosquito repellents are available on the market, a lot of them contain chemical ingredients that some people and children may be sensitive to. If you are sensitive to ingredients like DEET and you attract mosquitos, you may think you have to suffer through the summer. Luckily, there are some effective natural ways to keep mosquitos away.

At PDAC last March, we displayed and introduced our customers to our tallest crown configuration yet: the Vulcan 40 mm. Our line of Vulcan configurations had included a 16 mm, 20 mm and 26 mm option so this newest addition really took the bar to a whole other level. Many customers were intrigued and had many questions about how to use such a crown. This blog will take a look at the Vulcan 40 mm and how and when is should be used.

As all good diamond drillers know, core recovery is what it is all about. Drillers and their supervisors are always looking for ways to get more core in the box quickly and at the lowest cost. The main goal of mineral exploration is to get a representative sample of mineral or ore deposits from the area being explored. Knowing all this, once you get the core, you need to handle it properly and make sure the geologists can get the information they need.

Geotechnical drilling is different from diamond drilling yet sometimes they can both benefit from the same piece of equipment. The Elepump KF-50M mud pump is a case in point. One of our geotechnical drilling customers recently used this great little pump and it resulted in a quick case study that provided three good reasons why geotechnical drilling companies should consider using a KF-50M pump and I’m going to share them with you here.

Geology is really tied to diamond drilling and although geologists are key players in drilling operations, drillers need to have a basic understanding of geology. The deeper the hole - the more that geological influences become complex. We wrote a blog a while ago on geology basics that drillers should understand. As more and more new drillers and helpers are joining the world of diamond drilling, I thought it would be a good idea to revisit geology and in particular, geological terms that drillers should know.

Let’s face it, core recovery is what it’s all about in diamond drilling – it’s the reason we are out there on a drill site. The more core that you are putting in the box, the happier your boss or the mining company will be. Not surprisingly, this is a topic that our field technicians get asked about a lot and that our subscribers say is a challenge. Read more about improving core recovery here.

Spring is arriving (at least in the northern hemisphere) and many drillers will soon be dusting off the BBQs, digging them out of the ice, and refilling tanks with propane in preparation for the new BBQ season. In a previous blog, we already covered how to grill the perfect hamburger, and we covered tips on salmon fishing so it only makes sense to look at how to grill a fish like an expert, once you've caught one

It’s not always the big pieces of equipment that can make or break drilling performance, the small parts that are sometimes taken for granted can play a big role in how profitable your operations are.

Case in point: core lifters. These small parts are a crucial part of core recovery. When you have a problem with your core lifters, you have a problem putting core in the box. That’s what happened with our customer in Brazil.

For the last couple of blogs, we’ve been looking at core barrels. A wire line core barrel typically consists of a double tube system that includes an inner tube and outer tube. We’ve looked at the parts that make up the inner tube assembly and the head assembly. In this blog, we will look at the parts of the outer tube and the role of each piece of Equipment.

Why are we spending a lot of time looking at this equipment? Because in order to maintain good drilling performance, diamond drillers should have a thorough understanding of their drilling equipment. With that said, let’s look at the components.