Bits ‘n Pieces – The Driller’s Blog

We’re always excited when we get to announce new additions to our product lines.  We usually launch new products after months of research and development or when we get valuable feedback from our clients. When we launched our RockStar line a few years ago, we were happy to be able to offer drillers a core bit that offered many benefits, including its self-sharpening ability.

Sometimes in the world of diamond drilling, it can help to have a few rules regarding what you should always do and what you should never do during drilling operations. We have touched upon a lot of advice in previous blogs, but we thought a short and sweet list would be a great tool, especially for helpers and other people new to the industry.

Since the beginning of the year, we’ve been updating our popular e-Guides so our customers would have the latest and greatest information. We started with our most popular guides and have published new versions of how to choose the right core bit, new core bit configurations and our guide on caring for drill rods.

The wireline core barrel is one of the most important pieces of diamond drilling equipment – it’s what you use to recover core.  We’ve written a lot about the parts of the core barrel: inner tubes, head assemblies, outer tubes and overshots but being able to actually see how these pieces work together while underground is really helpful.

Waiting for new drilling equipment can be longer than usual these days. Supply chains everywhere are being negatively impacted by external events far more frequently than ever before. Disruptive events, like the recent pandemic, are causing potential disruption to business activity and the drilling and mining industries are not immune. Delays are now common for drilling equipment especially those made with steel, such as drill rods, inner and outer tubes, etc.

Newcomers to the mineral exploration world are often looking for information that can help them learn more quickly and be more efficient on the job. They may also have a lot of questions that they don’t know want to ask or don’t know where to look for answers. There is a lot to learn and not every experienced driller has the time or the patience to teach. We’ve started publishing a series of blogs and videos that go back to some of the basic information that drillers and helpers, new and old, should know.

Ever wonder about the different types of international standards that exist for drilling equipment? Are there more than just Imperial and metric? Why are they also referred to as DCDMA and CMS?

The next in of our series of videos about the diamond drilling industry is all about the components of core drilling. These videos are ideal for newcomers to the industry, and for workers looking to advance in their careers. We know that when you have questions, information can be difficult to get. It is why we produce so many guides, blogs and videos.

Since our integration with Epiroc, we have been working hard at integrating our product lines and updating our guides and documentation.  We started by updating our most popular guide, Mineral Exploration: Guide to Choosing the Right Core Bit, a few months ago and followed up with the Fundamental Guide to Core Bit Configurations. Now, we are happy to report the new, updated version of our free Guide to Protecting and Handling your Drill Rods is available.

Ever hear the term greenfield exploration and wonder what it refers to? Or what the difference is between greenfield and brownfield? Newcomers to the mineral exploration world may not know and may not want to ask these questions so we will be publishing a series of blogs and videos that go back to some of the basic information that drillers and helpers, new and old, should know.