The Adelaide-developed drill rig, the RoXplorer, is set for commercialisation soon after positive test work
A NEXT-generation drill rig developed in Adelaide – the RoXplorer - is on track for commercialisation this year following successful field trials in Port Augusta and Horsham.
A NEXT-generation drill rig developed in Adelaide – the RoXplorer - is on track for commercialisation this year following successful field trials in Port Augusta and Horsham.
For the past seven years the Deep Exploration Technologies Co-operative Research Centre (DET CRC) in Adelaide has been working on a $20 million project to develop a new drilling technique, using coiled drill tubing instead of the traditional drill rods.
The ability to use coiled tubing, to drill to depths of 500m, was designed to deliver cheaper drilling – at costs of $50 a metre – as well as removing the need to use drill rods.
The need to attach and remove drill rods is one of the major dangers and time constraints in the drilling process.
The RoXplorer was recently tested in its second major field trial, in Horsham, and DET CRC chief executive Richard Hillis said it “excelled”.
“The first trial in the Gawler Craton near Port Augusta demonstrated that hard rocks could be drilled at rates approaching 100m per 12 hour shift, across multiple shifts with excellent sample returns,” Professor Hillis said.
“This second trial was more challenging and showed that unconsolidated cover overlying a prospective basement, and the underlying basement, could be drilled at similar rates with the same excellent sample returns.
“We don’t believe that the unconsolidated cover at Horsham could have been drilled by the traditional reverse circulation (RC) method, meaning the CT Rig provides the only cost-effective alternative to expensive sonic or mud rotary surface and diamond-tailed holes.
“This new technology has opened the Gawler Craton, Murray Basin and similar areas of extensive cover to ‘prospecting drilling’ which will enable progressive vectoring towards concealed mineral deposits using multiple, cheap holes in a single drilling campaign, thereby opening the covered mineral exploration search space.
“These results bring us closer to delivering on our goal of developing cheaper, faster and safer methods of exploration, which has the potential to revitalise Australia’s mining industry through the discovery of new mineral deposits hidden under deep rock cover.”
The RoXplorer can also use conventional drill rods with a top drive, and weighs just 15 tonnes.
The technology is expected to be offered to DET CRC partners for licencing this month.
The timing of commercial release of the RoXplorer Rig will be subject to the licencing process and its commercialisation by the licensor.
cameron.england@news.com.au