GEODRILL

AFRICA’S PREFERRED DRILLING PARTNER

Issue 18 Drilling Exploration & Mining Geology

In Focus // Q&A from the Experts //
January 2022 › Geodrill › Dr Benedikt Steiner, Director
21 Questions // at XPLORE GLOBAL Ltd.
› Mario Rouillier, President
More Inside //
at Groupe Rouillier
› Gold Fever in Guyana
More Inside //
ISSN 2367-847X › Steel-Made Precision Tubes › Rupert Resources:
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Table
Contents
/21 QUESTIONS /TECHNICAL MATERIAL
6 Exclusive interview: 26 A technical note on dogleg severity
Mario Rouillier, President by Dag Billger, Owner & Business Manager
at Groupe Rouillier and Duncan McLeod, Owner
& Product Manager at Inertial Sensing

/IN FOCUS /PRODUCT REVIEW: DRLL RIGS

12 Geodrill: Africa’s 30 From Russia with core strength:
preferred drilling partner RS-90 drill rig manufactured
by Dave Harper, CEO at Geodrill by Rusmining Export

32 Meet MAX: The 8000 lb beast that drills

up to 3100 meters N-size
by Rishi Budshah, CMO at
Hydracore Drills Ltd.

/COMPANY EXPANSION
36 Explomin’s global expansion plan
by Peggy Silva Mayser, Commercial
Manager at Explomin Perforaciones

/EXPLORATION &
MINING GEOLOGY
40 Q&A from the experts:
In conversation with Dr Benedikt Steiner,
Director at XPLORE GLOBAL Ltd.

46 Rupert Resources: The benefits

of aggressive drilling
by Jane Lockwood, Spotlight Mining
/DRILL RODS
48 Gold fever in Guyana
by Ian Foreman, Principal of
18 Steel-made precision tubes for drill rods
Foremost Corporate Services /EXPLORATION
by Steffen Zimmermann, Head of Technical
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Sebastian Schulze, Application Engineer;
Corentin Lorc’h, Quality Manager and 52 Diamond drilling services
Pierre-Jean Marchais, Process Engineer
at Mannesmann Precision Tubes 53 Drilling equipment & accessories

/PRODUCT RELEASE 57 Survey equipment

22 MK-2 Rod Feeder (patent pending): 58 Miscellaneous

The independent rod handling system
that eliminates all hands-on steel
operations for diamond drilling
by Quentin Dulake, Global Sales Executive
at Exploration Drill Masters Chile S.A.
/AUTHORS

Authors in this issue

Mario Rouillier Dr Benedikt Steiner

Dave Harper
President at Director at
CEO at Geodrill
Groupe Rouillier XPLORE GLOBAL Ltd.

Duncan McLeod
Owner & Product
Manager Rishi Budshah Ian Foreman
Dag Billger CMO at Hydracore Principal at Foremost
Owner & Business Drills Ltd. Corporate Services
Manager
at Inertial Sensing

DOWNLOAD YOUR
Peggy Silva Mayser 2022 CALENDAR
Commercial Manager
at Explomin Perforaciones
www.coringmagazine.com/calendar2022

CORING MAGAZINE Publisher Coring Magazine is an international quarterly title

Coring Media covering the exploration core drilling industry.
January 2022
Editor in Chief Published in print and digital formats, Coring has a
Cover photo
Geodrill Grigor Topev rapidly growing readership that includes diamond
drilling contractors, drilling manufacturers and
Executive Officer & Editor
Issue 18 Martina Samarova
suppliers, service companies, mineral exploration
ISSN 2367-847X companies and departments, geologists, and
Editor
Not for resale. Subscribe: many others involved in exploration core drilling.
www.coringmagazine.com/subscribe Maksim M. Mayer
Launched in late 2015, Coring aims to provide
Section Editor –
Exploration & Mining Geology
a fresh perspective on the sector by sourcing
Timothy Strong authentic, informed and quality commentary
direct from those working in the field. With regular
Contact Us Digital Marketing Manager
interviews, insightful company profiles,
Coring Media Ltd. Elena Dorfman
detailed product reviews, field-practice tips
119B D. Petkov Str., Graphic Design and illustrated case studies of the world’s most
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/21 QUESTIONS
Exclusive interview with
Mario questions
Rouillier
President at Groupe Rouillier
Mario Rouillier studied in Abitibi-Témiscamingue,
earning a degree in Business Administration. His
drilling career began more than 39 years ago when
as a teenager, he started working in his father’s
company Rouillier Drilling. Mario moved up the ranks
as driller’s helper, driller, foreman, general manager
and finally as owner and president. In 1994, Mario
began considering buying the company from his father,
Marcel. Armed with business administration skills and
the support of his uncle Raymond, Mario purchased
Rouillier Drilling and thus achieved his dream of
taking over the family business and making it one of
the biggest drilling contractors of Eastern Canada.
Over the next years, Mario’s decision to acquire
both Boréal Drilling and Azimut Drilling, Pro
Drilling Guyane, Foramex, Nordique Drilling as well
as drilling equipment manufacturers VersaDrill
Canada and MBI Global substantially contributed
to Groupe Rouillier becoming the largest private
mining group in Canada. This family of companies
offers a complete range of services and products.
Mario is a Board Member of several organizations
including MISA, an organization working to stimulate
innovation in the Québec mining sector, and the
Canadian Diamond Drilling Association (CDDA). He
is a shareholder of the Research in Diamond Drilling
(RIDD) organization and also of Youdin Rouillier
Drilling, a Cree company, as well as Avataa Rouillier
Drilling, an Inuit company. Since 2007, Mario has been
a Chairman of the Board of Directors of Refuge Pageau,
shelter and rehabilitation center for wild animals.
6 Coring Magazine #18
Grigor Topev: Tell us the story about your
start in the drilling industry?
Mario Rouillier: Our family business was drill-
ing and I wanted to be a part of it. I started
working summers as a driller’s helper when I
was 15. At that time, drilling machinery wasn’t
what it is today. The work was difficult, and
techniques and work safety were far from be-
ing as developed as they are nowadays.
GT: During your climb to success, you
worked in almost every position at your
father’s company - Rouillier Drilling.
Which position left the strongest impres-
sion on you and taught you the most valu-
able lessons?
MR: Management is without a doubt the most
challenging, but also the most rewarding part
of the work. Learning by working with my fa-
ther was invaluable. He taught me the ropes
and was there through every step and coached
me on how to take care of our people. Having
himself been a driller, he knew exactly what
the work entailed and the effort it required.
One day, as we were grocery shopping for our
teams in the field, I remember him telling me
that I need to get the best for them. Those big
steaks were what they deserved after a long
day of work. I never forgot that.
Our philosophy and slogan are ‘We Care
Deeply’ and this has been the spirit of our
business since the start when my father
founded Rouillier Drilling.
GT: What has been the most impressive
drilling project that you have ever partic-
ipated in?
MR: There was one project in Peru which was
at a high altitude that comes to mind. Howev-
er, the one that left the strongest impression
is by far the Lapa Mine, at the beginning of this
decade. This was an Agnico Eagle mine that
was newly discovered along the Cadillac Fault,
between Val-d’Or and Rouyn, in the Abitibi-Té-
miscamingue area of Québec, Canada. This
project required that we refine and perfect
our operations. And so, it brought forth a lot of
development in our techniques enabling us to
make great strides in our methods. It present-
ed so many challenges, among which, wedges,
deep holes and deviation, along with work on
additives. At that time, re-using waters was
not as present a concern as it is today, this
awareness was only beginning, and that was
a turning point for us, as we integrated this
practice to our operations.
I must also add that our contract in the
Polar Circle has also brought its fair share
of challenges.
GT: Name the project that took the lon-
gest to complete and the one that re-
quired the highest number of drill rigs in
the last 25 years.
MR: Several of our projects required a lot of
time and a larger number of drill rigs. Firstly,
the previously mentioned Lapa Mine. Also,
the Bracemac-McLeod project in Matagami,
Canada that is owned by Glencore, along with
Raglan Mines’ Nunavik, Amex Explorations,
and several other projects.
The project that has lasted the longest with
the greatest number of drill rigs on-site for us
is Osisko Mining’s Windfall project that has
been ongoing since 2015. It is located up north
in the James Bay region and is three hours
from Lebel-sur-Quévillon, Canada in different
zones (Main, Lynx and Underdog) and covers
a length of 2300 m (7546 ft) and spans to a
depth of about 1500 m (4921 ft) from the sur-
face down.
GT: What is one improvement or innova-
tion that has revolutionized drilling since
the beginning of your career? How has
the industry changed since its implemen-
tation?
MR: The aspect where I have seen the most
improvement and innovation is in terms of
deviation when drilling. We have managed to
closely monitor, follow and bring more preci-
sion to our drilling operations.
Drillers’ trusted publication
GT: After long years at Rouillier Drilling,
you bought the company. How did you de-
cide to make this step?
MR: In 1995, my father was talking about sell-
ing the company to prepare for his retirement.
When I found out, I decided I needed to make
an offer to buy the business. I worked hard for
a whole year to get the financing required. I
acquired the company because I wanted our
family business to remain in the family.
As a young man in my twenties, I was confi-
dent I could make it work because I was very
well-surrounded. I had the core team, many of
‘As a young man in my
twenties, I was confident
I could make it work
because I was very well-
surrounded. I had the
core team, many of which
are still in the company
today, to help me navigate
through this new position
and responsibility. I also
had my father’s brother-
in-law, Uncle Raymond,
with me to lead us on to
the coming challenges.
It wasn’t easy but it was
greatly facilitated by
what I call my team of
superheroes at my side.’
which are still in the company today, to help
me navigate through this new position and
responsibility. I also had my father’s brother-
in-law, Uncle Raymond, with me to lead us on
to the coming challenges. It wasn’t easy but it
was greatly facilitated by what I call my team
of superheroes at my side.
GT: You have established Groupe Rouillier.
Please tell us the specialty of each of the
companies that form it.
MR: Groupe Rouillier encompasses Rouillier
Drilling specializing in surface, underground,
and heli-portable diamond drilling; Youdin
Rouillier Drilling and Avataa Rouillier Drill-
ing in diamond drilling services, respectively
in partnership with the Cree Nation and the
Inuit Nation.
In manufacturing, and under the helm of
MBI Global, itself offering custom solutions
in superior core drilling products for superi-
or results, are VersaDrill Canada providing
high-performance diamond drills, and Gtech-
Drill, specializing in exceptional geotechnical
drills. In addition, VersaRent leases geotech-
nical drills.
Furthermore, our expert research unit, RIDD,
is engaged in the research and development of
additive manufactured coatings using direct-
ed energy deposition (DED) technology.
GT: It will be interesting to know where
does Rouillier Drilling stand on the Cana-
dian market?
MR: Rouillier Drilling is among Eastern Can-
ada’s largest private companies in our area
of activities and has over 350 employees at
this time.
GT: Can you share interesting and lit-
tle-known facts about VersaDrill Canada
and its acquisition by Groupe Rouillier?
MR: In 2013, we acquired VersaDrill Canada,
a manufacturer of underground and surface
drill rigs, that is now under the banner of MBI
Global. We invested a great deal in the design
of a series of geotechnical drills and in the re-
search and development of an autonomous
drill rig, which is presently in use for a trial pe-
riod at Agnico Eagle’s Goldex Mine.
Now under the MBI Global banner, Versa-
Drill Canada’s development has taken place by
working to strengthen and widen its distribu-
tion center. We currently have four offices and
16 distributors worldwide, we sell in 30 coun-
tries, and are working to further expand sales.
Ongoing projects to further develop the au-
tonomous drill rig are underway. We are also
developing and testing a drill rod handling
device for underground drilling. Other very
promising projects are in the works in relation
to diamond along with geotechnical drilling.
We are making great strides and will soon be
able to bring more details about these.
GT: Rouillier Drilling offers a work-study
program that provides paid training in di-
amond drilling. Please elaborate on that.
MR: We have three types of programs. One
of them is offered through a partnership with
the CFP Val-d’Or, which dispenses Diploma of
Vocational Studies (DVS) programs, among
which, a paid 600-hour program. Students
7
/21 QUESTIONS
complete this four-month program and can
immediately start working as drillers’ helpers,
with the benefit of an assured job with us.
We have also worked jointly with Avataa
Rouillier Drilling to set up the Avataa Rouillier
Drilling school to offer comprehensive train-
ing to local workers who are interested in
working in our industry. This has been made
possible thanks to the invaluable participation
of Kativik Ilisarniliriniq, Raglan Mine, CSMO
Mines, as well as Charlie Watt and Christine
Nakoolak of Avataa Rouillier Drilling.
And lastly, our in-house program for drill-
ers’ helpers, who perform very well, and for
the drillers coaching them. This way a driller’s
helper can become a driller sooner.
↑ Visiting the Nunavik contract
8 Coring Magazine #18
These employees are very proud of their ac-
complishments and are rewarded for their ef-
forts, thus far it has been a very successful ini-
tiative. One of our drillers has even written a
book detailing the procedures to guide drillers’
helpers and aiding them in becoming self-reli-
ant faster. It is very inspiring for us to see our
experienced drillers passing on their knowl-
edge and teaching up-and-coming drillers.
GT: What do you think about the labor
shortage issue in Canada? What caused
it? What are the possible solutions to the
situation?
MR: There is indeed a labor shortage, in all sec-
tors of the Canadian economy, as the popula-
tion is aging and a whole generation of expe-
rienced workers is retiring. For the decade to
come, there will be a gap in skilled labor, and
all industries will be searching for employees.
Also, when our sector was experiencing a
lag, companies weren’t investing as much
in recruiting and training. One solution is to
work together as companies and consult with
each other. That is already happening with the
help of the Québec Mineral Exploration As-
sociation and MISA, as we work together on
finding solutions.
Another solution is to continue to work as
we are with MBI Global on developing and
perfecting an autonomous drill rig, as well
as drill rod handling equipment, to attract a
greater number of people to occupy these
jobs. A person with less experience will be
able to operate the autonomous drill rig much
more easily. In fact, we have a driller’s helper
who started using this drill rig and within a few
weeks was able to operate it on his own. As
the equipment becomes easier and simpler to
operate, it will no longer take years and years
to become a driller. The autonomous drill now
collects data to help us adjust and manage our
drilling operations in real-time. That is certain-
ly a vital key to managing the shortage.
GT: In 2021, there have been many
high-profile mergers and acquisitions.
What are the requirements for a success-
ful merger/acquisition? Do you think that
the diamond drilling industry is heading
towards a market consolidation particu-
larly in Canada?
MR: Between 2012 and 2018, we saw a good
deal of mergers and acquisitions in our sector
because those were harder times. I expect
that there will be many more in the years to
come. There is a growing trend, across all busi-
ness sectors, towards consolidating.
This will happen either in an effort to see
expansion, bring a more diversified offer and
reach a larger market share, or because small-
er companies will team up with larger corpo-
rations in their efforts to protect their supplier
chain and also to overcome the challenges of
the labor shortage. There is definitely strength
in numbers.
GT: How did you tackle the COVID-19 pan-
demic? Has the importance of safety in-
creased since?
MR: Safety has always been a concern in our
field and our employees’ awareness is abso-
lutely essential to a safe work environment. I
think the effect the pandemic may have had
on employees is making them all the more
aware of the importance of their safety.
 The health and safety of our employees have
always been an integral part of our values, and
so, a top priority. We acted very quickly when
the COVID-19 pandemic hit. We added to our
already rigorous safety practices immediate-
ly by implementing preventive measures to
make our teams feel safe. We kept our staff
well-informed, created hygiene stations with
all the necessary items for a safe work envi-
ronment, added signage as reminders, and
adapted all our work vehicles with protective
panels to ensure proper distancing and safety.
GT: What would make a contractor a pre-
ferred employer in the drilling industry?
MR: To have a good relationship with your
employees, you must remain close to them
and their reality. Listening to them, being
open-minded, knowing what their needs are
and working on ways to make their work eas-
ier and help them perform their duties, are
a given.
We have always had as one of our core val-
ues, caring for our employees. For several
years now, we have had an employee assis-
tance program (EAP) which ensures our teams
have quick and easy access to health profes-
sionals, we even have an in-house doctor at
their disposal!
It is a natural thing for us to see to their safe-
ty and contentment in their job. After all, our
slogan is ‘We Care Deeply’, and that is reflect-
ed in all we do.
GT: From your point of view, what is the
most important quality that makes a
drilling contractor stand out among the
others and become a preferred choice for
the mining companies?
MR: A way to stand out and be noticed is to
not only be aware of the environmental is-
sues and stakes but also to be proactive about ↑ Mario and his daughter Frédérique Rouillier, HR, visiting a drill site to put their
them, and implement clear and effective slogan ‘We care deeply’ into action
measures. As well, having superior health and
safety policies and practices makes a company number of deep and directional drilling bringing more results. Drilling less but drill-
more attractive. projects. How did you manage to achieve ing better.
It is crucial to take care of the environment that?
and the people in it. Obtaining the UL ECOLO- GT: What is your prognosis for the dia-
GO® certification for mineral exploration is a MR: We have indeed improved and perfected mond drilling industry in 2022 (compared
concrete way to ensure the company’s prac- our drilling methods by drilling deeper and to 2021)? Do you think that the price per
tices are in line with today’s environmental honing our skills and specializing in reaching drilled meter will go higher?
and social concerns. We were in fact honored our clients’ geological targets.
at the Québec Mineral Exploration Associa- What will vastly contribute to these opera- MR: I believe numbers will remain stable. In
tion’s 2021 convention, Xplor, and received tions will be collecting data with our autono- 2022, the number of meters drilled will be
the ‘Excellence in Sustainable Development’ mous drill rigs. This will allow us to drill more close to those drilled in 2021. The labor short-
Recognition award. precisely and require less drilling meterage for age will be the factor that will limit our activ-
It is the way of the present and the future.
our clients while reaching more targets, thus ities and we won’t be able to take on more
GT: Over the past few years, Rouillier increasing the potential for success. In other works. There may be a demand but we will not
Drilling experienced an increase in the words, drilled meters will be quality meters, have all the skilled labor required.

Drillers’ trusted publication 9

/21 QUESTIONS

GT: You’ve mentioned autonomous drill
rigs several times, what is your opinion
on their future and potential?
MR: The autonomous drill rig is certainly the
means to reaching more targets. It collects
data and allows drilling assistance making
for smarter, more efficient drilling. Having
a single operator is an excellent solution to
the labor shortage. We will now be speaking
in terms of operators as opposed to experi-
enced drillers, widening the possibilities for
finding workers. Our operators will be better
equipped for better performance, and this will
further raise their salaries, enabling them to
drill more meters.
GT: What other game-changing technol-
ogies do you think will be developed and
implemented in exploration drilling in the
next five years?
MR: The upcoming technology that will help
drillers in their work will be to further ad-
vance drill rod and inner tube assistance
through the development of handling tools
and equipment.
GT: You have held many leadership roles
over the years. What are the qualities
that you think helped you thrive? What
would be your advice to young entrepre-
neurs that want to start on their own in
the drilling industry?
MR: The key is to unequivocally surround
yourself with the best. I also believe it is very
important to map out a clear and concise
plan and to share it with your team. Having a
strong guiding principle and making sure it is
understood by your entire team is essential.
If I had to give one piece of advice, I would
say to new drilling contractors to do it with
a passion, not just for the money. Surround
yourself well and bring out the best in your
people for a well-rounded, efficient team. Give
a good idea to a mediocre team and they’ll find
a way to screw it up; give a mediocre idea to
a good team and they’ll find a way to make it
a success.
It goes without saying that your team must
be provided with the best tools and support,
and as a leader, you must be ready to make the
difficult decisions and navigate this arduous
process. Make your team’s skills and talents
your best assets.
Finally, the UL 2724 ECOLOGO® Certification
Program for Suppliers of Mineral Exploration
Industry is a powerful tool to make your com-
pany an active player for the future. We must
follow the rules and think of our activities as a
long-term endeavor contributing to the health
of the planet and its inhabitants. C
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10 Coring Magazine #18

/IN FOCUS

Geodrill:
Africa’s preferred
drilling partner
by Dave Harper, CEO at Geodrill

12 Coring Magazine #18

 GEODRILL

Geodrill is a well-established drilling

contractor and a preferred partner in
West Africa. The company prides itself on
investing in modern equipment and world-
class operations to supply its clients with a
‘one-stop’ drilling solution. As a purpose-
led company, their expertise, experience
in the field, highest maintenance,
Health, safety, environment and quality
(HSEQ) standards, and Environmental,
social and governance (ESG) vision and
values, have earned Geodrill a reputation
for delivering results. This is best
demonstrated by an impressive rig growth
profile – attributable to the company’s
strong culture of professionalism,
customer satisfaction and caring for the
communities in which they operate.

Company history and development

Geodrill was founded in Ghana in 1998 by the current CEO Dave Harper
with one rig and one contract. The company soon began adding rigs in
response to growing demand and has continued to expand from coun-
try to country.
For the following decade, 2000 to 2010, Geodrill focused on expand-
ing its operations into neighboring countries such as Burkina Faso and
Côte d’Ivoire where the company established a number of operational
and support bases to service its growing rig fleet. The company also op-
erated in Niger, Guinea and Togo.
In 2010, the company listed on the Toronto stock market, under tick-
er GEO.T. In 2017, Geodrill commenced operations underground and
currently operates a fleet of six Boart Longyear LM™90 underground
drill rigs.
Three years later, the company expanded its geographic presence
into South America through its wholly owned subsidiary Recon Drilling.
Their maiden project in the Santander mine, Peru, has broken the re-
cord for the deepest hole in the country at 1990.3 m (≈ 6530 ft). Drilling
was conducted at altitudes ranging from 4500 m (14 800 ft) to 5000 m
(16 400 ft). Recon has since continued expanding in the Latin American
region (read more in Issue 17 of Coring Magazine).
In 2021, Geodrill also added mine blast hole drilling to its business,
providing the full gamut of explorations services. The company was
honored with an award for its excellent operational record in mining and
exploration by The Millennium Excellence Foundation (MEF). The cere-
mony was held in Kumasi, the capital of the Ashanti Region in Ghana, in
the presence of the country’s president. Among the previous recipients
is Kofi Annan – former Secretary-General of the United Nations and No-
bel Peace Prize winner.
Today, Geodrill has a fleet of 71 drill rigs and is one of the leading ex-
ploration companies operating primarily in Ghana, Burkina-Faso, Côte
d’Ivoire and Mali in West Africa; Egypt in North Africa, and Peru in
South America. The company revenue in Q3 of 2021 has increased by
44% in comparison to Q3 2020, while maintaining strong profitability.

Drillers’ trusted publication 13

/IN FOCUS
↑ Geodrill’s Anwiankwanta Operations Base, located near Kumasi in Ghana
One of the key aspects behind these excellent results is that Geodrill
has extended its core multi-rig operations. Furthermore, the company
managed to maintain a high utilization rate of 65% even during the wet
season (April–October).
In 2021, Geodrill was simultaneously utilizing rigs for drilling projects
with the following clients:
• 12 rigs with Endeavour Mining between their sites in Côte d’Ivoire
and Burkina Faso;
• 12 rigs with Perseus Mining on sites in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana;
• 8 rigs with Roxgold in Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso;
• 8 rigs working in Ghana for Asanko Gold;
• 6 rigs with Atlantic Lithium (formerly Iron Ridge Resources) on
projects in Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana.
The projects with Endeavour Mining and Perseus Mining alone are ex-
pected to generate 500 000 m (1 640 420 ft) of drilling in 2022 and 2023.
‘With these significant industry tailwinds and favorable macroeco-
nomic conditions, Geodrill remains focused on continuing to drive
growth in revenue, earnings per share and return on equity,’ said CEO
Dave Harper. ‘It is this type of organic growth, underpinned by our po-
sition as a driller of choice in West Africa, paired with long-term growth
initiatives to expand globally, that continue to make Geodrill a compel-
ling growth opportunity’.
Services
Geodrill provides a broad selection of diverse drilling services (both ex-
ploration and delineation) to meet the specific needs of its clients. The
company has drilled a total of 1.4 million meters (4 593 175 ft) in 2020
with hole depths ranging from 20 m (65.62 ft) all the way to 1950 m
(6398 ft). These results are achieved through their complete range of
14
services including Reverse circulation (RC), Diamond core, Air-core,
Grade control, Geo-tech, underground and water bore drilling. Offering
both surface and underground drilling as well as specialized and more
routine drilling services, has helped Geodrill establish itself as a uni-
versal drilling services provider. The company continually evaluates its
suite of offered services with a view to maintaining a leadership position
in the industry.
The most preferred and popular service among Geodrill’s clients is
RC drilling, typically to depths of up to 400 m (1312 ft). Geodrill often
provides this method with the help of its multi-purpose rigs, which can
switch between RC and diamond core drilling mid-way through a hole
with minimal effort or down-time. This gives clients flexibility and re-
duces stand-by time and preparation and mobilization charges. Thus,
the company’s efficiency is improved, lowering their ‘average cost per
meter’.
Team
Highly dedicated experts from around the world form the globally mo-
bile Geodrill team that is able to teach best in class drillers and help
them become qualified industry professionals. Geodrill has a strong
emphasis on local employment and training from within. This is a major
reason for the creation of a technical training center; a comprehensive
state-of-the-art support base located near Kumasi, Ghana that is unique
for Africa.
The company has more than 1000 employees across its operations
and administration teams. Geodrill hires locally as much as possible
and provides extensive training and leadership opportunities to pro-
mote staff from within. As a result, the company has few expatriates
Coring Magazine #18

‘With these significant industry
tailwinds and favorable
macroeconomic conditions, Geodrill
remains focused on continuing to
drive growth in revenue, earnings
per share and return on equity,’ said
CEO Dave Harper. ‘It is this type of
organic growth, underpinned by
our position as a driller of choice
in West Africa, paired with long-
term growth initiatives to expand
globally, that continue to make
Geodrill a compelling growth
opportunity. We expect conditions
to remain strong into the beginning
of 2022 and beyond, as gold prices
continue to surge, attracting
investment attention and driving
exploration budgets and growth.’
↑ Operating to the highest international HSEQ standards
Drillers’ trusted publication
GEODRILL
in employment and relies almost entirely on the extensive expertise of
their local staff.
Geodrill is an equal opportunity employer proudly advocating for gen-
der and diversity inclusion in recruitment and talent management. The
company puts a large emphasis on the fair and equal treatment of ev-
eryone – from the directors to the candidates – regardless of their gen-
der, age, culture and ethnicity, religious beliefs or disabilities.
The hub and spoke model
With a geographic footprint spread across two continents, the company
has established a ‘hub and spoke’ model with Ghana as the hub, and
Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso and Mali; Egypt in North Africa; and Peru in
South America as the spokes.
The facility in Ghana has a specialized CNC machining center for man-
ufacturing drill rods and consumables, thus reducing the need to ship
parts from out-of-country minimizing downtime and increasing ef-
ficiency. The facility is also home to the Drill Academy where Geodrill
training and development programs aim to provide personnel with the
required skills and knowledge to perform drilling and maintenance to
the highest international levels.
Safety
The Geodrill safety procedures have been developed to meet and ex-
ceed all applicable government and client standards. By partnering
with industry leaders in behavioral safety, incident investigation, work-
ers’ compensation and Occupational safety and health administration
15
/IN FOCUS
↑ Geodrill’s Anwiankwanta Operations Base
(OSHA) standards, the company has built a comprehensive integrated
Health Safety and Environmental Management System. The core val-
ues of safety and productivity are a testament to Geordill’s commitment
that all projects should be completed with Zero Harm to employees,
contractors and the environment.
ESG focus
Recently, Geodrill has been contributing a significant 2% of its total rev-
enue to its ESG program. Over the past 24 months, Geodrill has hon-
ored its Corporate social responsibility (CSR) ongoing recipients while
developing a strategy to create a legacy for future generations and to
respond to urgent appeals such as:
Immediate initiatives, concerned with COVID-19 - a community-based
campaign to address urgent hygiene needs in Burkina Faso, were carried
out in conjunction with Rox Gold.
A little girl’s emergency lifesaving surgery overseas for a rare and dis-
turbing eye cancer.
Geodrill contributed for the construction of a purified water system
for Pearl Safe Haven, the first safe house with a rehabilitation program
for women and children survivors of gender-based violence in West
Africa. Geodrill first undertook to drill the water hole and provided a
sizeable donation for the construction works along with the Australian
High Commission to Ghana. The company also stepped up to fund the
amount needed to complete the works, including the roof, the furniture
and the fittings. Without Geodrill filling the gap to finish the building, it
would not have been completed, and thanks to the contributions it was
able to open in early 2021.
In line with the Sustainable development goals of the United Nations,
education has been a key receiver of funds, as well as employee and
management time and efforts. Significant sums of 150 000 cedi (ap-
prox. AUD 35 000) per institution have been awarded to improve the
technical competence of a science laboratory, sporting and boarding
facilities of three significant high schools in Ghana: Achimota in the cap-
ital, Tamale in the northern part, and Mfantsipim in the Cape Coast area.
16
While a lot of schools are in need, these donations will take competitive
entry schools to the next level which also means a greater opportunity
to continue to hire locally and to have home-grown technical expertise.
Furthermore, education access for the handicapped remains an issue
in Ghana and an important step is providing prosthetic limbs and spe-
cialized physiotherapy for children in need. Geodrill has been a long-
term donor of Orthopedic Training Center in Nsawam. In June 2020,
the company donated an emergency roof for the Cerebral Palsy therapy
building, which had been ruined in a storm. Every year Geodrill contrib-
utes specialty-built wheelchairs for those in need at the center as well
as general funding to continue giving movement back to children and
youth (as well as adults) so that they can go on to participate in school
and gain meaningful employment later on in life.
An innovative collaboration with Children of the Light Ghana, a holis-
tic education center, was formed in November 2020 with an environ-
mental creative - McKingtorch Creatives. Children of the Light students
were visiting the streets of Accra to read and share stories with children
living on the street and became aware that many were not sleeping on
any kind of mats. Geodrill funded 120 mats that were entirely made in
Ghana, using recycled materials. The mats were distributed by the chil-
dren to other children sharing the gift of giving. These unique mats led
to a further collaboration with McKingtorch and bus shelters have been
commissioned out of 100% recycled plastic waste. The collection site
for plastic waste is hosted at the Geodrill Accra office.
Promoting environmental education in Ghana, Geodrill has funded
several initiatives over the past 24 months: Let’s Go Farming: a chil-
dren’s farming and livelihood educational TV Show in Ghana, most re-
cent episodes sponsored by Geodrill were August 7, 14 and 21, 2021.
While these are just a sample of 2020-2021 projects Geodrill has un-
dertaken in social and environmental aspects of its ESG program, this
is an impressive range of recipients, with a firm policy of non-discrimi-
nation. As much as possible, CEO Dave Harper has been sure to play an
active part in donating not only funds but committing his own time and
that of key personnel at Geodrill to ensure that the personal connection,
value and significance of the projects are emphasized.
2022 and beyond
Geordill will continue its commitment to ESG causes and particularly to
the communities where it operates throughout 2022. One of the biggest
highlights is drilling for Ghana’s first lithium mine – Atlantic Lithium.
Furthermore, Geodrill remains bullish on its expansion on the Egyptian
market and expects to announce a significant drilling contract in the
near future and the company is also looking to expand its operations
to the Drill & Blast market. Meanwhile, Recon Drilling will increase its
presence in South America through the subsidiary’s successful projects.
‘We expect conditions to remain strong into the beginning of 2022
and beyond, as gold prices continue to surge, attracting investment
attention and driving exploration budgets and growth’, concluded
Dave Harper. C
For more information
Visit: www.geodrill-gh.com
Coring Magazine #18
Steel-made precision
tubes for drill rods
by Steffen Zimmermann, Head of Technical Sales/Application Engineering; Sebastian Schulze, Application Engineer;
Corentin Lorc’h, Quality Manager and Pierre-Jean Marchais, Process Engineer at Mannesmann Precision Tubes

Precision tubes made of steel are widely used for ↑ New straightening machine at
Mannesmann plant in Vitry-le-
exploration or blasthole drilling. But to keep the drilling François; in the front: measurement
process running and the direction of drilling straight, to check straightness; in the back:
tubes must behave elastically under service loads. straightening operations
This means no plastic deformation is allowed to take
place to prevent drill rods from inelastic bending.
Especially for long-distance drilling, tubes must
withstand severe and harsh conditions. Besides the
wear, mainly mechanical loads stress the precision
steel tube by a combination of factors like tensile,
torsion and bending loads at the same time.

T
he engineering of drill strings needs to
consider the static tensile properties,
the tube dimensions and apparent
‘secondary factors’ like residual stresses and
corresponding straightness. The manufac-
turing process of precision steel tubes must
balance all these properties by adjusting the
cold deformation during the cold drawing pa-
rameters, the heat treatment conditions and
the tube straightness all along the production
process. These production steps and their in-
teractions will define the performance of drill
rod characteristics.
As soon as the level of tensile residual
stresses exceeds a critical limit, the internal
stresses will cause a premature local plastic
deformation - the permanent distortion that
occurs when a material is subjected to tensile,
compressive, bending, or torsion stresses that
exceed its yield strength and cause it to elon-
gate, compress, buckle, bend, or twist. This
local plastic deformation will lead to a fast
and early deviation from the planned drilling
direction and, in combination with increased

18 Coring Magazine #18


Figure 1 - Pareto diagram to estimate single influences of production parameters
vibration fatigue, would potentially lead to rod
failure. Due to the trend towards being light-
weight-structured, precision steel tubes have
become lighter in recent years or, alternative-
ly, already established tube dimensions have
been used for deeper drill holes today. In both
cases, tubes act closer to their limits.
Therefore, Mannesmann focused its devel-
opment activities on the product-process-in-
teractions to ensure a well-balanced combi-
nation of straightness while maintaining the
lowest level of residual stress and to fulfill all
requirements regarding desired mechanical
properties.
Precision tube
manufacturing process
In principle, precision steel tubes are pro-
duced by casting billets from a blast furnace
(BF) steel mill, piercing the billets at very high
temperatures and the subsequent hot rolling
of pierced blocks. Hot rolling of pierced blocks
comprises a dedicated stretching of length and
a dedicated reduction of the outside diameter.
The hot-rolled tubes (hollows) are handed over
for a cold drawing process, which tightens the
dimensional tolerances of the outside diame-
ter, inside diameter, and thus wall thickness.
At the same time, the mechanical properties
are settled on a very homogeneous level all
over the axial and transverse directions of the
rod. This is thanks to the steel grade, the plas-
tic deformation rates and all the parameters
applied during the cold drawing process. Spe-
cific heat treatments judiciously positioned
Drillers’ trusted publication
in the production route guarantee the best
properties in terms of both yield and tensile
strength. Finally, precision tubes for drill rod
application are straightened to reach the best
values of straightness. This process step will
ensure the lowest deviations from desired
drilling directions. Additionally, Mannesmann
ensures the smoothest straightening opera-
tions to guarantee the lowest residual stress
levels on final tubes.
Especially straightening operations and their
interactions with applied heat treatments
have moved into the engineering focus be-
cause residual stress level and straightness
are not acting fully independent from each
other. In particular, both properties may coun-
teract each other. The global aim of tube pro-
duction is to minimize residual stresses and to
increase straightness.
Mannesmann fulfills that by producing
precision steel tubes for drill rod appli-
cations in their plant, located in Vitry-le-
François, France.
Mannesmann Precision
Tubes’ process capability:
Design of Experiments
& statistical analysis
Mannesmann plans its experiments with De-
sign of Experiment - the systematic method
to determine the relationship between fac-
tors affecting a process and the output of
that process - to analyze and lay out process
stabilities of productions already at the early
/DRILL RODS
stages of the development process. Statistical
approaches help to understand why proper-
ties may show scatter - the degree to which
repeated measurements or observations of
a quantity differ - and the significance of ev-
ery single parameter. Thus, statistics is the
key to controlling scatter of mechanical and
geometrical properties and, therefore, consti-
tutes the foundation for safe and reliable re-
sistance against fatigue of tube components
during drilling service.
Mannesmann has varied the production
steps parameters like heat treatment, drawing
or straightening. Thus, drill rod precision tubes
will release detrimental residual stresses in
one way or another depending on operations
and production parameters. At the end of the
production route, tubes will show excellent
straightness and very low residual stress levels
at the same time.
To characterize rod performance, Man-
nesmann has applied a four-point-bend-
ing configuration to determine the onset of
plastic deformation of the tube’s mid-body.
Instead of determining an Rp0,2-level by classical
tensile tests, Mannesmann follows the idea of
characterization of elastic limits (see Coring
Magazine, September 2017 edition, page 16-19).
Figure 1 shows the Pareto diagram of differ-
ent production parameters. Mainly, the tubes’
dimensions, show the most effect on tube
performances. But, the single effect of each
parameter should be considered as well as the
interactions of different parameters and each
must be evaluated in detail.
If the tubes’ dimension (diameter and wall
thickness) is defined bigger, stiffness and
bending forces will feature higher values.
The main reason for this is the moment of iner-
tia of the tubes (compare Figure 1), which grows
rapidly with the diameter and wall thickness.
‘Mannesmann has
varied the production
steps parameters like
heat treatment, drawing
or straightening. Thus,
drill rod precision tubes
will release detrimental
residual stresses in one
way or another depending
on operations and
production parameters.’
19
/DRILL RODS

At a first glance, the additionally investigated

parameters seem to be less important or of
the same importance. But with a closer look,
it becomes apparent that straightening opera-
tion becomes the most important parameter to
steer the desired tube performance.

Conclusions
Mannesmann has adapted its manufacturing
process to improve tube performances. By
adjusting parameters all along the processes,
tubes can be produced with differently bal-
anced values of straightness:
• 1 mm/6 m combined with residual
stresses < 120 MPa or
• 1 mm/2 m combined with residual
stresses < 100 MPa.
Mannesmann Precision Tubes invested in
the recent years in the technology for heat
treatment and straightening to install produc-
tion means at the edge of available technolo-
gies. Therefore, Mannesmann installed a new
straightening machine, including the interac-
tion of measurement techniques plus online ↑ Storage of drill rods
analysis of data to improve straightening op-
erations.
Now, the designer can choose between two
different states depending on the applied
drilling technology. Further optimizations are
achievable by choosing between different steel
grades. Mannesmann offers yield strength lev-
els ranging from 550 MPa up to 950 MPa. They
provide a broad variety of design strategies.
Additionally, higher strength grades provide ex-
cellent resistance against abrasive degradation.
If the tubes must be joined to connectors,
perfect weldability for friction-stir welding is
given for several grades.
In addition, Mannesmann has developed a
wide range of variable thickness tubes: Taylor
Drawn Tubes (TDT®) B-/N-/H-/P-sizes and
other specific designs on demand. This innova-
tive family of tubes allows a weight reduction of
up to 30% compared to the same dimension for
the standard tube. These tubes are cold-drawn,
and the same level of quality is guaranteed with ↑ Mannesmann - Taylor Drawn Tubes (TDT®): thick and thin parts of the wall
the same yield strength levels ranging from thickness and transition zone
550 MPa up to 950 MPa.
With the whole portfolio of strength level, ex-
traordinary straightness, lowest residual stress
levels, excellent wear resistance and weldabili- For more information
ty any application engineer has the freedom to Visit: www.mannesmann-precision-tubes.com/en/
design drill rod products as they prefer. C

20 Coring Magazine #18

/PRODUCT RELEASE

MK-2 Rod Feeder PATENT

PENDING

The independent rod handling system

that eliminates all hands-on steel
operations for diamond drilling
by Quentin Dulake, Global Sales Executive at Exploration Drill Masters Chile S.A.

Exploration Drill Masters (EDM) MK-2 Rod Feeder is the latest release in
rod handling technology for surface diamond drilling. The MK-2 follows
on from the original MK-1 Rod Feeder, which has been immensely popular
with well over 120 units sold since its release five years ago.
22 Coring Magazine #18
While the MK-1 unit greatly reduced manual
handling, the MK-2 Rod Feeder eliminates it
completely and provides other crucial ben-
efits for the overall management of the drill
string, productivity and safety, including a
new five-axis gripper system that allows rods
to be added while drilling, hands-free.
The unit, which is designed to work with
all top drive rigs with a main haul winch and
a wide range of chuck drive rigs, underwent
extensive field testing on various rigs prior
to its release in April 2021. These included
UDR1200/DE880, DE710, LF90, LF230 and of
course EDM’s own rigs.
Nigel Smith, EDM’s General Manager, com-
ments on the design ethos behind the MK-2:
‘As a manufacturer, we feel a huge responsibil-
ity to continue to develop innovative solutions
that keep drill crews safe, but it is important
to make sure this technology is accessible to
everyone, regardless of their machines. The
MK-2 Rod Feeder is a “plug and play” instant
safety solution. It’s compatible with multiple
drill rigs meaning that drilling contractors
can bring their existing fleet up to the high-
est standards of safety very quickly, keeping
their drill crews safe and offering their clients
a safer service without having to invest in new
machines.’
The MK-2 Rod Feeder has been designed
with a user-friendly control system and in a
way that is simple to service and maintain in
the field, allowing all drilling contractors to
transition to hands-free diamond drilling as
seamlessly as possible.
Control Console
All functions/operations for the MK-2 Rod
Feeder are carried out from the control con-
sole at a safe distance. Here, simple joystick
commands are used to carry out the long
and tedious series of consecutive maneuvers,
eliminating any hands-on intervention in the
rod handling process. The Feeder Arm, Plug
Spinner, Dual Centre Smart Tray, Rod Shuf-
fler, and five-axis Rod Gripper are all managed
from this console allowing the user to store,
organize, load, unload and feed drill pipe
and casing in 3 m (10 ft), 6 m (20 ft) and 9 m
(30 ft) lengths. This completely removes any
requirement for a person in the danger zone/
line of fire.
The control system interface includes a
large display screen that allows the user to
switch between multiple screens to control
each function with ease. It features multiple
camera views of the Rod Shuffler magnets
to aid with aligning the rods, and another of
the Centre Smart Tray. There is also a System
Diagnostics Screen for troubleshooting and
checking various parameters of the unit from
the safety of the console.
Automated Plug Spinner
The Plug Spinner receives, presents, connects
and disconnects the haul plug. After receiving
the haul plug in a vertical position, the spinner
clamps it, rotates 180°, flips it up into a hor-
izontal position and then moves the pulling
plug bull nose into the rod waiting in the Cen-
tre Smart Tray. It then spins the pulling plug
and feeds the pulling plug adaptor, and then
releases the alignment rollers. This complete
series of maneuvers is split into two, one with
the joystick and the other with the push of a
button, making it a very simple sequence for
running in and out with rods all day. The Plug
Spinner has been carefully designed so that
there is no cross-threading or damage to the
threads.
Rod Shuffler
The onboard Rod Shuffler is mounted on a
gantry system at the rear of the Rod Feeder
and has multiple functions including handling
the rods/core tube to/from the Centre Smart
Tray and loading/unloading of the rods from
any side of the sloop. With a reach of 1.6 m
(≈ 5.25 ft) from either side of the Rod Feeder
and 1.5 m (≈ 4.9 ft) of vertical travel, it allows
the user to fine tune the positioning of the
rods, move the core tube from the centre tray
to the core station, and to continue to stack
rods to the side of the Rod Feeder when the
sloop is full.
MK-2 Rod Feeder
configurations
The MK-2 can be supplied in two different con-
figurations. One has low-profile positioning
tracks to aid the positioning of the unit behind
the rig on the drill site. This is primarily for drill
sites where access to the drill pad is limited.
The other has no tracks, which is ideal for larg-
er sites with good access where the Rod Feed-
er can be positioned behind the drill with the

KEY FEATURES AND BENEFITS OF MK-2 ROD FEEDER SYSTEM

Automated Plug Spinner removing all hands-on-steel intervention when coupling/uncoupling drill rods.
Five-axis Rod Gripper for feeding rods into the mast while drilling.
Can work with all top drive rigs with a main winch and selected chuck drive machines.
Compatible with most machines with little or no modification required.
Will safely pull/run rods in both 6 m (20 ft) and 9 m (30 ft) lengths.
Works on all mast angles from 45ᵒ-90ᵒ.
Removes manual handling of rods, barrel assemblies and core tubes.
Onboard storage of up to 2000 m (6000 ft) N+ pipe or equivalent in other sizes.
Positioning tracks for easy set up behind the rig on drill pads with limited space.
Rod shuffler with magnetic jaws for rod shuffling/loading/unloading rods, barrels and core tubes.
Ability to load rods from either side of Rod Feeder with the skewing rod shuffler for when extra rods are required.
Fits into a 40 ft (≈ 12.2 m) high cube container for international shipping.
Double Centre Smart Tray Assembly with 3 m (10 ft) telescopic action making it compatible to any mast geometry.
Works in unison with roller, spinner jaws and shuffler to manage overall rod and tube storage.

Tethered Control console allowing the operator to work from a safe zone clear of the line of fire. ↑ MK-2 Rod Feeder’s Control Console
Multiple cameras allowing safe and seamless remote operation.

Optional Safety Lockouts with unique and integrated key codes that are nearly impossible to circumvent.

Drillers’ trusted publication 23

/PRODUCT RELEASE

8 1 2
Dual Centre Smart Tray with Skewable Rod Shuffler with three simple Self Contained
multiple intelligent functions perpendicular 3D actions for taking rods Power Unit
designed for complete flexibility to and from the Centre Smart Tray and with transport
when working with the Shuffler removing core tube/rods from Rod Feeder and working
and Automated Plug Spinner to and from side storage positions
combined
with Folding
Tail Gate/Stop
allow compact
transport
without
sacrificing 9 m
(30 ft) length
operation

7
Jackout Jacklegs
for self loading on
Standard Flatbed
Trailers
3
Freestanding
and self
propelled
configurations

6
Feeder Arm and 5-Axis
Rod Gripper facilitates 5 4
3, 6 and 9 m length rod Automated Plug assist Control panel remotely
handling to and from spinner for inserting/ mounted removing the
drill operations removing haul plug during operator from the hazards of
tripping operations drill rod handling operations

support vehicle. Both configurations have been designed to fit inside

a 40 ft (≈ 12.2 m) shipping container and have jack legs that extend up
and out allowing them to be easily loaded onto a flatbed truck/trailer For more information
for transportation. Please visit:
www.explorationdrillmasters.com
The future
EDM has always strived to deliver innovative safety solutions for the or contact EDM at:
exploration drilling industry and the MK-2 Rod Feeder ticks a lot of the info@explorationdrillmasters.com
boxes for drilling contractors who are looking for a safe diamond rod
handling system that can be integrated into their current fleet any-
where in the world. With multiple units out working already and over
20 more currently in production for Latin America, Australia, and West
Africa, EDM have set up a new manufacturing facility solely to produce
the MK-2 Rod Feeders in anticipation of the increased demand. C

24 Coring Magazine #18

REGISTER AT pdac.ca/convention #PDAC2022

JUNE 13 -15
IN PERSON
TORONTO, CANADA

JUNE 28 -29
ONLINE
ANYWHERE

Access top-quality
programming

Reconnect with a
diverse community
of exhibitors

Gain insight from

industry experts

Valuable networking
opportunities
/TECHNICAL MATERIAL

A technical note
on dogleg severity
by Dag Billger, Owner & Business Manager and Duncan McLeod, Owner & Product Manager at Inertial Sensing

In recent years, we have received an increasing number of questions concerning

how dogleg severity (DLS) is defined, why it does not look smooth in plots, and if
it can be used as a survey quality assurance parameter. We have also noted that
the oil and gas industry is considering for some applications an alternative to the
minimum curvature method for calculating borehole coordinates from survey angles.
This alternative method is based on splines. Here we give a review of the standard
minimum curvature method for calculating borehole coordinates and DLS, introduce
the spline method and consider if DLS can be used as a good quality measure.

Minimum curvature method
The minimum curvature method has been accepted as a standard
method for borehole trajectory representation since the mid-80s. It
was introduced by C.M. Mason and H.L. Taylor1, however W.A. Zaremba
is reported to have derived the method independently2. It is today the
de facto industry standard method for calculating borehole coordinates
from survey angles, regardless of the type of survey tool. This article
mainly follows the notation of Sawaryn and Thorogood3.
It should be noted that there are other borehole coordinate interpola-
tion methods, such as the tangential method, the balanced tangential
method, the average angle method, and the radius of curvature method.
Some of the older ones are easier to implement with respect to manu-
al computation, but after the introduction of modern microprocessors
minimum curvature has become the dominant method.
The minimum curvature method assumes that the path of a borehole
between two consecutive survey stations can be approximated by a cir-
cular arc segment (see Figure 1).
The arc segment has radius R and its course length is denoted S12,
which corresponds to the survey station interval. The inclinations and
azimuths at the start and end of the arc segment are denoted I1, I2 and
A1, A2, respectively. These are all known from depth readings and survey
station angles.
The parameters in Figure 1 are:
• t1 and t2 survey station tangent vectors
• β subtended arc segment angle
• Δr position change vector
• R radius of curvature
• n12 normal unit vector to arc segment plane
• b1 and b2 bi-normal unit vectors
With knowledge of the station interval S12, as well as the inclination
and azimuth at the start and end of the arc segment, it is possible to
compute the change in coordinates from one station to the next. Ac-
cording to Sawaryn and Thorogood, it can be shown that the coordinate
difference is given by the formula:

In the formula above, the tangent vectors at survey Stations 1 and 2

Figure 1 - The borehole path between two consecutive survey
stations is approximated by a circular arc
and the subtended angle β are all derived from the station inclination
and azimuth angles. With knowledge of the start coordinates at the col-
lar of the hole, the minimum curvature method represents the borehole
path as a series of piecewise continuous circular arc segments. Each
station coordinate is computed from the previous until the end-of-hole
station is reached.

26 Coring Magazine #18

Dogleg severity
DLS is a measure of the curvature of a borehole. It is usually measured in
units of degrees per 30 m or 100 ft. It originates from directional drilling
in the petroleum industry, and it has seen increasing use in mining, as
directional drilling has become more common. DLS is not an inde-
pendently measured data value. It is calculated from the surveyed incli-
nations, azimuths, and station intervals. The DLS is a byproduct of min-
imum curvature interpolation, and the formula is given as:
where the subtended angle β is in degrees. It can be shown that the
DLS between two stations is given by the equation:
Thus, the DLS depends not only on the station to station change in
azimuth, but also on the change in inclination and the actual inclination
at the start and end of the current arc segment. There is also a division
by the station interval which means that the DLS for a given survey will
depend on the chosen resolution, how dense or coarse survey intervals
are being used.
The arc segments, which are used to approximate the borehole path
are only piecewise continuous, since the circular arc used between each
station has a different radius. This means that the DLS values estimated
by minimum curvature do not represent a continuous function of sta-
tion depth. So, a typical plot of DLS as a function of depth is usually very
‘choppy’ and not smooth, even though we know that most boreholes
have a smooth variation.
It is interesting to note that DLS is not defined at a station, but be-
tween stations. Strictly speaking, it has no value at a station! But by con-
vention, the value from either the left or right arc of the station is used.
Spline curve method
To overcome these issues with the minimum curvature method,
M.  Abughaban et. al.4 introduced an interpolation method where the
tangent vector is continuously differentiable to obtain a more accu-
rate estimate of borehole curvature. This was motivated in the petro-
leum industry for so-called micro-dogleg surveys. Here it is required
Figure 2 - MSE Test Well Conroe, Texas, US
Drillers’ trusted publication
to accurately identify very small variations in the curvature of the drill
string over short distances, which could be enough to fracture it.
Micro-dogleg surveys are conducted with a high-resolution survey of
the drill string with a typical station interval being 0.5 m (1.64 ft). To
maintain reasonable survey time, these surveys are done using a wire-
line with a depth encoder and running a fast continuous gyro survey.
The method uses spline curve interpolation which guarantees the
requirements on the continuous differentiability of the tangent vector.
This produces a continuous estimate of the DLS and so, a more accu-
rate measure of borehole curvature. These added conditions have the
effect that the calculated position and curvature values of a station
will depend on the neighboring stations. This contrasts with minimum
curvature where any given survey station only depends on the previous
station.
The spline curve method is based on representing the tangent vector
as a third-degree vector polynomial over each survey interval. Borehole
coordinates are found by integrating the tangent along the borehole
path. The curvature is computed by differentiating the tangent vector
along the borehole path and computing the length of the resulting
derivative:
The use of spline curve interpolation involves some matrix algebra
which, although straightforward to apply, requires numerical imple-
mentation and this is not presented here.
It should be noted that spline curve interpolation is currently not an
accepted standard method and is mainly used in special applications. It
is however interesting to investigate both as a novelty and for reasons
of comparison.
Coordinate comparison
The new spline curve method was implemented as part of Inertial Sens-
ing’s internal development platform and compared to the minimum
curvature method for different types of surveys. For this article, one
survey was chosen as an example from continuous TwinGyro surveys of
a test well in Texas, US5 with a depth of 1400 ft (426.72 m). This hole was
drilled specifically for gyro tests and begins at a vertical angle, but soon
rises sharply to reach an inclination of 20° (see Figure 2).
The reference data is available with 2 ft (0.61 m) station intervals
from high-density continuous surveys. The minimum curvature and
spline methods were applied to the survey data using different station-
Figure 3 - Station-to-station distance error for minimum
curvature versus spline curves
27
/TECHNICAL MATERIAL
intervals. The end of hole coordinate differences between the two
methods were computed (Figure 3).
Both minimum curvature and spline interpolation give coordinate val-
ues which are in very good agreement and differ only at the sub-milli-
meter level. The errors will increase when using data over coarser sur-
vey intervals.
DLS comparison
The dogleg severity was computed for the same reference survey used
in the previous section. Plotting these using high-density station inter-
vals of 2 ft (0.61 m) shows good agreement (Figure 4).
As a second example, the same data was studied using a coarser sub-
set of station intervals of 16 ft (4.88 m) (Figure 5).
The minimum curvature is a choppy stepwise function between sta-
tions. The spline method provides a continuous measure of the cur-
vature but naturally tends to appear to under- and overshoot the cor-
responding minimum curvature values especially for coarser survey
intervals.
Important to note is that the choice of survey interval has a clear im-
pact on the overall DLS values, with the exact values changing notice-
ably as the station interval changes.
DLS as a quality flag
When considering the use of DLS as a quality parameter, one needs to
understand that a suitable flag needs to represent an invariant thresh-
old which can be used in a repeatable way. It should be clear that DLS
is not suitable as a threshold for survey azimuth errors because a DLS
threshold would have to vary with inclination, which is far from ideal in
practice. Since it also depends on the inclination change and the survey
station interval, then a given threshold would not apply to different-
ly run surveys of the same hole. DLS cannot provide a general quality
threshold which can be reliably used for all types of coring borehole
profiles.
However, DLS is still a good visual indicator to identify stations with
potential azimuth errors when conducting quality checks of survey
data. Yet, it is not suitable as an accurate and reliable measure to be
used as a survey quality warning flag for an automated quality control
system. In other words, it can give a rough guide of potential problems,
but care is needed to avoid discarding good data.
Figure - 4 Dogleg severity of MSE Test Well Conroe, Texas.
Station interval 2 ft (0.61 m).
28
Conclusion
Fundamentally, both methods find the DLS by numerical differentia-
tion, which by its nature will always give rise to estimation errors when
applying either method to survey data. Ultimately, neither is a perfect
model of how a drill string bends.
The two methods show good agreement on position accuracy. But it
is our view that the minimum curvature method is to be preferred as it
provides an analytical description which is easier to analyze mathemat-
ically. This is important when doing an analysis of error models and tool
performance.
The minimum curvature has the issues in that the curvature is only ap-
proximated in piecewise steps and does not define the DLS at a station.
The spline curve method avoids this, but it might misrepresent the
data points between the survey stations. The sharper peaks between
stations may unknowingly give rise to inaccuracies. But at the stations,
the spline method DLS values are usually accurate.
In most cases, it is likely better to use minimum curvature to calculate
the DLS since this gives errors that are confined to each segment, not
depending on any additional neighboring points. Some specialized situ-
ations may still call for the use of the spline method.
This, along with other recent developments, has shown that high-res-
olution continuous surveys really are necessary for getting the best re-
sults in terms of DLS and position information of any borehole. C  
References & resources
1 ‘A Systematic Approach to Well Surveying Calculations’, C.M. Mason and
H.L. Taylor, SPE84246, SPEJ, June 1971.
2 ‘Directional Survey by the Circular-Arc Method’, W.A. Zaremba, SPEJ,
February 1973.
3 ‘A compendium of directional calculations based on the minimum
curvature method’, S.J. Sawaryn and J.L. Thorogood, SPE Drilling &
Completion, March 2005.
4 ‘Advanced Trajectory Computational Model Improves Calculated Borehole
Positioning, Tortuosity and Rugosity’, M. Abughaban et. al, SPE-178796-
MS, 2016.
5 ‘A comparison between discrete and continuous borehole deviation gyro
surveys using the TwinGyro’, D. Billger and D. McLeod, AIMMGM XXXIII
International Mining Convention in Acapulco, Mexico, October 2019.
For more information
Visit: www.inertialsensing.com
Figure 5 - Dogleg severity of MSE Test Well Conroe, Texas.
Station interval 16 ft (4.88 m).
Coring Magazine #18
Diamec Smart 6M
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From Russia
with core strength:
RS-90 drill rig manufactured
by Rusmining Export
by Rusmining Export Press Office

The revenue from mining operations
is usually a large part of any country’s
budget. Therefore, the top priority task
is reprocessing and building up the
mineral resources base. Exploration of
new deposits, as well as their commercial
development, requires innovative drilling
equipment.
After the break-up of the Soviet Union and, therefore, the discontinu-
ation of the domestic production of exploration equipment, only im-
ported drills were used for these purposes over the last decades. The
sanctions against the Russian Federation led to extremely long deliv-
eries from foreign partners and importing substitutes required mas-
sive effort. A number of manufacturers stopped delivering exploration
equipment altogether. This situation motivated the Rusmining Export
(RME) team to create its own action plan. Designers and engineers were
engaged to work on the development of in-house drill rigs by analyzing

30 Coring Magazine #18


↑ Rusmining Export’s workshop
the specification of foreign products. The resulting drill rig - RS-90 – not
only covers but exceeds the needs of our customers.
Serial production of RS-90 has begun in the Khabarovsk Service Desk.
RS-90 drill depth is 480 m (1575 ft) using P-size rods, 725 m (2380 ft)
with H-size, 1080 m (3550 ft) with N-size, and 1400 m (4600 ft) in B-size
with a drilling angle of 45-90 degrees. The basic specification is focused
on high efficiency, reliability and safety. Drill rig components are made
of high-quality steel. Most of the drill frame elements under excessive
stress are reinforced. A special coating protects the equipment from
corrosion, increasing the drill lifespan twice compared to similar equip-
ment. The main components are supplied by Canadian partners. The
engine in RS-90 from the famous American manufacturer Cummins -
model QSB 6.7 - fully meets the high standards, used in production.
Due to a long analysis of competitors and feedback from customers,
drillers, and those who work directly with the equipment, the design-
ers have included significant improvements to the RS-90 drill rig. They
improved the rotation unit lubrication system; modified the hydraulic
chuck to prevent drilling fluid from getting into the gearbox through the
top spindle seals; increased the space between the hydraulic tank and
the control panel for better access to service the hydraulic pumps and
valves; and installed the additional hydraulic oil filters. Furthermore,
each RS-90 rig can be adapted to the specific operating conditions of
each customer.
RME has been proving to its partners and competitors that Russian
reliable equipment contributes to reducing costs and maximizing pro-
ductivity. The results speak for themselves. RME is not just reaching the
production target but overachieving it. For the last two years, RS-90 is
widely used at the largest deposits not only in Russia, but also overseas.
To date, more than 56 drill rigs have been sold. RME equipment, tools
and spare parts are exported to Latin America, Africa, the Philippines
and Malaysia. Large companies benefit from buying Russian drill rigs
because every customer considers three things: delivery time, reliability
and price.
Drillers’ trusted publication
/PRODUCT REVIEW: DRILL RIGS
Large subsoil users in Russia are setting records on this equipment.
For example, in July 2020, OGK Group achieved the best result among
Russian diamond core drilling contractors, having performed 4735 m
(≈ 15 550 ft) of H-size drilling (95.6 mm) with one drill rig in just one
month. RS-90 is also efficiently utilized both in Yakutia, Russia at critical
low temperatures, often below −35°C (−31°F), as well as in the arid des-
ert-like temperatures by our partners in Uzbekistan.
RME is not slowing down when it comes to manufacturing new
equipment. This summer the new RS-90D was unveiled. It is optionally
track-mounted and geared for operation in high ambient temperatures.
The new RU-75 range is designed to work in underground mines. It can
be optionally equipped with an explosion-proof design and different
options of feed frames. Also, this rig can drill from surface if the power
pack is replaced with an internal combustion engine. Simultaneously,
the RME design bureau is working on RS-230 which has the capacity to
drill more than 3400 m (≈ 11 200 ft).
The company also actively produces high-quality spare parts and tools
for most of the famous exploration drilling rigs. RME provides prompt
and good service due to the highly organized drill rigs spare parts ware-
house. Having readily available Russian-made components allows for
fast repairs and the Service Desk specialists are ready to visit any drill
rig site to conduct troubleshooting.
RME operates in the drilling equipment market since 2019. Hav-
ing accumulated experience, highly-qualified employees and stable
business relations, besides equipment manufacturing, RME offers to
its customers prompt and proper performance of orders on mutually
beneficial terms. C
For more information
Visit: www.rusminingexport.ru
31
/PRODUCT REVIEW: DRILL RIGS

Meet MAX:
The 8000 lb beast that drills
up to 3100 meters N-size

by Rishi Budshah, CMO at Hydracore Drills Ltd.

The story about HC5000max (Max) started when one of our existing customers
requested a deep hole core drill that was truly heli-portable, meaning lifts under
2000 lb (907 kg). This request aligned with our market research showing that
more holes were being drilled beyond 2000 m (6562 ft) and an increase in projects
demanding core in H- and P-size. This highlighted the gap in the portable drill
category for purpose-built deep hole drill rigs. Hydracore’s business philosophy is to
challenge the status quo and this opportunity was exactly what was needed to make
a difference while providing renewed value to our customers. Hydracore returned
to the drawing board and embarked on designing a ‘Max’ version of the HC5000.
32 Coring Magazine #18
 The design process
Increasing the capacity of the drill was our main objective, however not an easy task. The chal-
lenge was to maintain the portability of the drill in terms of the light weight and small footprint;
but at the same time achieve never seen before power and pullback force. A thorough analysis of
the entire structure and circuits was required.

Hydraulic powerpack
We decided to increase the pressure of the hydraulic system to achieve higher available hy-
draulic horsepower. To back this up we increased the overall engine horsepower from 206 hp
to 260 hp. The hydraulic pumps were changed out for high pressure piston pumps which also
increased efficiency.

↑ Hydraulic Powerpack and the Drill Module

Drill head
The increase in system pressure gave us the increase in available torque needed for deep hole
drilling. Many drills are advertised with incredible torque numbers, but these are only available in
RPM ranges that are inefficient for drilling. Max’s drill design focused on optimizing the torque at
drilling speeds of 500-1350 RPM. This directly increases the footage per shift.
The HC5000max drill head follows Hydracore’s proven design and does not require a gearbox.
Its large bent axis variable displacement hydraulic motor has sufficient range for all drilling speeds
and is controlled by an infinitely variable control knob. The Hydraulic motors last for five to ten
years and are easily replaced in the field in one to two hours. This means less downtime and
more drilling.
In a chuck type drill head, large diameter bearings are required to accommodate the drill rods to
pass through the center of the main spindle. With large bearings comes a great deal of friction and
therefore the power you could use for drilling is wasted producing heat.

Drillers’ trusted publication 33

/PRODUCT REVIEW: DRILL RIGS
↑ Hydraulic Powerpack and the Drill Module
Through a careful design process, we have optimized the bearings on
HC5000max to handle both the high speeds and high loads without cre-
ating excess heat, there are only three bearings in the entire head. The
reduction in heat and lack of gears and chains means we have eliminat-
ed the need for oil, lubrication pumps, filters and radiators. A couple of
shots of grease daily is all that is required to have a cool running head.
This is one way our customers save money on their maintenance costs.
Chuck
A drill’s pullback capacity is only as strong as its weakest link. The chuck
holding capacity was reviewed and upgraded to 70 000 lb (31 750 kg).
We were able to achieve this with a bolt on design that included a
new set of stronger springs. This upgrade kit will fit on all the previous
Hydracore P Heads.
Feed frame and pullback force
HC5000max’s feed frame is of simple, strong and compact design. The
two side-mounted cylinders combined offer a market-leading 70 000 lb
(31 750 kg) of pullback force and have a 72 in (183 cm) stroke. The feed
frame looks similar to the design on the HC5000, but the steel is twice
as thick, and hand-selected by reviewing mill certifications. Using Finite
Element Analysis (FEA) each component of the drill has been optimized
in this same manner for strength and weight. A lightweight mast is pro-
vided for the wireline cable and allows for pulling 20 ft (6 m) rods.
Mobility
The light weight and small size of the HC5000max allow for mobilizing
with a helicopter or a small, tracked carrier. The 8000 lb (3629 kg) total
weight is moved in five lifts with an A-Star/Airbus AS350 helicopter. This
reduces safety risks, decreases mobilization time and at USD 2500/hr+,
it saves considerable money on helicopter rental.
34
‘Hydracore’s business
philosophy is to challenge
the status quo and this
opportunity was exactly
what was needed to
make a difference while
providing renewed value
to our customers.’
In some areas it is permissible to have small roads with minimal per-
mitting, in this case using the tracked carrier might be best. Equipped
with a picker crane, the vehicle makes for safe and efficient moves and
the drill can be moved in two trips. The vehicle with a picker crane also
doubles up to move other site supplies. The time saved in the permit
process and the reduced cost/time in making trails as compared to
roads allows you to drill sooner, invest less into infrastructure and has
a greatly reduced environmental impact. These abilities sum up to a sig-
nificant advantage over others in the bidding process.
Foot clamp
While torque and pullback were the parameters under scrutiny, safety
must always be a priority in any equipment design. As the drill was going
to be used for P-size core, running casing below the drill head would be
required. To eliminate the inherent dangers of pipe wrenches on the drill
string a ‘Double Breakout’ foot clamp was designed. This foot clamp has
two sets of independent jaws with the upper having controls to function
as a hydraulic wrench.
Foot clamp jaws on most drills are replaced to accommodate the var-
ious sizes of drill rods, e.g., from a B- to P-size. The changeover time to
swap the jaws ranges from 15 to 20 minutes. You are then also required
to inventory multiple jaw sizes and the spares to back them up. The foot
clamp on HC5000max will hold B rod to PW casing with the same stan-
dard carbide-tipped jaws, therefore, no jaw changes are required, and
parts inventory is kept to a minimum.
It is common in the industry for foot clamp jaws to only move 1/8th
of an inch (3.18 mm); this results in the rods rubbing on the jaws and
damaging them. In this case a very tight-fitting steady bearing must be
used to center the rods; it must be removed whenever the core barrel
is pulled.
The foot clamp jaws on the HC5000max can move up to 1 in (25.4 mm);
there is sufficient clearance between the rod and the jaws eliminating
the chance of rubbing. This clearance also allows the steady bearing to
Coring Magazine #18
remain in place during all drilling operations, including when pulling the
core barrel. These design features save you both time and wear and tear.
Rather than using steel springs which have a limited life to provide
the foot clamp clamping force, HC5000max’s foot clamp is closed by
a nitrogen gas accumulator. Using nitrogen gas is much more efficient
compared to steel springs. The foot clamp closes automatically when
the machine is shut down, ensuring a fail-safe operation and avoiding
any loss of drill rods.

The resulting impact

The beast operates at more than 260 hp, depending upon your engine
choice, providing a massive 233 hp to the drill head and drills up to
3100 m N-size (10 171 ft). Max comes with an impressive pullback force
of 70 000 lb (31 750 kg) and weighs a mere 8000 lb (3629 kg). The fi-
nal increase in weight was minimal, therefore the mobility and versatile
character of the machine were maintained. There is nothing in the core
drilling industry that can come even close to it. HC5000max offers the
highest power to weight ratio available in the industry, it was designed
to be light yet tough, matching and exceeding the specifications of drills
four to five times its size. C ↑ Designed for safety, Double Breakout Foot Clamp

For more information

Visit: www.hydracore.com

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Drillers’ trusted publication 35

/COMPANY EXPANSION

Explomin’s global
expansion plan
by Peggy Silva Mayser, Commercial Manager at Explomin Perforaciones

36 Coring Magazine #18

Throughout the 20
years of its existence,
Explomin has proven
that business know-how
is not enough to achieve
success. Although the
most important ingredients
are the commitment and
shared vision of people,
their energy made a
winning formula in order
for Explomin to have a
remarkable growth.

N
ormally, it is a great challenge to
operate 24 projects simultaneously.
The task becomes even harder with
the huge variety of extreme conditions: from
the Colombian jungle with temperatures up
to 40°C (104°F) to the Chilean and Peruvian
Andes with altitudes reaching over 5000 m
(16 404 ft) above sea level. On top of that, in
2021 the COVID-19 pandemic severely affect-
ed South America and thus forced Explomin to
discover new ways to operate under very diffi-
cult conditions and still be able to succeed on
every project worldwide. Growing regardless
of the tough scenarios, just proves the com-
pany’s resilience and capability to perform at
their best even under high pressure.
Now, Explomin’s expansion plan has targeted
new continents. After establishing a solid po-
sition in Latin America, its next growth phases
have led the company to new projects in Eu-
rope and North America.
The first project of this plan is located in
Spain (Iberian Pyrite Belt), which is going to
be considered as the hub of the European/Af-
rican operations of the company. From there
Explomin is perfectly positioned to serve oth-
er countries such as Portugal and Morocco.
Expanding even further during the first quar-
ter of 2022, the company is now performing
diamond drilling, RC drilling, hydrogeological,
geotechnical and directional drilling, and is
also promoting their other division of mining
solutions, providing a whole integrated ser-
↑ Explomin Perforaciones’ drill site in Spain
vice line.

Drillers’ trusted publication 37

/COMPANY EXPANSION

Part of the company’s global positioning strategy is to combine the Eu- All of these important strengths are confirmed by Explomin’s position
ropean drilling knowledge with the Latin American know-how strength- in the prestigious Worldwide Drilling Rankings - 8th for drilled meters;
ening their multicultural expertise, achieving a worldwide rotation of
11th for sales volume; and 10th for drill rigs fleet - making it one of the
skilled and expert workforce, thus improving their service quality and
World Top 10 drilling companies.
safety standards. It is important to mention that Explomin is certified as
a ‘Great Place to Work’ - an honor achieved thanks to their own employ- This ambitious growth plan is happening simultaneously in Europe
ees, which motivates them to expand this great work environment to all and North America, setting an important milestone in Explomin’s prom-
of its operations around the globe. ising future. Explomin is glad to tell the story of its impressive journey
Among other expansion strategies, Explomin will focus on its
and is looking forward to sharing its next steps. C
strengths, such as their award-winning safety and operation standards,
which stand out among other competitors in the Latin American region.
These strict standards guarantee a safer work environment for the per-
sonnel as well as efficient drilling and results. Additionally, the fact that
For more information
Explomin’s state-of-the-art machinery, which can execute projects in
Visit: www.explomin.com/en/
timely manner and with outstanding results, is located in Europe adds a
major leverage, since the manufacturers are closer and can deliver new
equipment in less time, allowing to renew the fleet more frequently.

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Ad_Di-Corp_Half-Page_CoringMag_2021-12.indd 1 11/12/2021 5:33:53 PM

38 Coring Magazine #18
Exploration
Mining
Geology
In this issue:

Q&A from the experts:

In conversation with Dr Benedikt Steiner,
Director at XPLORE GLOBAL Ltd.

Rupert Resources:
The benefits of aggressive drilling
by Jane Lockwood, Spotlight Mining

Gold fever in Guyana

by Ian Foreman, Principal
at Foremost Corporate Services
/Q&A FROM THE EXPERTS
FROM
THE EXPERTS
Dr Benedikt Steiner
Director at
XPLORE GLOBAL Ltd.
Timothy Strong: How did you decide to
pursue a career in Exploration Geology?
Was it something that you had planned or
something that came to you after gradu-
ating with your BSc?
Dr Benedikt Steiner: I have always had the
desire to apply my knowledge to real-life and
industrial applications, so pure geological
science was not the direction I wanted to fol-
low. After spending a year in the oil and gas
industry, I realized that the only way to con-
duct industrial fieldwork, and to have actual
‘facetime’ with rocks in different geological
settings, is to work in mineral exploration and
mining.
TS: You split your time between academia
and industry, which one appeals more to
you and why?
BS: I am an exploration geologist and I enjoy
working on industry projects, particularly if
they involve grassroots exploration in remote
environments. However, I see myself at the
interface between academia and industry,
passing on my knowledge and therefore pre-
paring younger geologists for a future career
in mining.
40
In conversation with
Dr Benedikt
Steiner
Dr Benedikt Steiner graduated from the University of
Tübingen, Germany with a ‘Vordiplom’ (pre-diploma)
in Geology in 2007, which was promptly followed by a
Master of Science degree from Imperial College London,
and subsequently a PhD focusing on the use of stream
sediment geochemistry and automated mineralogy
in the exploration of Lithium Cesium Tantalum
(LCT) pegmatites at the University of Exeter, UK.
In his professional life, Dr Steiner started his career with
Rio Tinto in both Namibia and Zambia exploring for
Uranium and Copper. Since 2016, Benedikt has worked as
a lecturer and a senior lecturer in exploration and mining
geology at the prestigious Camborne School of Mines
in the UK. Alongside his teaching duties, he operates a
consulting firm, Xplore Global Ltd., where he provides
support and strategy insight to the exploration industry.
TS: You are actively involved in educating apparent that a significant amount of geolo-
the future generation of exploration and gy graduates do seek office-based roles after
mining geologists, what trends have you or within three years of graduation, or leave
the industry altogether. With an aging work-
seen in terms of their career aspirations?
force in mining and mineral exploration, this
Are less people willing to work overseas?
will have an impact on the availability of ex-
BS: Compared to the 2000s when I gradu- perienced exploration and mining geologists
ated from University, and most graduates down the line.
sought work overseas, particularly in Africa, I
TS: With a post-COVID-19 boom in the
noticed a reversing trend over the last five to
seven years. Whilst graduates are still keen mining industry, there has been a con-
to work in Australia, Scandinavia and North siderable labor shortage, have you seen
America, due to a better work-life balance and a decrease in student enrolment on your
geology courses?
other available amenities, such as being able
to do plenty of computer-based work, I have BS: Across the UK and Europe, we noticed
observed a decreasing willingness to work in a general decrease in student enrolment
remote and challenging areas overseas, may on undergraduate geology courses in the
that be Africa, Asia or other locations. It is also mid-late 2010s, which was largely due to a
Coring Magazine #18
demographic shift. However, this has now re-
bounded, and we have up to 40 undergradu-
ate students each year on the geology courses.
My two MSc programs in Mining and Ex-
ploration Geology have a consistent intake of
50-60 students each year from across the UK,
Europe and other parts of the world. Young
graduates see the benefit of obtaining prac-
tical education that facilitates a career start
in mining.
TS: The Camborne School of Mines (Uni-
versity of Exeter) recently paused recruit-
ment on their BEng Mining Engineering
program. What ramifications, if any, does
this have for the industry?
BS: Unfortunately, the well-known and re-
spected BEng Mining Engineering program,
unique in the UK, was paused in 2021. How-
ever, there are currently exciting plans to
develop and offer a degree apprenticeship
course in Mining Engineering, which will allow
students to work in mining companies and
gain their BSc Mining Engineering degree at
the same time. In any case, mining engineers
are in great demand, but there is only a limited
amount of universities left offering a relevant
practical course. This will leave the industry
to seek engineers from different backgrounds
(e.g. chemical or mechanical engineering) who
then have to be trained up, at the expense of
time and budgets.
TS: You are an advocate for teaching ge-
ology students and professionals across
the world, including a course on orogenic
gold exploration at the University of Guy-
ana. Why is continued learning important
to all levels of geoscientists?
BS: The simple answer to this is: You never
cease learning. No one can be an expert in all
areas of geosciences, and in order to develop
your career into either technical or managerial
roles, you will have to upskill. It is also man-
datory for registered and chartered geologists
to maintain a healthy CPD (Continuous Pro-
fessional Development) record demonstrat-
ing an annual progression of skill sets and
experience. You should not forget, however,
that CPD is not just about attending class-
room-based courses. CPD can involve many
activities, such as mentoring, learning foreign
languages, progressing a certain task in your
job, and watching YouTube videos and webi-
nars, which really have led to a rise in online
lecturing (e.g. Ore Deposits Hub).
TS: You worked at Rio Tinto for six years.
How has working there shaped you as a
professional? Do you think that young
Drillers’ trusted publication
geologists should strive to find employ-
ment in top tier mining companies?
BS: Working for a multinational Tier 1 mining
company after graduation has really helped
me to find my feet in the mining industry.
Not only was it a great experience to work on
large, multi-commodity projects around Af-
rica, but the ability to understand the bigger
picture of mining operations and how mineral
exploration fits in the mining value chain was
very eye-opening. I believe that my past em-
ployment with Rio Tinto shaped my following
career and helped me to develop into the geol-
ogist I am today. So, yes, I think that young ge-
ologists should aim to find employment in top
tier mining companies, at least for a few years,
in order to learn the ropes and appreciate the
role of geologists in the mining industry.
‘Whilst I am and have
been involved with
projects in (sub)tropical
environments for a long
time, I think that working
in Nordic countries, i.e.
Scandinavia and Canada,
offers a better work-life
balance. It does make a
difference if you sit in an
isolated jungle camp for
several weeks, or if you
can take an afternoon
off and climb a fjord or
a glacier in Norway.’
TS: You have worked all over Europe, Asia
and Africa, which country has been your
favorite and why?
BS: This is rather challenging to answer as I
enjoyed working on many projects around the
world. Whilst I am and have been involved
with projects in (sub)tropical environments
for a long time, I think that working in Nordic
countries, i.e. Scandinavia and Canada, offers
a better work-life balance. It does make a dif-
ference if you sit in an isolated jungle camp for
several weeks, or if you can take an afternoon
off and climb a fjord or a glacier in Norway.
TS: What has been the most fascinating
project you have worked on? Why?
BS: I have been involved with regional and
camp-scale exploration in Rwanda (Cen-
tral-East Africa) for several years now. What
makes this exciting is the requirement to con-
duct exploration from scratch as most infor-
mation and knowledge date back to the colo-
nial period and the 1970s when a large UNDP
(United Nations Development Program) was
completed to generate regional data. Based
on this historic work and recent academic re-
search by Belgian scientists, I organized and
ran regional exploration surveys for battery
and technology metals to delineate new areas
of interest for the Rwandan government and
private companies. I was fortunate to work
with a team of Rwandan, South African and
Russian geologists who made these projects
a success.
TS: You have worked in Vosges Moun-
tains, northeastern France. Tell us more
about the project and the outcomes.
BS: The Vosges Mountains form part of the
Variscan Orogenic and Metallogenic Belt and
therefore are conceptually prospective for
lithium, tin and tungsten mineralization. How-
ever, the last comprehensive exploration sur-
veys were conducted in the 1980s. My work
involved the collection of stream sediment
samples across a 300 km2 (115.8 mi2) large
area, and the analysis of these samples using
modern analytical instrumentation, including
the use of automated mineralogy. The project
led to the delineation of new occurrences of
tantalum, lithium and tin mineralization in the
project area, which were unknown and not de-
scribed before, therefore providing a modern
approach to re-evaluating a part of a metal-
logenic belt extending from North America to
Europe.
TS: You are considered an expert in the
area of LCT pegmatite exploration, tell us
why these deposits are important.
BS: LCT pegmatites are host to ‘critical metals’
and ‘battery metals’, and in light of emerging
EV (Electric Vehicle) developments, have been
the focus of exploration for at least ten years.
Whilst lithium-rich pegmatites generally con-
tain less tonnage than lithium brine deposits
in South America, they are present in most
orogenic belts of the world, and also con-
tain other technology metals and industrial
41
/Q&A FROM THE EXPERTS
minerals of interest, such as tantalum, tin
and caesium, but also high purity quartz and
feldspar. From an academic perspective, peg-
matites generally represent the latest stage of
magmatic fractionation, enriching the melt in
volatiles and incompatible elements, and are
therefore of interest to researchers and indus-
trial geologists alike.
TS: LCT pegmatites are considered to be
‘critical metals’ in many nations, includ-
ing the US and Australia. Do you think
that LCT pegmatites could be an import-
ant supply of these metals as the world
moves to ‘green energy?’
BS: Yes, LCT pegmatites form an important
mineral deposit type and supply of ‘critical
metals’, particularly in light of their presence
in most orogenic belts and metal enrichment.
↑ Field exploration in the remote fjords of the Helgeland pegmatite field, northern Norway
42
TS: You have also worked in the world-
class greenstone belts of West Africa and
Lapland, which are well-known hosts
for major gold deposits. Do you see the
potential for other metal discoveries in
these areas?
BS: Certainly. There is still abundant potential
to use modern exploration and data interpre-
tation techniques that could lead to new dis-
coveries in these areas. Take for example the
Central Lapland Greenstone Belt (CLGB) in
northern Finland. There is currently only one
operating gold mine (Kittila, Agnico-Eagle),
and several advanced projects (e.g. Rupert
Resources). Compared to other widely known
greenstone belts, the current known metal
endowment is low. However, this is a result
of commercial interest and exploration efforts
commencing in the 1990s, resulting in only a
few commercial discoveries made to date. The
CLGB is currently staked out as companies
consider this area to be very prospective for
further discoveries. Similarly, the extension
of the CLGB into Norway, known as the Karas-
jok Greenstone Belt, has been very poorly
explored by industry and holds significant
upside exploration potential. Companies are
likely challenged by communities in northern
Norway, and this is why exploration has not
really taken off in this belt yet.
TS: What are the different challenges of
drilling in the Arctic (in Finland for exam-
ple) and drilling in the tropics? How would
you compare the two environments?
BS: I would say that availability of drilling
contractors, general logistics and ground
Coring Magazine #18
conditions are three main challenges in these
contrasting environments. In northern Scan-
dinavia, you have several drilling contractors
available that are experienced in the specific
drilling conditions and, importantly, local to
the area. In the tropics, contractors are mainly
mobilizing supervisory staff from overseas, i.e.
an understanding of the local conditions can
sometimes be lost. General logistics in north-
ern Scandinavia are generally very straightfor-
ward when compared to the tropics. You are in
the Arctic Circle, yes, but most places are rath-
er easily accessible (even in the winter), and
supplies and procurement chains are within
relatively short reach. In terms of ground con-
ditions, I think that the often extensive laterit-
ic weathering profiles in the tropics commonly
lead to issues when choosing the right drilling
equipment.
‘I remember an occasion
in Southern Africa where
the drill supervisor
shut down a drill rig
for an entire afternoon
(on his own accord) to
investigate after a near-
miss (hands in RC splitter
box). I thought that this
was a very good safety
leadership attitude. Even
now I use this example
in my lectures and
workshops to demonstrate
how important safety
awareness and
leadership need to be.’
Drillers’ trusted publication
I worked on several projects that required
a re-thinking of the project scope as high
groundwater tables and the resulting mud
did make RC drilling impossible. Switching to
diamond drilling (DD) resulted in further bud-
get constraints, i.e. less holes could be drilled.
TS: As a geologist, you know how import-
ant quality control (QC) is when sampling.
Do you think that drill crews take the
same level of interest in quality control,
or they only care about meterage?
BS: I have experienced both scenarios – this
will entirely depend on the professionalism,
attitude and values of the drilling contractor.
All drill crews I have worked with were very
good in HSE and performed an appropri-
ate amount of quality control on the reverse
circulation (RC) chips, diamond drilling core,
etc. they performed. We should not forget
that at the end of the day, drill crews are ser-
vice providers and paid for the meterage they
achieve. Good leadership can make a signifi-
cant difference though.
TS: What improvements would you like
to see in the drilling industry in order to
make quality control more prominent and
easier?
BS: I think it all comes down to leadership and
training. If drilling contractors are led by expe-
rienced managers, and regular training in not
just drilling techniques, but also monitoring
quality control, then many QC issues can be
resolved. Sometimes I have the impression
that core marking and core recovery measure-
ments at the drill site are conducted in a rou-
tine fashion without thinking about the bigger
picture. This has, in my experience, occasion-
ally lead to issues further down the line when
geologists try to piece together the depth that
was actually drilled, as downhole measure-
ments return different EoH values.
TS: Please share your most memorable
Major Drilling is one of the
experience with a drilling contractor.
world’s largest drilling services
BS: I remember an occasion in Southern Afri-
companies primarily serving the
ca where the drill supervisor shut down a drill
rig for an entire afternoon (on his own accord) mining industry, and maintains
to investigate after a near-miss (hands in RC field operations and offices in
splitter box). I thought that this was a very
good safety leadership attitude. Even now I
Canada, the United States,
use this example in my lectures and work- Mexico, South America, Asia,
shops to demonstrate how important safety Africa and Australia.
awareness and leadership need to be.
TS: As previously mentioned, you have
worked a lot in lithium. Lithium is obvi-
ously important for the electric vehicle
industry and there has been a lot of hype info@majordrilling.com
around finding new deposits, however,
info@majordrilling.com
43
/Q&A FROM THE EXPERTS
am I right in saying that lithium is quite
abundant on Earth?
BS: Yes, compared to gold, silver and PGEs
(Platinum Group Elements), for example,
lithium is quite abundant in the continental
crust. However, economic accumulations are
restricted to certain geological environments
(e.g. granites, pegmatites, evaporation lakes),
and even then the distribution can be quite
patchy. The task of geologists and explora-
tion companies, therefore, is to appropriately
delineate accumulations of lithium minerals
which can be economically exploited.
TS: What makes a lithium project eco-
nomic?
BS: In terms of LCT pegmatites, grade and ton-
nage are obviously important. In this regard,
a necessity is to outline not just a single LCT
pegmatite, but instead an LCT pegmatite field
that ideally contains several LCT pegmatites
with a proven average grade of above at least
1% Li2O and a strike extent of at least several
hundred meters.
Furthermore, it needs to be established
whether lithium is contained in spodumene
(pyroxene), lepidolite/zinnwaldite (micas) or
other minerals. This has important implica-
tions on downstream mineral processing and
44
capital requirement routes. What explorers
often forget are geotechnical, slope stabil-
ity and mineral processing considerations.
Pegmatites I have worked on in (sub)tropical
environments commonly have a leached and
weathered surface expression, which not only
removes lithium from the saprolite, but also
leads to issues with slope stability in open
pit mining scenarios and problematic mineral
extraction due to the presence of kaolinized
clays. It is, therefore, necessary to take into
account these technical considerations, along
with economic and infrastructure factors, to
evaluate the feasibility of a lithium pegmatite
project.
TS: Other than lithium, what other metals
are going to be key in the next five years?
BS: Battery metals in general will continue
to see a boom, along with copper and gold. I
would not be surprised to see uranium emerg-
ing, at least temporary, as well.
TS: What does the future hold for Mineral
Exploration in general?
BS: I feel very positive about the role of min-
eral exploration in the future. The current
commodity trends demonstrate that bulk
commodities, as well as previous niche com-
modities (lithium, graphite, REEs, industrial
minerals), will be required to move into a sus-
tainable future. Despite the common belief
that exploration needs to target mineraliza-
tion at greater depth, I think that there are
still rather unchartered and poorly studied
metallogenic belts in Central, Southeast and
Far Eastern Asia, for example. The unlocking
of these destinations will depend on political
changes and revised mining codes.
Furthermore, I believe that a solid under-
standing and application of geological con-
cepts, along with the ability to comprehen-
sively ‘squeeze’ and analyze geoscientific
information will be key to locate and develop
new mineral deposits. Advanced artificial in-
telligence and modelling workflows will help
to achieve this, but it is still the task of mining
professionals to evaluate and synthesize the
data in the context of geology, mineral eco-
nomics and mining techniques. C
For more information
Visit: https://xplore.global/
Coring Magazine #18
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/EXPLORATION & MINING GEOLOGY

Rupert Resources:
The benefits of aggressive drilling
by Jane Lockwood, Spotlight Mining

Aggressive spending on drilling during exploration is usually a good

strategy for advancing a project quickly, and nowhere demonstrates that
fact better than Rupert Resources’s (Rupert) (TSXv:RUP, OTCQX:RUPRF)
almost 4 million oz (113.4 tonnes) Ikkari gold discovery in Finland.
This project is remarkable not just for its size and quality, but also
because the company took it from discovery to a maiden resource
estimate in just 18 months, during a global pandemic, no less.

46 Coring Magazine #18

R
upert has consolidated a 595 km2 (229.73 mi2) land package in
the Central Lapland Greenstone Belt, an area that only began
to draw serious attention in 2009 with the opening of Agnico
Eagle’s Kittila mine, now the largest primary gold producer in Europe.
Since then, there has been something of a gold rush in the area, and
Rupert has come out on top. Thomas Credland, Rupert’s Head of Corpo-
rate Development, explained the company’s early interest in the region:
‘Central Lapland already hosted a number of other orogenic gold and
base metal deposits comparable to greenstone belts such as the Abitibi
in Canada, Birimian of West Africa and Eastern Goldfields of Western
Australia, but it was apparent that it was extremely immature in terms
of exploration activity - probably 100 years behind.’
The entire area around Ikkari is a swamp with no outcrop, and beneath
that is glacial till from the last ice age that overlies the bedrock to a depth
of between 5–40 m (16.4–131.2 ft). This meant that there was no option
but to drill on the site, in contrast to Kittila and Rupert’s other deposit
in the region, Pahtavaara mine, which were both discovered in outcrop.
Between 2017 and 2019, Rupert focused on characterizing their assets
on a broad scale. Naturally, they employed geophysical methods to get a
better picture of what lay under the ground but, most importantly, they
stumped up the cash for percussion drilling down to the base of the gla-
cial till and got geochemical analyses from the interface between the
till and the bedrock. This was vital as it was the only way to really know
what sort of rock was hiding under all that cover.
Thomas Credland explained that Rupert’s strategy in the area was
guided by the discovery of Anglo American’s nearby polymetallic Sakatti
deposit, which hosts the dizzying array of Ni-Cu-Co-PGE-Au-Ag miner-
alization. Base-of-till drilling was used to discover Sakatti, and Rupert
took note of this success. The company also had a new geological mod-
el to work with, which suggested a 25 km (15.53 mi) regional structure
underlay part of their property. Rupert geologists had identified a pos-
sible basin margin in the south-west of their land package, which was
confirmed when they drilled sediments in that area, as opposed to vol-
canic rocks in the east of the property. The company performed ‘tram
line’ drilling – two lines of sampling 100 m (328 ft) apart, covering a
large area. They then followed up anomalous results with more close-
ly-spaced holes, and the Ikkari resource was one of those.
↑ Drilling is still ongoing at the property, with the company
working to both expand and better define the resource
Drillers’ trusted publication
At Ikkari, a single anomalous sample with 0.2 ppm gold was investi-
gated with infill drilling on a 50 x 25 m (164 x 82 ft) grid, which turned
up a cluster of samples with up to 1 ppm Au. At that stage, Rupert
knew they had a significant geochemical anomaly on their hands, so
from April 2020, they began focusing more drilling there. The first hole
(hole 120038) intersected 54 m (177 ft) grading 1.5 g/t Au, and subse-
quent holes showed that the mineralized area was large, with an initial
strike length of more than 500 m (1640 ft) and was also high-grade in
parts. At Ikkari, 100% of holes to date have hit gold mineralization.
It quickly became clear that the feature controlling gold mineraliza-
tion at Ikkari was the unconformity between the komatiite-dominant
Savukoski Group and the sedimentary Kumpu Group. As COVID-19 shut
down much of the world, Rupert took extensive health and safety pre-
cautions at their site and drilled on. In September 2021, just 18 months
after Ikkari’s discovery, they were able to define an estimated mineral
resource of 3.95 million oz (111.98 tonnes) for the deposit, with cut-off
grades of 0.6 g/t Au for open pit mining and 1.2 g/t Au for underground.
Rupert has not slowed down after this major success and are now
targeting their drilling efforts in a 60:40 ratio at Ikkari and other dis-
coveries. News at the end of November announced grades from tighter
drill spacing at Ikkari of up to 7.7 g/t Au over 30 m (98 ft), and at the
satellite Heinä Central deposit, which was not included in the resource
estimate, both high-grade copper and gold have been found over
multiple intervals.
It’s clear from Rupert’s example that aggressive drilling from the start
of an exploration campaign can pay off immensely. Thomas Credland
said that investors understood the need for such an approach due to
the lack of outcrop and the fact that the non-productive overhead of
the program becomes proportionally bigger the fewer meters that are
drilled, so other juniors looking to make substantial discoveries in fresh
territory might want to take note. C
For more information
Visit: www.rupertresources.com
↑ Extensive drilling resulting in plenty of core has been
the key to rapid resource estimation at Ikkari
47
/EXPLORATION & MINING GEOLOGY

Gold fever in Guyana

by Ian Foreman, Principal at Foremost Corporate Services

An exciting new gold player from Vancouver, Canada

– Alerio Gold Corp. (Alerio) (ALE:CSE) – has recently
acquired highly prospective gold projects in Guyana,
South America. Guyana is a democratic state that is still
a member of the Commonwealth and has English as its
official language. It is a mining-friendly country with a
government that has supported the mining industry on
many levels for years. Guyana is known for its significant
endowment of natural resources. Gold has historically
accounted for a large 35% of the country’s exports, with
production exceeding 625 000 oz (17.72 tonnes) in 2019.

The location of Alerio Gold’s Tassawini project situated in the Barama-Waini District, Guyana

Author’s note: this article is intended for information purposes only. The reader is encouraged to perform
their own due diligence if they are interested in investing in the company.

48 Coring Magazine #18

Drillers’ trusted publication 49
/EXPLORATION & MINING GEOLOGY

T
he mining sector has been a major piece of Guyana’s history,
and its democratically elected government has long held a
pro-mining stance, encouraging investment in the responsible
extraction of natural resources through a stable Mining Act. Guyana is
situated in the heart of the Guiana Shield — a 1.7-billion-year-old geo-
logical formation that shares much of its geological makeup with the
West African Shield. Due to this interpreted tectonic relationship, many
explorers are betting on the similar geological terrains known from de-
cades of exploring and mining in the precious metals-rich West African
Shield. Well-known players such as Newmont, Reunion, Troy, Omai Gold
and G2 Goldfields have long since developed Guyana. The Guiana Shield
has long been a target for prospectors and holds an estimated 140 mil-
lion oz (≈ 3970 tonnes) of gold - the best-known deposit being the Au-
rora Mine with resources of over 6.9 million oz (≈ 195 tonnes) of gold. In
addition, Omai Gold is once again a major part of this new resurgence of
interest in Guyana with plans to re-establish the Omai gold mine.

The Tassawini Property

Alerio has recently secured the licenses for the Tassawini Gold Project in
Guyana. The property has a historical resource estimate of 499 000 oz
(14.15 tonnes) of gold. CAD 34 million has already been invested in ex-
ploration and development on the property, and current management
is pushing progress to further expand exploration on a total of 1381
hectares of land with the medium-term goal of developing a producing
mine. The infrastructure on site is very good as the project is located on
a navigable river.
↑ An outcrop at Tassawini showing the complex
folding within the mineralized envelope
Historic exploration at the Tassawini Property concentrated on a core
of gold targets that include Tassawini West, Tassawini South, Tassawi-
ni East, Black Ridge, Mine Creek and Sonne. There are in an excess of
nine additional targets that have yet to be tested. Mineralized zones
with reported true widths of 10 m (32.81 ft) to over 50 m (164 ft) have
been defined by diamond drilling. Preferred host lithologies are highly
deformed silica-invaded phyllite and black metamudstone. Gold min-
eralization occurs in or close to the contacts with the intrusive units. In
most cases, the mineralized envelopes dip between 45° and 75° to the
north and northwest, and plunge at an average of 15° to 25° towards the
southwest. However, at Tassawini South, the mineralized envelopes are
nearly horizontal as they are controlled by the contacts with the intru-
sive bodies. In detail, all the mineralized zones are extremely complex
in shape, but they have been interpreted to be linked as they appear
to belong to one single larger system that was disrupted by intrusive
bodies and faults.
The gold mineralization occurs in spatial association with silica, pyrite
and arsenopyrite in zones of silicification and carbonation alteration.
Gold deposition and/or remobilization are controlled by deformed mi-
cro-quartz and quartz-carbonate veining related to linear high strain
zones, fold hinges and intrusive contacts.

The Guiana Shield

The Guiana Shield spans over 2000 km (1242 mi) and stretches from
western Venezuela, through Guyana, Suriname, and French Guyana and
ends in northern Brazil. The shield is composed of a Palaeoproterozo-
ic granite-greenstone terrain with a general east to northeast trending
structural trend. This terrain is considered to be the extension of the
West-African Palaeoproterozoic Birimian Supergroup metasedimen-
tary/greenstone terrains, which, in northern Guyana, was originally
mapped as part of the Lower Proterozoic Barama-Mazaruni Super-
group (approx. 2200-2000 million years in age). The Barama-Mazaruni
Supergroup consists of metasedimentary/greenstone terrains interca-
lated with Archean-Proterozoic gneisses that were then intruded by
Trans-amazonian granites as well as mafic and ultramafic rocks (see
↑ There has been extensive artisanal mining
McConnell and Williams, 1969). The geology at Tassawini is dominat-
within the Tassawini project
ed by a series of lower to upper greenschist facies altered fine-grained

50 Coring Magazine #18

metasedimentary rocks that have been in-
truded by a series of granitoids. The dom-
inant lithologies are phylite, finely banded
fine-grained metaclastite, carboniferous
schist, and garnet-sulphide-graphitic rocks.
These rocks are interpreted as originally be-
ing deposited as siltstones and mudstones
in a carbonate-sulphide iron formation that
was formed under reducing submarine con-
ditions. This proto-sedimentary sequence is
part of a manganese-rich proto-basin that
can be traced from the Tassawini property
over 100 km (62 mi) to where manganese was
historically mined. Within this sequence are
localized disconformable incursions of turbid-
ic wacke as well as coarser sedimentary units
such as sandstones and conglomerates.

Additional information
Alerio also holds the Harpy project, an ear-
ly-stage exploration play. It is adjacent to the
Aurora gold deposit owned by Guyana Gold-
fields that was recently purchased by Zijin
Mining for USD 323 million. Alerio is looking
to progress both of these projects and make
further acquisitions in 2022. C
↑ The Guiana Shield and the West African Shield showing significant gold deposits
References
McConnell, R. B., and Williams, E., 1969,
Distribution and provisional correlation of For more information
the Precambrian of the Guiana Shield. Paper Visit: www.aleriogold.com
presented at the 8th Guiana Geol. Conf.,
Georgetown, Guyana.

Drillers’ trusted publication 51

/EXPLORATION DRILLING CATALOG

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52 Coring Magazine #18

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54 Coring Magazine #18

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Phone (888) 465-1569
whp@baoqizt.com www.sinocoredrill.com
Fax (320) 631-0064
www.hargrand.com
www.holeproducts.com
DRILLING HQ HOLE PRODUCTS TERRA TEAM OY
Phone 1 (208) 690-3111 Phone 909-939-2581 Phone 358-9-849-4030
info@DrillingHQ.com Fax 909-891-0434 info@terra-team.fi
www.drillinghq.com www.holeproducts.com www.terra-team.fi/en

Drillers’ trusted publication 55

/EXPLORATION DRILLING CATALOG

Core Barrels (A-Z) Drill Rods & Casings

Drill Rods & Casings

BARKOM CORE TECH FORDIA POWERED BY

Phone 90-312 385 60 50 Phone (511) 255-5701 EPIROC
Fax 90-312 385 35 75 ventas@coretech.com.pe Phone 514-336-9211
info@barkomas.com www.coretech.com.pe Fax 514-745-4125
www.barkomas.com info@fordia.com
www.fordia.com

56 Coring Magazine #18

 Drill Rods & Casings
Survey Equipment
Survey Tools (A-Z)

Wedges (A-Z)

FORDIA POWERED BY REFLEX SONDA PARTS

EPIROC Phone 1-705-235-2169 Phone 55 – (31) 3391 3810
Phone 514-336-9211 Fax 1-705-235-2165 Fax 55 – (31) 3391 3810
Fax 514-745-4125 reflex@imdexlimited.com comercial@sondaparts.com.br
info@fordia.com www.reflexnow.com www.sondaparts.com.br/
www.fordia.com

Water Treatment System (A-Z)

Core Orientation (A-Z)

COREFINDER DEVICO AS REFLEX INSTRUMENTS
Phone +55 62 992720023 Phone +47 72870101 Phone 61 8 9445 4020
contato@corefinder.com.br devico@devico.com Fax 61 8 9445 4040
www.corefinder.com.br www.devico.com reflex@imdexlimited.com
www.reflexnow.com

Drillers’ trusted publication 57

/EXPLORATION DRILLING CATALOG

Survey Tools (A-Z) Drilling Fluids (A-Z)

MATEX MUDEX TIGER FLUIDS
Phone +1 403 720 7044 Phone +61 (8) 9390 Phone +61 (0) 417 60
Fax +1 403 720 4951 4620 11 00
orders@ info@mudex.com.au info@tigerfluids.com
matexdrillingfluids.ca www.mudex.com.au www.tigerfluids.com
matexdrillingfluids.ca

Packers (A-Z)

Miscellaneous
Drilling Fluids (A-Z)
CEBO HOLLAND B. V. DI-CORP JC PORTAL DRILLING
(BAROID) Phone +1 (705) 472- SUPPLIES
Phone +31 255 546 262 7700 Phone (33) 3810 6099
info@cebo.com info@di-corp.com (33) 1561 6618
www.cebo.com www.di-corp.com ventas@jcpds.com.mx
www.jcpds.com.mx Core Trays (A-Z)
CORE TECH
Phone (511) 255-5701 CORE CASE DYNAMICS G-EX PROSPECTORS
ventas@coretech. Phone +55 51 3012 6531 Phone +61 7 54826649 Phone +61 (02) 9839 3500
com.pe info@corecase.com sales@dynamicsgex.com.au Fax +61 (02) 8824 5250
www.coretech.com.pe corecase.com www.dynamicsgex.com.au sales@prospectors.com.au

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58 Coring Magazine #18

 The new era
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