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Reverse Circulation Drilling
Master Drilling has a fleet of equipment that is highly specialised and the first of its kind to be brought into Africa. The equipment allows for the protection of the operator in the cabin, automated rod handling, automated line-up and positioning of the rig, transfer of operational data to a production server for
reporting purposes, and a range of safety feature such as high wall detection and the optimisation of cone splitters. In some unstable geologies reverse circulation is used to establish a hole being careful not to erode the hole condition due to air passing between the rod and hole inner surface.
It is a quick and easy way to gain geological information of a good quality where geotechnical information is not required. Through grade control it delivers significant benefits in terms of optimising the classification of the grade of material sold. It is a very non-invasive type of drilling due to the fact that no air is blown through the annulus of the hole, thus not deteriorating the condition of the hole.
In general 125mm - 150mm diameter holes are drilled, with reverse circulation holes for exploration being up to 1 000m and for grade control purposes up to 50m.
ApplicationsReverse Circulation Drilling is a fast way for resource definition and a very good way through grade control drilling to determine the composition of the ore body that will be mined.
Percussion Drilling
Percussion Drilling is a very mobile type of drilling with fast production rates. The drilling assembly down the hole comprises a button bit fitted to a precipitating hammer with drill rods to the drill rig. It is easy to reconfigure rigs to include reverse circulation or mud rotary drilling.
Master Drilling has a fleet of crawler-based units for pre-splitting and re-opening work in blast hole operations as well as truck-mounted rigs for quick set-up and operation. The pre-splitting machines allow for true single person operation. Recently Master Drilling configured a single-operator truck-mounted system comprising a separate truck for rod carrying and handling to be used for deep holes for an air conditioned and protected cabin.
Diameters vary from 100mm - 600mm and larger where cluster hammers are used. Drilling depths may be up to 1 000m+ although the most common depths are blast holes approximately 50m deep. Holes can be inclined, either in a horizontal or vertical form, while compressor sizes go up to 35 Bar air pressure and generally to 1 200cfm per unit. Many rigs are configured in such a way to allow for a quick change over to mud rotary drilling or reverse circulation drilling, if required.
Percussion Drilling is commonly used to establish a fast hole in the ground. When used for sampling geology it is referred to as Reverse Air Blast or RAB drilling. The most common use for this type of drilling is for the drilling of de-watering holes on open cast mines, water-wells for domestic use, blast holes for the injection of explosives during mining, utility holes used for cables, and production-wells for oil and gas. In many cases these type of holes are also established for diamond tailing, which refers to the establishment of a fast hole by percussion drilling to a particular depth of no geological importance and then to diamond tale the hole with core drilling.
Scan Mobile
New to the Master Drilling suite of services, Scan Mobile is the equivalent of the Orealyzer for the scanning of core for mineral and geotechnical purposes, making use of XRF technology. Once scanned, data is uploaded onto a server, where geologists can access the information to determine drill plans and conduct valuations.
ApplicationsThe system lends itself to mineral exploration in mining applications. The unit is mounted into a panel van, simplifying the mobility of the unit so that it can be moved between core sheds. Master Drilling is currently conducting trials on the system.
Advantages of Scan Mobile include:• Faster analysis and access to information – requiring less manual labour. • Consistency of quality information. • Early access to information to consider possible options.
Core Drilling
Master Drilling’s Core Drilling resources cover the complete scope required, from shallow holes up to 5 000m deep; underground and surface rigs; different configurations and supporting plant; rod handlers and hand free rod makeup/breakout; steel water reticulation systems; and onsite video monitoring and digital reporting.
Core Drilling is the least invasive type of drilling and is used in difficult or remote areas. A very high standard of quality or representative of the geology can be collected and the information used as the basis for consideration, design and construction based on the potential of the ore body or nature of the geology.
The information is used in modelling to give engineers and geologists a visual representation of what is underground that cannot be seen from the surface. It is a relatively lower cost method due to the drilling method. With initiatives from Master Drilling, in response to the industry’s requirements, a safer personnel environment can be offered in terms of equipment handling and operational procedures.
ApplicationsCore Drilling is used in underground mining for delineation of an ore body and resource definition and valuation. It is used in tunnel infrastructure to ensure that no methane pockets of air are mined into, as well as for water bearing areas that could potentially flood the underground infrastructure. In addition, Core Drilling is used for the geo-technical evaluation of the nature, material properties and type of rock for the purposes of designing a certain size shaft, tunnel or stoping panel to be used for the calculation of the type and amount of rock support required.
In many cases Core Drilling is used for resource definition, which enables engineers to see the exact position in relation to an access tunnel of a certain geological feature of interest in the construction of infrastructure or in mining. On the surface, it is similar depending on the stage of exploration of grid holes for resource estimation and conformation purposes. This is optimised to a finer grid as mining operations start and finer detail is required.
In the construction or urban infrastructure industries, Core Drilling is mainly used for geotechnical information in the design of foundations for bridges, buildings, tunnels, etc.
In the energy industry, it is used for the collecting of core in gas, oil, coal or uranium carrying geology. The sample is stored and tested in a laboratory to understand the yield of energy that could be extracted from this type of geology and the nature of the structure.
We challenge the status quo to provide our clients with specialised, adaptive one-stop-shop drilling solutions.
Our strategic pillars:
Master Drilling is a world leader in specialised global drilling solutions, with 30 years’ experience in providing raise boring and exploration drilling together with specialised in-house drilling equipment design, manufacturing, training and maintenance capabilities which support our clients’ unique needs.
We count blue-chip major and mid-tier companies in the mining, civils and construction and hydro-energy sectors, across a number of commodities and geographies, as our clients. Master Drilling was established in South Africa in 1986 and listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in December 2012.
Our international operations span across the world: On the African continent, in addition to South Africa, we have operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Mali and Zambia. In Latin America, we have operations in Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico and Peru and have recently established a base in the USA. Towards year end, we acquired a 40% shareholding in Bergteamet Raiseboring Europe AB which is headquartered in Sweden. We also have an office and warehouse facility in China, where specialised capital equipment is produced and procured. Group engineering manufacturing and support is provided from South Africa and China, servicing several international locations.
Our drilling service solutions:Rock Boring Slim Drilling Support Services
• Raise boring • Core drilling • Piling
• Horizontal Raise Boring (HRB)
• Percussion drilling• Remote Operated
Shaft Support
• Box hole boring • Reverse circulation drilling • Stage
• Slot boring • Air Rotary • Horizontal directional drilling• Tunnel boring • Mud Rotary
• Blind shaft boring • Directional drilling
• Reef boring• Core yard
management
Towards a mechanised futureAt the forefront of the drive towards mechanisation, Master Drilling has embarked on an automation programme, using in-house technology to enable fully automated insertion and removal of drill rods and automatic remote controlled spanners, among others.
Automated machines prove to be 30% faster than conventional machines, with a satellite data collector that allows the user to monitor the machines in real time and act efficiently in any event.
At Master Drilling, we continuously striving to improve the quality and safety of our products and services, and view the occupational health and safety of our employees and environmental protection as a vitally important part of our business strategy.
Master Drilling is an ISO 9001, ISO 14001 & BS OHSAS 18001 certified company.
Optimisation and increased profitability
Sustainablegrowth
Technology optimisation and
development
People capacity and development
Horizontal Directional Drilling
Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) is a steerable trenchless method of installing underground pipes, conduits and cables in a shallow arc along a prescribed bore path by using a surface-launched drilling rig, with minimal impact on the surrounding area. Directional boring is used when trenching or excavating is not practical. It is suitable for a variety of soil conditions and jobs including road, landscape and river crossings.
Installation lengths up to 2 000m have been completed, and diameters up to 1 200mm have been installed in shorter runs. Pipes can be made of materials such as PVC, polyethylene, polypropylene, ductile iron, and steel if the pipes can be pulled through the drilled hole. Directional boring is not practical if there are voids in the rock or incomplete layers of rock – the best material is solid rock or sedimentary material. Soils with cobble stone are not recommended. Different types of heads are used in the pilot-hole process, depending on the geological material.
ApplicationsDirectional boring is used for installing infrastructure such as telecommunication and power cable conduits, water lines, sewer lines, gas lines, oil lines, product pipelines, and environmental remediation casings. It is also used for crossing waterways, roadways, shore approaches, congested areas, environmentally-sensitive areas, and areas where other methods are costlier or not possible.
The equipment used in a horizontal directional drilling depends on the outer diameter of the pipe, length of the run, ground conditions and the surroundings above ground. For the large bores, directional drills equipped with as much as 600 tonnes 1 320 000lb (or more) of thrust/pullback is used in conjunction with a mud reclaimer, excavator, and multiple pumps and hoses to supply the drilling fluid to the drill stem. Directional drilling stem is made from heat-treated high-carbon steel for
strength and ships in diameters of 8 - 15cm. Drill stem sections are manufactured in 3m or 4.6m and also 9.1m lengths and have male threading on one end, and female on the other. It is common for a directional drill to carry as much as 305m of rod on board.
Drilling heads come in multiple designs and depend on the rock or soil being penetrated. The drilling head has multiple water ports to allow removal of material. A talon bit involves the carbide-tipped cutters. These allow for steering and cutting the material. Another head is a mud-motor that is used in rocky landscapes. Furthermore, supporting equipment is needed to assist directional-drilling or HDD to work smoothly, such as drilling mud recycling system, shale shaker, mud cleaner, centrifugal pump, mud tanks, etc.
It is used instead of other techniques to provide less traffic disruption, lower cost, deeper and/or longer installation, no access pit, shorter completion times, directional capabilities, and environmental safety.
SLIM DRILLING
2016SOLUTIONS
Piling
Master Drilling has procured a rig and associated plant for the special application of circular secant pile walls, and will consider other opportunities requiring this type of equipment. It is fast, low cost, requires less labour and provides high quality structures.
Master Drilling predominantly uses Piling for the construction of circular secant pile walls, used to establish a barrel from surface through un-consolidated ground socketed into fresh rock. A centre larger diameter pile is drilled in the centre of the circular secant wall and a foundation is constructed on top of the piles. Raise boring is then used to drill a pilot hole through the centre pile. When reaming, the reamer head will cut through the weak rock left intact on the inside of the circular wall and will fall to the bottom of the shaft and be loaded away. This way, a raise boring shaft can be established without a pre-sink through weak material and personnel entering the shaft. The secant method involves interlocking piles with every second pile being a soft pile and then a hard (with reinforcing) pile constructed between them.
ApplicationsIn mining, and in the context of the application used for Master Drilling, the method replaces a shaft pre-sink. In general civil construction the use of piling equipment for the purpose of foundations is very common.
Mud Rotary Drilling Master Drilling currently has three rotary drive rigs equipped for either percussion or mud rotary drilling and operates a variety of water or mud type systems ranging from centrifugal to triplex pumps. In addition, Master Drilling applies mud rotary drilling principles on all raise boring pilot drilling applications.
Mud Rotary Drilling holes can be drilled in geology with water ingress, and can be used as the most accurate form of directional drilling at depth. Mud drilling is very effective in difficult ground conditions where the makeup of the mud can be changed to reduce the annular velocity flow rates, thereby supporting the hole by positive pressure and low flow or flush velocities.
ApplicationsMud Rotary Drilling is used in the mining industry for the drilling of utility, paste, de-watering and other infrastructure
holes. In urban infrastructure it is used predominantly for water-wells and horizontal directional drilling, while the most common use in the energy sector is the drilling of coal bed methane, shale gas, gas, oil and geothermal holes. Mud drilling is also commonly used for the directional drilling of horizontal wells.
Air Rotary Drilling
Air Rotary Drilling is most commonly used for the application of large diameter blast holes in the surface or opencast mining industry and is similar to the blast hole application of percussion drilling. This type of drilling is often used in weak ground when a raise boring rig is used to establish a pilot hole for paste, utility holes or a raise bored shaft.
As the rigs are very capital intensive, Master Drilling offers a low-cost solution with increased rate of penetration, extended bit life and high production, with a low personnel compliment, in order to establish large diameter and relatively short blast holes from a large flat bench.
Orealyzer
Master Drilling has, in conjunction Atlas Copco, launched the Orealyzer XRF X-ray technology and scanner which is mounted onto a drill rig where it continuously samples the mineralogy of the cutting that runs through it.
The system is ideal for grade control and enables geologists to obtain information about the ore body quicker and optimises the grade of ore for sale and
returns. Data is used for grade control purposes and is uploaded from the rig to the geologist server for possible blending, blasting and loading configurations.
The system has been tested in isolation to conduct field trials, before it will be fitted to reverse circulation rigs.
