Boart Longyear has announced a range of new drilling and other products in a bid to improve speed, safety and cost efficiency.
Launched at the Prospectors and Developers of Canada (PDAC) 2013, the range includes a next-generation surface drilling rig, electronic interface to underground drill control, reaming shell, casing shoe and a Roller Latch.
The LF120A is a semi-automated surface exploration drill rig that features a hands-free operating system and self-monitoring technology that will increase safety and overall productivity.
“The LF120A was designed for drilling contractors who want to differentiate their exploration program by focusing on safety, information and an advanced level of automation,” Boart Longyear global product manager Sid Gaitonde said.
The surface coring rig also features a hands-free rod handling system, which has a rod handler, an auto-adjusted breakout tool and a hoist plug spinner. The rod handles has a 270 degree pick-up capability, two metre height adjustment, 180-degree rollover and 100-degree slew. This level of flexibility allows the handler to access the rod supply regardless of where rods are located around the drill.
Operating underground drilling equipment just got easier with the introduction of the Drill Control Interface (DCi), which provides drilling contractors a fully electronic interface.
The DCi allows a driller to operate an underground drill rig and rod handler at a safe distance. The LM75 and LM90 rigs are compatible with the DCi system and existing LM drill rigs can be retrofitted. The DCi also has one-touch rod feed and pull functionality, allowing the operator to efficiently trip rods.
“The DCi is a substantial step for increasing safety on-site by moving the driller away from moving parts and hydraulic hoses,” another Broat Longyear global product manager Robin Maxfield said.
“Also lesser experienced drillers can be more productive right away because an experience supervisor can input parameters using the DCi that guide the drilling setup.”
Boart’s new range also included the RSUMX reaming shell for straighter boreholes and maximum number of metres drilled. The reaming shell also has 40 percent more pad surface area and a new patent-pending impregnated diamond matrix that is three times harder than previous reaming shells.
The RSUMX offers better directional control by stabilising the bit in the borehole while also increasing wear resistance, in turn decreasing cost per metre.
Casing shoes are often used to drill through overburden until it reaches bedrock. The overburden often consists of unconsolidated ground filled with till, leading to encounters with rock of varying hardness.
The new CSUMX casing shoe can drill faster and outlast existing casing shoes in a wide range of ground formations ranging from one to nine on the Mohs hardness scale.
The CSUMX also features the unique Razorcut design, which allows for the casing shoe to begin cutting out of the box, even in overburden. The design also improves tracking and balance in the hole.
The surface drilling market also got a new piece of equipment with the introduction of the Quick Descent Roller Latch. It is said to decrease wireline trip time by up to 50 percent and increase the bottom line for drilling contractors. It also reduces the time it takes to retrieve core samples.
The design has a hollow spindle, latch body integrated check valve, axial grooves and a tapered profile that optimises the flow of fluid directly from the inner tube through the head assembly.
The Roller Latch technology removes the low strength and jamming that comes with swing-out latch mechanisms and has a locking coupling that connects the drill string directly to the outer tube. This means there is no need for an adapter coupling, drive key or tang feature, allowing for quick and reliable operation.