Exploration Drilling

Exploration drilling is a technique used in the mineral mining sector that assists with pit grade control or mine planning and can also delineate potential ore bodies for future prospects. It is essentially the system of extracting uncontaminated ground samples from set locations deep underground so they may be tested for various mineral contents and grading.
Vortex offers 2 types of exploration drilling, namely rotary air blast (RAB) and reverse circulation (RC) drilling services.

Rotary Air Blast (RAB) Drilling

RAB Drilling is the simplest and most economical technique and is typically the first in a mineral exploration project. It uses a rotating drill bit that cuts and breaks the rock which is then lifted out the hole by compressed air. Very similar to a borehole drilling procedure, the major difference is in collection of samples once the rock chips have reached the surface. Mats or plastic is placed around the hole, and the chips are collected and bagged for every meter drilled.

Reverse Circulation (RC) Drilling

RC Drilling uses a specialised head and rods with inner and outer tubes. During the drilling process, the sample cuttings travel up through the rods into a cyclone and are collected directly into sample sacks. This results in far less contamination of the samples leading to more reliable results. The chips are then run through a riffle splitter to obtain the samples required for laboratory testing.

Reverse Circulation (RC) Drilling

RC Drilling uses a specialised head and rods with inner and outer tubes. During the drilling process, the sample cuttings travel up through the rods into a cyclone and are collected directly into sample sacks. This results in far less contamination of the samples leading to more reliable results. The chips are then run through a riffle splitter to obtain the samples required for laboratory testing.
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