Drill project assists in resource optimisation
Chemicals manufacturer Foskor awarded drilling contractor Geomech Africa a contract to conduct geotechnical drilling at the Foskor Mining Division in Limpopo in July, with completion set for October.
The project is meant to obtain sufficient geotechnical data for optimisation of the north and south pits.
The drilling programme is expected to last three months and the team is currently a couple of days ahead of schedule, explains Foskor chief rock engineer Nkosi Nene.
A geotechnical risk assessment of the north and south pyroxenite pits was carried out in 2010. At the time it was concluded that several orientated geotechnical boreholes should be drilled to identify the continuity of the rock.
The ongoing drill programme entails drilling two and five holes in the north and south pit, respectively. The holes, range from 300 m to 500 m deep.
Additionally, downhole surveys are completed at the end of each day to ensure that the direction of the holes does not deviate by more than 2º from the required angle –70º.
Further, structural identifications and their respective orientations, are measured by means of optical and acoustic televiewer.
“There are instances where the upper sections of the rock mass are highly fractured making the drilling and identification of strata more complex.
“The holes had to be grouted in places to allow the drill to pass through larger cracks and specific muds were used to assist in preventing the collapse of unstable strata into the borehole,” says Nene.
He notes that Geomech Africa drilling supervisor Kiewiet Mahlangu tested various scenarios and their impact on the formations as the drill advanced until the correct balance was found. The final solution involved polymers such as Aus plug, CR650 and bentonite.
Comments
The
content
you are trying to access is only available to subscribers.
If you are already a subscriber, you can Login Here.
If you are not a subscriber, you can subscribe now, by selecting one of the below options.
For more information or assistance, please contact us at subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za.
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation