Applied Mineralogy and Non-Metallic Resources I

Introduction / Exploration

Exploration

Applied Mineralogy and Non-Metallic Resources I

Introduction / Exploration

Why do we need
natural
resources?

average increase in
demand: 5 % per year

Applied Mineralogy and Non-Metallic Resources I

Introduction / Exploration

How do we find
new resources?
In my view the greatest value is added by the
geologist who starts with nothing other than
some ideas and goes out into the desert and
finds an orebody.

J K Ellis,
J.K.
Elli Ch
Chairman
i
off BHP
BHP, A
Australia
t li 1998

Applied Mineralogy and Non-Metallic Resources I

How do we find
new resources?

Introduction / Exploration

Geological methods:
Systematic
S
i exploration
l
i off llarger areas

Reality is: hard work

Exploration in geological environment found to

be similar to known deposits
Improved geological interpretation and analysis
of existing data
Development of exploration model based on
geological,
l i l geochemical
h i l and
d geophysical
h i l
parameters

Applied Mineralogy and Non-Metallic Resources I

How do we find
new resources?

Introduction / Exploration

Pre-study

Reconnaissance exploration

D t il d follow-up
Detailed
f ll
exploration
l
ti

Evaluation

Applied Mineralogy and Non-Metallic Resources I

Introduction / Exploration

How do we find
new resources?

What is beneath our

feet?

Applied Mineralogy and Non-Metallic Resources I

Introduction / Exploration

Drilling
Rotary drilling

Oil field rig

Applied Mineralogy and Non-Metallic Resources I

Introduction / Exploration

Drilling
1.

Mud tank

4.

Mud pump

7.

Winch

14. Derrick/mast
16. Drill rods
20. Rotary table
23./24. BOP
26. Drill bit

Applied Mineralogy and Non-Metallic Resources I

Introduction / Exploration

Drilling
Rotary drilling

Drill bit

Applied Mineralogy and Non-Metallic Resources I

Introduction / Exploration

Drilling
Rotary drilling

Modern drill rig for

deep drilling

Applied Mineralogy and Non-Metallic Resources I

Introduction / Exploration

Drilling
Schematic sketch of
modern drill rig for deep
drilling

Top drive instead of

rotary table

Applied Mineralogy and Non-Metallic Resources I

Introduction / Exploration

Applied Mineralogy and Non-Metallic Resources I

Introduction / Exploration

Drilling
Rotary drilling

Pipe handler

Applied Mineralogy and Non-Metallic Resources I

Introduction / Exploration

250m/h
250m/h
300m/h

Drilling
Rotary drilling

Mud flow

chute with
1,5% incline

300m/h

2mm
M

0,10mm

100m/h
100m
/h
0,10mm

100m/h
0,10mm

100m/h
15m/h

0,02mm

15m/h

0,02mm

Applied Mineralogy and Non-Metallic Resources I

Introduction / Exploration

Drilling
Mud flow in borehole

Pumped down the

drill string
Raises in the annulus
Cooling of the drill bit
Carries the cuttings
to the surface
Prevents from
blocking the string
(thixotropy)

Applied Mineralogy and Non-Metallic Resources I

Introduction / Exploration

Core drilling
Drill core growths
inside the inner tube
Retrieve the entire
drill string to recover
inner tube with the
core
Core lifter case at
bottom end of inner
tube prevents the core
from falling out

Applied Mineralogy and Non-Metallic Resources I

Drilling
Directional drilling

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ms.php?bl=3&sid=ln1q
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8/

Introduction / Exploration

The drill string becomes flexible when drilling

very deep boreholes direction cannot be
maintained
A downhole motor (positive displacement motor
PDM) is used for driving the drill bit
The mud flow drives the PDM
MWD (measurement while drilling) allows
continuous directional control of the drill bit
Allows drilling of several wells from 1 drill site
(most often applied in off-shore drilling)

Applied Mineralogy and Non-Metallic Resources I

Introduction / Exploration

Drilling
Reverse Circulation
(RC)

Applied Mineralogy and Non-Metallic Resources I

Drilling
Reverse Circulation
(RC)

Introduction / Exploration

A pneumatic reciprocating piston (hammer)

drives the a tungsten-steel drill bit
Working with large air compressors, the drilling
produces dry rock cuttings

Dual wall drill rods are used to inject air and to

produce cuttings through the drill string

Air is blown down the rods (annular space) and

air, water and cuttings are lifted inside the inner
tube
Air passes through a cyclone for separation of
cuttings

Applied Mineralogy and Non-Metallic Resources I

Introduction / Exploration

Drilling
Reverse Circulation
(RC)

10

Applied Mineralogy and Non-Metallic Resources I

Introduction / Exploration

Drilling
Reverse Circulation
(RC)

Iron ore exploration

(Western Australia)

Applied Mineralogy and Non-Metallic Resources I

Introduction / Exploration

Drilling
Diamond core drilling
g

Wireline core drilling

(gold exploration ,
Quebec, Canada)

11

Applied Mineralogy and Non-Metallic Resources I

Introduction / Exploration

Drilling
Diamond core drilling

Wireline core drilling

(iron ore exploration ,
Cameroon)

Applied Mineralogy and Non-Metallic Resources I

Introduction / Exploration

Drilling
Diamond core drilling
Drill bits for diamond
coring

12

Applied Mineralogy and Non-Metallic Resources I

Introduction / Exploration

Wireline coring
Drill core growths
inside inner tube
A overshot tool is
lowered on the
wireline to unlatch the
inner tube from the
core barrel
b
l
Retrieve the inner
tube with the core

Applied Mineralogy and Non-Metallic Resources I

Introduction / Exploration

Wireline coring
Inner tube with latch
head
Overshot tool

13

Applied Mineralogy and Non-Metallic Resources I

Introduction / Exploration

Drilling
Diamond core drilling

Drill cores in core

boxes

Applied Mineralogy and Non-Metallic Resources I

Introduction / Exploration

Borehole deviation
Where does your
borehole go?

14

Applied Mineralogy and Non-Metallic Resources I

Borehole deviation
Why do boreholes
deviate?

Introduction / Exploration

Drill rods become increasingly flexible

Torque of the rotating bit works against cutting
face

Reaction of bit to foliation and structure of rock,

as well as drilling through different rock layers of
varying resistance

Deviation also depends on the drilling technique

Applied Mineralogy and Non-Metallic Resources I

Introduction / Exploration

Borehole deviation
measurement
Magnetic measurement
based on earth magnetic
field and gravity
(inclination)

15

Applied Mineralogy and Non-Metallic Resources I

Introduction / Exploration

Borehole deviation
measurement
Non-magnetic survey with
tools based on gyro
technology or on deflection
measurement

Applied Mineralogy and Non-Metallic Resources I

Introduction / Exploration

Borehole deviation
Deviation of vertical
borehole

16

Applied Mineralogy and Non-Metallic Resources I

Introduction / Exploration

Borehole deviation
Deviation of inclined
borehole

Applied Mineralogy and Non-Metallic Resources I

Borehole deviation
Case story

Introduction / Exploration

A new Cu-/Zn-deposit was found in 1989 in the

province of Quebec with drilling to a depth of
830 m
The deposit was estimated to be 30 million tons
of or consisting of 3.1 % Cu and 1.34 % Zn
An underground drilling campaign was carried
out after excavation of shafts and drifts
Result: a deposit of only 15.7 million tons was
confirmed
Explanation: important deviation of boreholes
drilled from the surface

17

Applied Mineralogy and Non-Metallic Resources I

Introduction / Exploration

Demonstration of a gyro tool

For more information, pleasecontact christoph.buehler@polymetra.ch

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