Fly in, fly out Noel DysonWednesday, 14 April 2010WANT to do...

Fly in, fly out

Noel Dyson
Wednesday, 14 April 2010

WANT to do some long-hole drilling in ground too harsh to drive a rig in? Boart Longyear may have an answer. The Utah-based, Australian Securities Exchange-listed drill maker has released its flyable SC11 surface exploration rig targeted at 1300-1500m NQ rod users.



Boart Longyear's SC11 surface exploration rig


Boart Longyear drilling

The rig can be broken down into compact flyable modules with the heaviest being only 680kg. Lifting points are easy to identify and are positioned at the modules centre of gravity to provide a balanced load.

Quick-connect hydraulic couplings further accelerate assembly and disassembly and prevent oil spills. All modules use easy-to-see guides to help operators quickly align and assemble the rig. Pressed steel framing with male and female joints help the modules drop into position.

The SC11 delivers large-diameter and deep-hole drilling capability with a 132-kilonewton pullback rating and PQ rod handling capacity.

The rig features a variable speed motor that provides a low-end torque output of 5456 newton-metres at the head for tri-cone drilling and a 1230rpm speed for diamond drilling. It also features a hydraulic system to easily make or break rod joints and transport rods safely.

Hydraulic actuators also control the rigs rod handler, providing smooth and efficient movement in three dimensions. The rod handler uses proven LM rod handling technology and has proximity sensors to prevent rod drops when operators are nearby.

A laser system positioned between the helper and rod handler control panel stops movement when drillers enter the operating area. Once the beam is interrupted, the rod handler immediately stops and can only be restarted when the driller resets the system.

The rig also uses the patented Boart Longyear Nitro Chuck with gas-charged springs that actuate the jaws holding the rods to provide fail-safe operation.

The control panel also uses lift-to-shift rotation and feed levers to deliver constant speed and protect the operator against accidental actuation.