Boart Longyear to introduce 'game changing' drilling technology
By John Merriman / 27th of May, 2015
An Australian-designed and built ‘game changing’ product will be available next year to the world’s biggest mining and drilling companies.
The TruProbe product will be distributed from Boart Longyear's Asia Pacific regional headquarters in Adelaide.
The technology was developed by Adelaide-based Deep Exploration Technologies Cooperative Research Centre (DETCRC) which has signed an exclusive commercialisation deal with Boart Longyear following a tender process.
Mining giant BHP is among a host of mineral exploration companies who will receive preferential access to the new technology which is expected to be available and operational around the globe in the first quarter of 2016.
The new technology involves drilling contractors using gamma geophysical survey sensors inside drill strings to help mining companies identify precious metals and minerals.
The product is able to replace conventional gamma geophysical surveys but at a much smaller cost and with significant time savings.
Currently gamma surveys require a team of geophysicists, extensive equipment and expensive laboratory time.
The surveys are normally conducted at the completion of the borehole before the drill rods are removed, requiring the drill crew and rig to wait while the geophysical crews conduct the survey. With the TruProbe technology drilling crews will be able to conduct the gamma survey while removing the drill rods, eliminating costly stand-by charges.
Boart Longyear’s Director of Strategic Information, Michael Ravella said the cost and time savings provided by the new TruProbe technology will be a game changer for the mineral exploration market.
“There isn’t anything else like this technology available in the mining industry at the moment,’’ he said.
“Boart Longyear is currently in the beta (secondary) testing mode of the product.”
“Many mining and geophysical companies are aware of this new product from publications from the DET CRC. When I attended the ASEG Geophysical conference in Perth recently it was a topic everyone wanted to discuss.
“We expect to put this product into the market quite quickly around the globe with drilling services providers.
“Australia, North America, Latin America, Europe and Africa are expected to be among the first regions to use the TruProbe technology.
“DETCRC has an agreement with their partners who help fund and support this type of technology support. As part of the agreement those companies will be the first to have access to the technology.
“For mining explorers the TruProbe technology will offer immediate and significant costs savings.’’
Boart Longyear is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA and listed on the Australian Securities Exchange in Sydney. It is the world’s leading provider of drilling services, drilling equipment and performance tooling for mining and drilling companies globally.
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