Coiled tubing drilling for definition of Mineral Deposits: MinEx CRC Project 2

The Challenge

Modern mineral exploration relies on drilling to provide physical samples to test mineralisation potential beneath the surface. Operating current drilling technology in remote landscapes is expensive and resource intensive, and as explorers push deeper in search of new mineral discoveries these costs risk becoming unsustainable. 

Key Findings

This project resulted in development of an advanced prototype lightweight, agile Coiled Tubing (CT) drilling platform (the RoXplorer) and integrated Hydraulic Processing System (HPS) support unit delivering the performance and environmental benefits of CT drilling to a reach of 500m.  

Benefit to WA

Cheaper drilling with a lower environmental footprint will be an important enabling technology for future mineral exploration in WA, where many of the most exciting exploration targets are expected to lie below cover in areas where the State’s proven and richly-endowed mineral provinces plunge beneath more recent layers of rock. 

Keywords: drilling technology; coiled tubing drilling; exploration drilling