Professional Documents
Culture Documents
InTheHole(ITH)vs.Top
HammerDrillingin
UndergroundApplications
Presented by Peter Corcoran, Director of Sales and
Marketing for Cubex Ltd
Overview
1.
DrillandBlastDesignReview
2.
DrillingAccuracy,anditimportance
3.
TopHammerApplication
4.
InTheHole(ITH)HammerApplication
5.
TopHammeradvantages/disadvantages
6.
ITHdrillingadvantages/disadvantages
7.
8.
Summary
Cubex Ltd
Cubex Ltd
ProductionDrilling ITHorTopHammer?
Keyfactorsforreviewduringdrillandblastdesign:
MiningMethod
Blastholedepth
Diameterofhole
Geology(drillability/rockhardness)
Orientationofdrillholes
Equipmentsize
Note:Sincedrillingandblastingarethefirststepsintheprocessingoperation,the
accuracyobtainedsignificantlyimpactsdownstreamcosts(i.e.secondarydrillingcost,
muckingcost,groundcontrolcost,hoistingrequirements,millingcosts,development
requirements,andmanningrequirements).
Cubex Ltd
DilutionisPrimarily
CausedbyDeviation
60% ofdeviationiscausedby
machinemisalignment
40% ofdeviationiscausedbyinhole
deviation
Accurateplacementofexplosives
energywillprotectweakground
conditions
AgnicoEagleDeviationofLonghole DrillingDavidGallant
Theultimatereasonforefficient,accuratedrillingismineprofitability.Hole
deviationadverselyeffectsprofitabilityintheformofpoorfragmentation,
loworerecoveryandoredilution.
PercentagesofITHvs
Tophammer
ITH: 71%ofCDNandUS
undergrounddrilling
applications
TopHammer: 27%ofCDN
andUSunderground
drillingapplications
Other (rangesnot
includedinthestudy):2%
Cubex Ltd
TopHammerApplication
Designedtodrill2 4.5inches(51mm113mm)indiameterholesinsoft,
mediumandhardrockformations
TopHammersaremountedonthemastofthedrill,applyingpercussiveforceon
thedrillrods/tubeswhichistransmittedtothedrillbit
Poweredbyhydraulics
MainApplications:
Developmentdrilling
Groundsupportdrilling
Productionlonghole
drilling,mainlyuphole
Cubex Ltd
ITHHammerApplication
ITHHammers: Rangefrom3 12 (76mm305mm)diameterholesin
soft,mediumandhardrockformations
HammersaremountedIntheHole,applyingpercussiveforce
directlytothedrillbit
Poweredbyhighpressureair:400psi(34.5bar) orwater(new
technology)
Cableboltholes,blastholes,dropraises,utilityanddrainholes,
reversecirculationsampling,dewateringwells,blindraises,slot
raises,rapidraises
ITHReverseCirculation
Hammers: Foreffectiveandcost
efficientsampling
Wassara WaterHammer
Cubex Ltd
AdvantagesofTopHammerDrills
Holediametersof15/8 4 (41mm102mm)
Whereholelengthsarebetween2025meters Tophammerdrillshaveafaster
initialpenetrationrate(upto~20meters/66ft)
Wheresmallupholesarerequired(withasmallenoughholediametertoholdin
overheadexplosives)
Isabletodrillasmallerholeforlessdamagetotheformation
Whenthemineisutilizingtophammersextensivelyforothertaskssuch
developmentdrillingwithfacedrillingrigs,andcablebolting.Usingatophammer
forproductiondrillingcouldresultinlowerinitialcapitalcost
Withtheinstallationofdrilltubesintothedrillingsystem,morefavorableresults
areexperiencedwithholeaccuracy
Cubex Ltd
DisadvantagesofTopHammerDrilling
Reducedpenetrationrateafter~20meters
46%oftheimpactenergyislostateachjoint(exactfiguredependsonthedesign,mass,
numberandtightnessofjoints)
Drillinginfracturedrockwithtophammersisdifficultsincestickingofthedrillstringiscommon
Tophammerdrillingispronetohavedeviationof5%10%ofthelengthofthehole.
Excessivedeviationafter~20m
Tophammerdrillsareunabletoefficientlyclearcuttingsatdepth oftenrequiringthedrillto
completeacertainamountofnonproductivedrillingperholetoensureachievingthefullrequired
depth
Rodsandcouplingsareoftenconsideredasmajorconsumableitems,duetopercussiveenergy
exertedontherodsandcouplingswitheachholedrilled
Drillmastissubjecttoheavyvibration,duetothehammermountedonthemast
Increasednoisefromtophammerreducestheoperatorsabilityto hearfordrillrodbindingor
insertbreakage
Noisecanbereducedforoperatorbyinstallingacab,butthisincreasesoverallunitsize
Cubex Ltd
AdvantagesofITHDrilling
Straighter,cleanerholes
Moreaccuratethantophammer,duetotheimpactbeinginthehole(normallydeviation maintainedwithin
+/ 1.0%)
Createslessdrawpointhangups,lesssecondarybreaking,fewerorepassandchutehangups
Nolossofenergythroughthedrillstringfromstarttofinishofthehole,aswithtophammer
Lowercostondrillrodconsumables
Largerholediameter
Allowsforlargerdrillingpatternwhichinturnreducesthepowderfactor(kgexplosives/metricton)
creatingtimeefficienciesandlowering mineexplosivescost
ITHisabletocompleteserviceholedrilling:Cableboltholes, blastholes,dropraises,utilityanddrainholes,
reversecirculationsampling,dewateringwells,blindraises,slotraises,rapidraises.
WithITHBigholeopenstoping,verticalsublevelscanbeextendedfrom40mwithsublevelopenstoping to60
m(basedonimproveddrillaccuracyprovidingimprovedblasting)
Reducedriskofgettingstuckinfracturedandfaultedrockconditions
Cubex Ltd
AdvantagesofITHDrilling Continued
Lowernoiselevelattheworksite duetothehammerworking
inthehole
Simplicityofoperation/serviceandmaintenance which
typicallytranslatestohighmachineavailability
TonspermeterdrilledishigherforITHdrillsvs TopHammer
drills
Widerangeofholessizesavailable
Drillstringisnotsubjectedtoheavypercussiveforceaswithtop
hammerdrilling,anddrillstringlifeisthereforegreatly
lengthened
PenetrationrateswithITHhammersarealmostdirectly
proportionaltoairpressure.Thereforedoublingtheairpressure
willresultinapproximatelydoublethepenetration
Cubex Ltd
Tophammer/driftersystemsdonotdrillwellinsoftconditions,but
drillbetterastherockhardnessincreasesandbecomesmore
competent
ITHsystemsarelessefficientatthelowerendofthescale,butwork
extremelywellataconsistentlevelinallotherconditions
Tophammer/driftersystemsworkwellinsolidconditionswithhigh
drillingratesonshallowholes
ITHsystemsareatthepeakofefficiencyinhardrock,beingless
affectedthanothersystemsintheseconditions
Tophammer/driftersystemstendtodeviateandjaminfractured
conditions
ITHsystemsconsistentlyproducegoodresultsandarelessaffected
evenatdepth
Cubex Ltd
Cubex Ltd
AdvantagesofITHDrilling LargeDiameterReaming
ITHdrillingisabletoreamholesupto30
Aninitialpilotholeisdrilled,andthenreamedouttothedesireddiameter
XstrataZincBrunswickMine
Cubex Ltd
AdvantagesofITHDrilling CostSavings
DuetoincreasedaccuracyofundergroundITHdrilling,theaveragedistancebetweensublevelscanbeincreased
Withtheaveragecostoflateraldevelopmentat~$4000CDN/meter,thecostsavingsobtainedbyincreasingthedistance
betweensublevelsissignificant
TypicallywithITHdrilling,minesareabletoincreasetheirsublevelsfrom20mto40m,whichwillsupplyasignificant
reductioninsubleveldevelopmentcosts
Whenamineisabletodouble
theintervals,theyrecloseto
halfofthedevelopmentcost
TedSmethurst,Canadian
RepresentativeforCubex
LongitudinalviewofT1ThompsonMine
Cubex Ltd
DisadvantagesofITHequipment
Minimumholesizeis35/8
Mineneedscompressedair
Reticulationtocarryairtoproductionheadings
UndergroundBooster
ITHDrillwithOnboardBooster
Cubex Ltd
CaseStudy:CanadianUndergroundOperation
ReviewofTopHammer/ITHDrillingprocessforbestproductionresults
Top Hammer
ITH
Due to ITH hammer, and larger diameter drill string, hole deviation
is minimal at 35 m range (maximum deviation at 35 meters was
recorded at 0.57 m)
Machine limited to vertical only slot raises (to limit deviation) this
limited the location of the raise, since it needed to break
through to the lower level.
Able to drill down the dip of the ore body, maximizing drilling
efficiency and ore recovery.
Results: ITHdrillingallowedforlargerboreholediameterswithexpandedpatterns(115mmholesspacedat3.5m).
Thereisalso,improvedholeaccuracy,andnolossinpenetrationwiththelargerITHbits.Additionally,thetonsper
drilledmeterincreasedby1.5timeswithITHdrillingovertophammerdrilling.
Cubex Ltd
Summary Equipmentselectionforproperapplication
Drillingsystemandprocessneedstobereviewedtoensureoptimumdrillandblastpatternis
maintained
TopHammer
Isabletodrillasmallerholeforless
damagetotheformation
ITH
Accuratelydrilledholes
Widerangeofholessizesavailable(flexibility)
Fasterinitialpenetrationrate(upto~20
Serviceholedrillingcapabilities
meters/66ft)
Allowsforlargerdrillingpattern
Lowercapitalcost
Lowcostondrillingconsumables
Holediametersof15/8 4 (41mm
102mm)
Thereareprosandconsdepending
onthedrillingapplicationandthere
isalsosubstantialdevelopment
takingplacerelatedtoTopHammer
andITHdrillingtechnologies.
ThisiswheretheO.E.Mandthemine
operatorneedtocometogetherto
discussthemostproductiveand
profitablesolutionfortheparticular
application.
Cubex Ltd
Thank You