WorldWide Drilling Resource

Transforming Downtown Ottawa Compiled by Amy White, Associate Editor WorldWide Drilling Resource ® Ottawa has the most public trans- port riders of any city its size in North America. Projected to grow by more than 78% over the next 20 years, down- town streets in the Canadian metropolis have already reached maximum trans- port capacity. The City of Ottawa is build- ing the Confederation Line to meet rising demand. Construction began in the spring of 2013. The light rail transit (LRT) proj- 44 FEBRUARY 2014 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® +0 .5 .&((&*$ -1&,)"*0 ' 3 ** 0.""0 (5,% *0 ##& " ("/ 7 " %*& ( 1,,+.0 7 4 7 ) &( .+0 .5!.&((&*$"-1&,)"*0 $) &( +) 10%+.&6"! *!2&' &/0.& 10+. ".2&*$ 0%" .+1*!3 0". *!1/0.5 In Memoriam Scott Burroughs (1966~2013) With great sad- ness, the Ontario G r o u n d Wa t e r Association advised of the sudden passing of member Scott Burroughs on December 18, 2013. He was the beloved son of Gary and Bonnie; loving brother of Marilyn (Larry) and Stuart (Anita); and cher- ished uncle of Matthew, Stephen (Heather), Bailey, and Beau. Scott was the owner of Big Creek Well Drilling of Teeterville, Ontario, Canada. The management and staff of Wo r l dWi de Dr i l l i ng Re s our c e ® extend their sympathies to Scott’s family, friends, and colleagues. ect spans over 7 miles with 13 stations. Portions of the existing bus transit way will be converted to light rail technology. Within a tunnel more than a mile long, three underground stations will be built in the heart of downtown. Since tun- nel boring machines were considered too cumbersome for a tunnel just over a mile long, smaller, more flexible road- headers were chosen instead. Three Sandvik MT720 roadheaders were used for excavation - one on each end of the tunnel, and one working in the middle. Roadheaders can adjust to any excavation shape, a key benefit for the Confederation Line project since it in- cludes three underground caverns, or future stations, throughout its relatively short length. As the City of Ottawa works to im- prove and update existing infrastructure, impacts of construction on residents are minor. Most construction is taking place 49 feet underground, and roadheader machines produce less noise and vibra- tion than other tunneling methods. Downtown Ottawa will be trans- formed by the project. Moving rapid transport underground will reduce con- gestion and provide more space above for improved cycling and pedestrian- friendly streets. Transit will also be faster and more reliable since riders will no longer have to contend with bad weath- er, congestion, accidents, and busy intersections across town. A budget of over 2 billion Canadian dollars makes the Confederation Line the largest project in Ottawa’s history. It is one of the first conversions of a Bus Rapid Transit to LRT technology in North America, and is the first phase of an LRT network which will stretch for more than 20 miles across the city. The system is planned to open to the public in 2018. Sandvik tunneling roadheader MT720 courtesy of sandvik.com Mining Competition Prepares Students for Global Industry Adapted from Information Provided by The National Mining Competition The National Mining Competition (NMC) took place in Saskatoon, Canada. It was the second annual competition in which teams were challenged to solve an innovative mining strategy case relevant to business issues facing firms within the global mining sector. The contest recruited undergradu- ate students from the discipl ines of business, geology, and engineering in an attempt to deepen their understand- ing of the international mining industry. Through this experience, delegates can develop analytical and critical thinking skills, as well as knowledge of key technical concepts. They also took part in the strategic decision-making process of the industry, and heard about personal career experiences from prominent industry professionals. The goal of NMC is to develop min- ing professionals for the world of tomor- row by helping students build mining knowledge, refine career goals, and build professional networks. The competition hopes to bring creative approaches to a changing and evolving industry.