Funding Secured for Much-Anticipated Borehole Detector Adapted from a News Release by Ideon Technologies, Inc. Canadian start-up Ideon Technologies, Inc. has secured funding through a diverse group of global investors with expertise in mining, technology, and venture fundraising, as well as the University of British Columbia’s Seed Fund to develop its new borehole detector. Founded in 2013 as a spin-off of Canada’s national particle accelerator laboratory, Ideon is using muon tomography to transform mineral exploration and monitoring, the same way x-rays transformed modern medicine. A muon is a naturally occurring subatomic particle produced by cosmic rays striking the atmosphere. These rays are not harmful, and pass through the surface of the earth on average about once per minute for every third of an inch. Muon tomography maps the intensity of cosmic ray muons underground, measuring the physical properties in a targeted search area. The company’s discovery platform integrates proprietary detectors, imaging systems, inversion technologies, and artificial intelligence to provide x-ray-like visibility to nearly 3300 feet beneath the earth’s surface. Based on nine years of research, development, and global field trials, Ideon’s breakthrough technology will generate significant value for the global mineral exploration market, and potentially others, such a gas and oil, while dramatically reducing environmental impact. With most near-surface deposits already discovered, companies have been forced to search deeper underground using traditional methods. Using the Ideon platform can reduce exploration drilling activity by ten times, while identifying targets with 95% or higher certainty. The detector will fit down industry-standard exploration drill holes, improving geologists’ fields-of-view to replace hit-and-miss drilling with 3D imaging and subsurface certainty. It is slated for commercial release next year. 30 OCTOBER 2020 WorldWide Drilling Resource ® It’s fantastic, Bonnie! We love it!! Thank you so much for the opportunity to share our story. Kate & Belinda Waterline Envirotech Ltd. Bellingham, WA Flood Prevention is Key in Florida Adapted from Information by BAUER Foundation Corporation Covering a total area of 730 square miles, Lake Okeechobee is the largest freshwater lake in Florida. Even though it is about 35 miles long and 30 miles wide, it is very shallow with an average depth of only ten feet; it also lacks a larger natural outflow. When storm surges and flooding cause the water to rise, the area is protected by a 143-mile earthen dam surrounding Lake Okeechobee, the Herbert Hoover Dike. The dike, along with a system of canals, hurricane gates, and other water control structures, is key to flood prevention in the region. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is responsible for coordinating the rehabilitation of the dike. In 2007, USACE tasked the BAUER Foundation Corporation with implementing cutter-soil mixing walls (CSM) along the southeastern part of the dike. The success of the project led to the company being awarded additional contracts including current work for the completion of a cutoff wall over 28 miles along the southwestern section of the dike. Divided into five sections, or task orders, the company won three of the five contracts: Task Order 1, Task Order 3, and Task Order 5. For the first two tasks, a total of approximately 3,325,000 square feet of cutoff wall will be created to a maximum depth of about 66 feet. Predrilling will be used to remove organic deposits and loosen sporadic dense layers of sand and underlying weak limestone. Next, soil mixing will begin with an RTG RG 27 drilling rig, using the CSM method. This method combines the features of a trench cutter while mixing the soils in-situ (in its natural or original position). The jet grouting method will be used to connect the newly constructed cutoff wall with existing culverts. “Bauer, as the main contractor, was also tasked with the installation and subsequent removal of the necessary work platforms and is responsible for the access roads to the site. Following the works on the cutoff wall, we are also responsible for the revegetation and asphalting of the finished dike and the quality control tests and installation of monitoring instruments,” explained Andrew Ebendick, project manager in charge of Task Order 1 for BAUER Foundation. According to David Millar, project manager for Task Order 3, “The work on the first two projects has already begun. Successful completion of the work on Task Order 3 is expected in the spring of 2022 and Task Order 1 in the fall of 2022.” Ealier this year, BAUER Foundation was awarded Task Order 5, which is the last construction phase. It will consist of a total length of nearly 4.1 miles and includes the construction of roughly 750,000 square feet of cutoff wall. When combined with the other two Task Orders, Bauer Foundation will be responsible for the execution of 17.7 miles out of the total of 28.6 miles of the southwestern part of the Herbert Hoover Dike. C&G EXB
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDk4Mzk=