WorldWide Drilling Resource

24 FEBRUARY 2022 WorldWide Drilling Resource® A New Development for Blasthole Quality Adapted from Information by Aquirian Specialist mining services provider Aquirian Limited announced its subsidiary TBS Mining Solutions recently entered a binding technology Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with MACAMining; with the parties agreeing to work collaboratively for development and commercialization of the Collar Keeper® System. The MoU represents an important milestone in TBS’s strategy to create and market its newest blasthole innovation. MACA employs over 3000 people and specializes in contract mining/crushing/civil construction/infrastructure maintenance, as well as mineral processing solutions. Support and access to equipment in an operating environment provided by MACA is a crucial step in development, prototyping, and testing of the Collar Keeper System. The existing Collar Keeper is a blasthole protection product developed by TBS in 2018. It was designed to address the problem of destabilized blasthole cuttings and collars which result in significant costs for global mining operations. The invention was intended to be a more precise solution for stabilizing blasthole cuttings, collars, and the preconditioned column after drilling. The product is a reusable flexible sheet rolled tight and inserted into the hole. It then expands to provide support. The process is similar to rolling a poster or map and placing it into a tube. The Collar Keeper System is an integrated unit which adds a mechanized guide component. The guide tube is a retrofit drill rig-adaptable apparatus to protect drill holes from collapse or fallback throughout the entire drilling process. TBS intends to accomplish several goals with the system, including: k Maintaining full blasthole depth and quality throughout the drilling and explosives charging process. k Reducing manual handling of the Collar Keeper. k Making it possible for the drill operator to control the entire system from inside the cab, reducing interaction with the physical mine environment. k Enabling full autonomous use of track rigs in conditions where collar piping is traditionally used. The new technology will initially be focused on mines in Western Australia operating with smaller diameter holes in challenging ground conditions. Current development will involve about 200 operating drill rigs in the region. The MoU is a significant step toward commercialization of the Collar Keeper System. TBS will be responsible for all design, engineering, testing, and management of the system from development to commercialization. MACA will provide operational and site support to TBS for assessing and refining the product throughout the process. In return, MACA will receive Foundation Customer status for three years from the date of the system’s commercialization. In the future, TBS aims for further mechanization and automation of the Collar Keeper System to target small track rigs and large platform rigs throughout the world. EXB eranhenderson@gmail.com New & Used Tricones PDCs Drag & Claw Bits Drill Collars Bit Tipping Subs & Stabilizers HDD Bits & Reamers DTH Hammer & Bits Custom Fabrication Junk Mills / Fishing Tools Rod Henderson 661-201-6259 Eran Henderson 661-330-0790

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDk4Mzk=