At Bostech Drilling Australia we design, build and operate our own drilling rigs and most of our down hole equipment, which with extensive testing and field experience has proved to be equal to, if not superior to, anything else available. This enables us to quote competitively with full confidence that we can produce the quality of sample required by our clients without any loss in production.
Performance & Innovation/drilling solutions
BOSTECH CAN DRILL CLAYS
Bostech Drilling pioneered the development of the Aircore Kick-bit now used almost exclusively on Aircore drilling rigs in Western Australia. The current bits were originally developed at Mount McClure for Arimco Mining during attempts to drill Palaeo channel clays 26 years ago. The drill bits have recently gone through another evolution and this continuous development has combined with our unique design of Aircore rods and couplings to make our method extremely successful. Using our systems in normal drilling conditions through the oxidized horizons in WA we expect to average around 600 m per 10-hour shift, drilling holes to 120 m in depth. In heavy clay horizons and Palaeo Channels found throughout the WA goldfields, we would currently expect to exceed 400m per shift.
Note: Bostech has the option of using high pressure Aircore blade but has only tested the use of boosters with Aircore as performance un-boosted hasn’t required it. However, it remains an option.
BOSTECH CAN DRILL SAND
The Bostech system is easily adapted to drilling all types of sand, both with and without clay binding present (consolidated or running). Our system will drill unconsolidated sand holes faster and more reliably than the drilling companies that have designed specific “sand drilling systems”. We use different bit air pressures and other sampling methods and can drill very large daily production with a reduced likelihood of getting the string bogged.
Our extensive knowledge encompasses Mineral Sands, where our bit design & inner tube assembly enabled 600 meters per shift to be achieved in abrasive garnet drilling and with accurate resource delineation. We have more recently drilled for a client on a mineral sands job and averaged in a short day 700m. The client’s ability to process and move the sample was the limiting factor for production and we helped the client manage the sample in the afternoons.
Sand is no problem for Bostech.
BOSTECH CAN DRILL HARD GROUND
Bostech has always built rigs with heavy masts which, when laid down, distribute the weight legally across the truck axles. When the mast is raised, the centre of gravity of the rig moves to the rear. This allows the maximum weight-force available to be applied to the bit. When combined with the high torque heads and our own bit design, this means our rigs will punch through ground other lighter and even R/C rigs using blade bits cannot match. This is due to the high pull-down pressure available as a result of our available weight force due to heavy masts and small hole sizes which equals high bit pressure. Aircore blade is much faster and cheaper when it can be used than percussion or a mixture of blade and percussion.
PERCUSSION
Bostech’s rigs are fitted with up to 750cfm of air delivered at 350psi or 430psi. The latest versions can achieve up to725psi when using our 636 Hurricane boosters. The older rigs deliver 600cfm at 250psi which we are able to boost to 550psi. This positions Bostech Rab and Aircore rigs in the top levels of performance for this type of compact light air rig and in conjunction with our new R/C hammers, the Bostech Drill rig is ideal for cost-effective RC drilling in pits for grade control and sterilization operations.