Zero Impact Drilling can best be described as the mobilisation to and completion of a drilling program whilst causing no noticeable and lasting side effects or damage to the immediate environment.
These results can be achieved in the three main areas of drilling.
- Clearing of access and drill lines.
- The drilling process itself.
- Site cleanup at the completion of the hole.
Bostech Drilling Australia can achieve these results by considering the overall size and manoeuvrability of the rig during the design process. Fragile components are located in a remote location within the rig bed or suitably shielded to allow the rig to “squeeze” between trees rather than the tree having to be destroyed. Bostech rigs can have large, super single or standard tires fitted, depending on ground conditions, to minimize the rigs actual footprint.
Site preparation is also essential to achieve true Zero Impact Drilling.
Method 1:
Either a large sheet of plastic or a tarpaulin must be arranged under the rig production area. It must be positioned as to contain all material discharged from the outside return hose along with any spoil and contaminants cleaned from the cyclone walls. It is best to bag these contaminants throughout the drilling process. Sample recovery is also best achieved, directly into numbered UV sample bags.
Method 2:
Bostech Drilling has also recently developed a Zero Impact sampling trailer. It consists of mounted two cyclones including the one for outside return inside a trailer and collecting all spillage in the sealed trailer. Periodically the trailer is taken away and rinsed out and emptied.
Site Cleanup
With co-operation with client personnel, Bostech Drilling crews are able to assist with the cleanup and sometimes removal of waste material from the hole location. This removal is completed by bagging any spoil from the cyclone and outside return hose into UV bags, then loading these bags into a bulker bag for removal from site for disposal.