Boart Longyear introduced TruCore, an integrated core orientation system that enables drillers to increase productivity and decrease spending on consumables, according to the company.
Core Orientation is essential to the mining and resources sector as it marks and determines the precise orientation and position of core while in the ground. This information helps determine faults, cleavages, joints, mineral lineation and other geophysical properties that lead to better mapping for exploration and mine site development.
“Boart Longyear has a legacy of delivering innovation in drilling technology. While essential for mapping exploration and mine site development, core orientation is a part of the drilling process that has only experienced incremental product improvements through small changes to the process and equipment, until now,” said Chris Lambert, global product manager for Boart Longyear. “The innovation behind TruCore improves productivity and reduces the number of parts drill crews need to maintain a core orientation system which in turn reduces cost.”
Compared to other systems, additional extensions are not needed when the integrated TruCore housing is combined with Boart Longyear’s outer tubes, reducing the number of joints and high wear on outer tube extension barrels. TruCore’s unique core marking technology allows one tool to always be in the hole.
“The ability to send a second TruCore tool down immediately after the first tool is retrieved combined with wireless communication, means core readings can be taken without having to break a joint in the inner tube. Which leads to a faster drill site operation,” Lambert added.
The design uses optical communication to send measurements to a hand-held control device allowing the drill string to stay assembled. The pocket-sized controller simultaneously controls the two core orientation instruments increasing productivity by validating measurements while minimizing errors.
Highly visible flashing LEDs direct alignment, which reduces total measurement time.
TruCore is offered in sizes BQ through PQ.
TruCore is the first product in Boart Longyear’s first-ever line of instrumentation solutions. TruShot and TruProbe will be available in late 2014 and 2015, and are designed to bring more technology into the hands of the drill crew so they can deliver more information and value to the end client.
Boart Longyear, www.boartlongyear.com/trucore