by Bill Krasnozon, VP Client Support & Engagement at Hy-Tech Drilling,
in collaboration with Dakota Gold Corp.
Dakota Gold Corp.’s flagship exploration projects target regions of historical gold mining significance in the Homestake District of South Dakota, US.
In collaboration with Dakota Gold, Hy-Tech Drilling is applying a suite of modern techniques inspired by the successful methods used at the nearby historic Homestake Mine. The drilling operations target high-potential zones surrounding the mine in an attempt to uncover untapped reserves. More than just a technical effort, the project is grounded in a commitment to economic development, environmental responsibility, and genuine community engagement.
Sensitive location
Dakota Gold’s Richmond Hill and Maitland Gold project areas sit outside the town of Lead, South Dakota—a historic mining community built on the early gold rush and the logging industry. Beyond a site of mineral interest, today the region is also a tourist hub that attracts visitors for its Wild West heritage, casinos, outdoor recreation, and popular sites such as Mt. Rushmore. Tourist activities include snowmobiling, skiing, fishing, hiking, ATV/ quad rentals, and cultural tours.
The sensitive location meant that Dakota Gold and Hy-Tech had to maintain nonstop, year-round drilling operations without disturbing landowners or the tourist economy. The project’s proximity to local landowners and the high public visibility of the area also demanded heightened environmental responsibility and corporate behavior.
To accomplish this, Hy-Tech assembled a specialized crew that could ensure operational efficiency and uphold high standards for safety and community engagement. The team strived to maintain clean, well-managed drill sites and to keep noise and light disturbance low. Additionally, they made an effort to integrate with the tight-knit local community, minimize disruption, and purchase their fuel, meals, and supplies in the area.
The Homestake Mine
The projects in the Homestake District build on the rich legacy of the Homestake Mine. Homestake was one of the most productive gold mines in US history, operating for more than 125 years and producing over 40 million ounces of gold. Its geology and mining methods still serve as an exploration analog for the district today. Following its closure, the mine site was converted into the Sanford Underground Research Facility, which hosts world-class physics experiments in massive underground caverns. Subsequent exploration efforts shifted to surrounding high-potential zones identified for their strong mineralization prospects.
Technical execution
Dakota Gold focused its campaign on two such targets: the Richmond Hill and Maitland properties, both positioned to extend the region’s gold-producing legacy. With guidance and input from Dakota Gold, Hy-Tech Drilling applied a suite of modern exploration techniques that made use of today’s technology, modeling, and precision tools to mirror the successful methods of the Homestake Mine.
Directional drilling, conducted by Hy-Tech along the Homestake structural corridor, allowed Dakota Gold to precisely control pierce points and reduce hole deflection, especially at the Maitland Gold Project exploration site. This let Dakota Gold’s team ‘tighten up’ the JB Gold Zone by halving spacing and drilling long step-outs with accuracy that wasn’t possible historically.
Additionally, analog-driven 3D ledge modeling incorporated more than 145 years of Homestake geological data—available through Dakota Gold’s agreements with Barrick/Homestake—into modern structural models. The JB Gold Zone is now interpreted as at least three distinct ledges (34, 35, 36), comparable to the high-grade West Ledges system that produced roughly 6 million ounces at the Homestake Mine.
Simultaneous targeting of stacked mineral systems allowed the use of the same drill grid to define both the Homestake-style iron-formation gold system and the younger Tertiary epithermal mineralization. This ‘two systems, one grid’ approach improved overall orebody definition.
High-density, multi-rig drill programs—four rigs in the district and two at the Maitland exploration project site—enabled a rapid ‘drill–model–drill’ cycle. Using mother–daughter directional holes and systematic spacing reduction, Dakota Gold has nearly doubled the modeled strike length of Homestake-style mineralization to approximately 1.6 km (1 mi).
Metallurgical-driven definition of the oxide resource at the Richmond Hill Gold Project exploration site included RC and core drilling specifically designed to feed resource updates and feasibility work, supported by column leach testing on crush size, leach kinetics, permeability, and reagent consumption.
Together, these techniques allowed Dakota Gold to expand historic zones, validate new targets, and advance both the Richmond Hill and Maitland projects toward future development with confidence.
TECH 5000 and supporting equipment
For this project, Hy-Tech Drilling used the TECH 5000: a deep-capacity core drill rig designed and manufactured in-house, used exclusively across Hy-Tech operations. The drill can reach depths of up to 2500 m (8202 ft) in N-size, and can also accommodate larger diameters such as H and P. Its component-based design allows for transport in any type of site, in a skid-mounted and/or fly configuration.
The TECH 5000 is equipped with a range of standardized safety features, including emergency stop systems, interlocked rotating guards, and hot-part guarding. It also has rod presenters and handlers, as well as racks with mats for rod stacking. TECH 5000 can also be adapted to project-specific safety requirements.
The rig has been engineered for ease of field servicing, which has contributed to a long-standing operational record of less than 1% equipment downtime. Using the TECH 5000, Hy-Tech’s crews have consistently achieved a hole completion rate of 99%, based on multi-year performance across varied geological conditions.
Supporting equipment used at the Richmond Hill and Maitland exploration project sites included:
- Directional drilling tools for precision control in daughter-hole programs;
- Blow-out preventer (BOP) systems for safe management of potential artesian flows in specific areas;
- Water tanks and trucks, long hose lines and return hose lines for water management;
- Exploration drill hole plugging and surface casing systems compliant with South Dakota’s groundwater protection regulations.
Environmental responsibility
The Hy-Tech team implemented a water management plan using trucks and tanks—eliminating the need for a centrifuge—and upheld government standards rigorously when closing off drill holes in sensitive areas. They followed the South Dakota hole plugging regulation, which differs in specific requirements and reclamation procedures from Canadian regulations.
Key standards of it include:
- Preventing the potential uncontrolled artesian flow—no groundwater can be allowed to discharge at the surface through the borehole;
- Preventing vertical fluid communication between aquifers by sealing the hole so that water-bearing formations are not ‘short-circuited’;
- Restoring surface conditions as close as practical to their original state, as part of the state’s broader reclamation requirements.
All holes were grouted using cement, bentonite, or a blend of grout with loss circulation material, following South Dakota regulatory requirements. Grouting was completed from bottom to top. Depending on conditions, the team applied different techniques—from grout plugs to customized mixes incorporating loss circulation material.
The Hy-Tech drill crew
The heart of Hy-Tech’s operation in the Homestake District is John Sanchez, who started with the company back in 2022 in the US. John’s leadership has played a central role in the project’s success. Known for his high standards and grounded, community-first approach, John has built strong local relationships through genuine engagement—going out of his way to connect with neighbors. His example has helped foster goodwill and trust, which the community has returned in kind.
At the sites, each drill operates with a rotating crew of six, including a night-shift foreman and a supervisor’s helper. At peak activity, there were up to four drills running simultaneously; currently, Hy-Tech operates two.
The crews are a mix of experienced drillers with more than five years in the field and newer local team members, many of whom have enthusiastically embraced the project and the region. Retention has remained strong, thanks in part to the positive team dynamics on site and the collaborative, respectful working relationship that Hy-Tech has built with Dakota Gold.
Training and onboarding
While there are slight differences in the training and onboarding approach for new hires in Canada and in the US, both programs share the same purpose and are supported by Hy-Tech’s DATS (Digital Action Tracking System) platform. The training and onboarding approach is grounded in safety, environmental stewardship, and situational awareness and it ensured that team members were well prepared to operate in the sensitive environment.
Environmental training focuses on water use reporting, spill prevention, and sensitive-site protocols. Water meters are used to track usage, all pumping goes into designated sumps, and water is recycled as much as possible. Clear, on-site work instructions reinforce these practices.
Safety training begins with a Hy-Tech-led site-specific onboarding that sets expectations for behavior near landowners, road and noise etiquette, and general operational conduct. US crews also complete DATS-based modules on hazard identification, competency standards, and spill response.
Regular site visits by Field Trainers and Field Safety Coordinators ensure consistent mentorship of the drill crew. Throughout the project lifecycle, their presence reinforced Hy-Tech’s company values of being Safe, Dependable, Respectful, Collaborative and Proactive.
All employees also complete the annual MSHA refresher training.
Leadership is the cornerstone of the Hy-Tech approach. Foreman John Sanchez sets the tone daily, maintaining high visibility on site, reinforcing the company’s values in team meetings, and going above and beyond to build community trust.
This blend of structured digital learning, practical field coaching, and values-driven leadership ensures every team member fully understands the operational, environmental, and community context before drilling begins—and stays aligned throughout the job.
The results
As of mid-November 2025, Hy-Tech Drilling has completed over 443 000 ft (135 000 m) of drilling for Dakota Gold across the district since the partnership began in 2022. At Maitland in particular, the deepest hole reached approximately 7100 ft (2160 m). Throughout the multi-year campaign, Hy-Tech crews have consistently met or exceeded Dakota Gold’s daily production targets—even when working in challenging ground conditions or on deeper holes. Supported by integrated safety systems and joint inspections at the sites, they are now 1.5 years incident-free.
Hy-Tech Drilling’s ability to pair technical execution with community integration has turned a one-year contract into a long-term collaboration grounded in communication and shared values.
For more information: Visit hy-techdrilling.com or dakotagoldcorp.com
