The Major Drilling team at Oyu Tolgoi’s copper project in Mongolia celebrates its 2,000-meter P-size drilling record on Oct. 22, 2020. Source: Major Drilling
On October 22, Major Drilling completed a 2000 m (6561 ft) P-size diameter hole at the Oyu Tolgoi copper project in Mongolia; a record for the country.
‘The successful completion of this hole is not only an incredible achievement for Major Drilling Mongolia, it also opens the door for additional deep hole drilling at Oyu Tolgoi as the project continues to expand,’ stated Ann Sam, Oyu Tolgoi Supervisor Mine Geology, Underground Geoscience Services, on October 22.
The specialized drilling teams of Major Drilling met both the challenge to reach the record-setting depth and the requirement to approach at a 65-degree dip. The 104-day project yielded an average of 10 meters (33 feet) per shift while intersecting eight faults. Controlled drilling from the surface with multiple bottom hole assembly changes maintained precise hole direction. The drill hole was grouted to surface. The UDR 5000 multi-purpose rig was used to set the record.
The Oyu Tolgoi mine is jointly owned by the Government of Mongolia and Turquoise Hill Resources, a majority of which is owned by Rio Tinto mineral exploration and development company. Rio Tinto has managed the Oyu Tolgoi project since 2010.
Read more: https://www.majordrilling.com/major-drilling-mongolia-drills-record-2000-meter-pq-hole-for-ot/
