Precision Drilling Australia were engaged by Iluka Resources to carry out an extensive drill program for their Eneabba mine site in 2021. The project contained multiple components for different purposes.
The Geotechnical component of the project was to ascertain Ground Samples across the site for a new Tailing Storage Facility (TSF) and processing plant. PDA carried out the work using PQ3 Diamond Drilling method with Standard Penetration Samples (SPT), with samples taken every 1.5m to achieve a high level of core recovery through sandy ground conditions. These boreholes ranged in-depth with the deepest Geotechnical hole at 35m.
The Hydrology Component of this project was to drill and install multiple monitoring groundwater bores across the site to obtain groundwater samples and monitor the Ground Water Aquifers. The team carried this component out using the Rotary Mud drilling technique.
Most Monitoring Bores put in were nested with 3 wells at each location targeting different ground Water Aquifers. The PDA team Drilled a 6inch borehole (155mm) and installed a 50mm Class 18 Well Pipe with the deepest bore going into the Leadville Ground Water Aquifer and constructed in accordance to the (minimum construction requirements for water bores in Australia).
The Geochemical component of this program was to obtain large Diameter Geochemical Samples with an accurate representation of the ground and to keep core recovery rates above 95%.
For this component, PDA chose to go with PQ3 Diamond Drilling Technique again, while following a strict Drill Mud Program working closely with Mudex, a local Australian Drill Mud Supplier who supplied the MUD additives and wrote the program to help PDA be able to achieve the high standard of core recovery with rates of up to 97% of core recovered over the boreholes with depths down to a maximum of 85m.
In the end, Precision Drilling Australia was able to deliver a very successful Drill Program outcome for our valued client Iluka Resources with future programs secured with this outcome.