Reverse Circulation (RC) drilling is used to collect mineral and rock samples quickly and efficiently using a large rotary drill and air compressor. Reverse Circulation (or RC) drilling is one of the most frequently used methods of drilling used across the world as it is more cost effective and efficient then other methods of drilling. When compared to RAB (Rotary Air Blast) and diamond drilling, RC drilling seems to be somewhere in the middle when it comes to cost, time, quality of samples, technique and depth.
Applications
RC drilling is a technique used in the majority of stages of mine development.
As it is cheaper than diamond core drilling, it is often used in first stage exploration mining to delineate a potentially extractable ore body. It is also preferable to RAB or air-core drilling when trying to reach great depths, but RC drilling is slower and more expensive than either of these two methods.
RC drilling is also consistently used during in-pit grade control and the development stage of an ore body.
Advantages of Reverse Circulation Drilling
Compared to core drilling, RC drilling with inherently faster penetration rates provides several benefits:
· Direct drilling cost reductions in the range of 25% to 40%.
· Faster completion of drill programs with quicker delivery of results.
· Reduced man-hours at the drill with decreased exposure to potential accidents.
· Reduced contractor activity in the mine reduces mine support burden.
· Indirect cost reductions gained from a simplified sampling process.
· Requires less water than diamond drilling.
RC samples are collected at the drill and sent directly to the assay lab. Unlike diamond drill core, which is generally logged, photographed, split for sample, assayed and warehoused, RC sampling requires much less handling resulting in faster assay turnaround with accompanying cost reductions. Larger volume RC samples often give more representative gold samples than split half core samples.
RC Hammer specifications:
