DET CRC: Technology for Exploration Under · PDF fileDET CRC: Technology for Exploration Under Cover ... DET CRC: Technology for Exploration Under Cover. ... and/or unconformity sample

DET CRC: Technology for DET CRC: Technology for Exploration Under CoverExploration Under Cover

8th SA Exploration and Mining ConferenceAdelaide, Friday 2 December 2011

• purpose• participants• projects• progress• plans


Source: Richard Schodde, 2010

7 x T1

1979 1993

1 x T1

1994 200880% Austalianproduction from mines

>30 years old

Distribution of ResearchersDistribution of Researchers

Source: OECD Main Science Technology Indicators (MSTI) 2006/1

Firms Collaborating on InnovationFirms Collaborating on Innovation

0.0 10.0 20.0 30.0 40.0 50.0 60.0

Australia (2006-07)

Turkey

Estonia

United Kingdom

New Zealand (2006-07)

Hungary

Ireland

Denmark

Slovak Republic

Poland

Czech Republic

Portugal

Netherlands

Spain

Norway

Luxembourg

France

Greece

Austria

Belgium

Slovenia

Finland

0.0 10.0 20.0 30.0 40.0 50.0 60.0 70.0

New Zealand (2006-07)

United Kingdom

Turkey

Australia (2006-07)

Denmark

Poland

Spain

Slovak Republic

Norway

Estonia

Luxembourg

Ireland

Netherlands

Czech Republic

Portugal

France

Hungary

Sweden

Belgium

Greece

Austria

Slovenia

Finland

Government Research Institutes

Higher Education Sector

Source: OECD Science, Technology and Industry Scoreboard 2009 - OECD © 2009

Large Firms

SMEs

• minex needs innovation• world-class researchers in universities and government institutes• lack of collaboration between public sector researchers and industry• CRC porovides mechanism for industry to drive research agenda

Jumping the Innovation GapJumping the Innovation Gap



What is the DET CRC?What is the DET CRC?

• not-for-profit company with independent, skills-based board and representative Science Steering Committee

• $28M cash support over 8 years from Government

• $25M cash & $62M in-kind from participants• world’s best-supported independent minex

research initiative• technology not science: impacting exploration

workflow• industry-driven: projects from AMIRA’s drilling

technology roadmap• participants: $450k pa (~31:1 leverage)• affiliates: $10k pa (producer/explorer, supplier

and survey colleges; US$1B market cap limit for producer/explorer affiliates)

R&D Tax Incentive R&D Tax Incentive SchemeScheme

• replacing R&D Tax Offset System from 1 July 2011• increased benefit for small business: 45%

refundable tax offset on eligible R&D spend (equivalent of a 150% tax deduction compared to current 125% tax deduction)

• ‘small’ business revenue now <$20M (was <$5M)• ‘R&D activities now need to contain innovation and

technical risk rather than just one or the other• contributions to CRC’s constitute eligible

expenditure and are not subject to $20k minimum spend threshold

Small Old(<$5M turnover)

New(<$20M turnover)

CRC $10k $10k

Refund $3.75k ($10k x 1.25 x 30%) $4.5k ($10k x 45%)

~100 researchers in 8 different organisations

IP and Role of Service ProvidersIP and Role of Service Providers

Mining Companies

Drilling Equipment Manufacturers/

Technology Service Providers

R&D Providers

Research & Technology Transfer

Drilling equipment manufacturers & service providers offer a natural

route to commercialisation

Mining companies and geological surveys are

the end users

IP Creation

DETCRC

IP Licencing

IP Utilization



Research Project AreasResearch Project Areas

• Next Generation Drilling Technologies

• Fundamentals of Rock Fragmentation

• Drilling Optimisation

• National Drilling Testing & Training Facility

Drilling Technologies

Logging and Sensing

Deep Targeting

• In Front of Bit Sensors for Real-Time Drilling Optimisation

• Sensors for Rapid Down-Hole Rock Characterisation

• Integration of Geophysical & Petrophysical Data for Timely Mineral & Lithology Discrimination

• Joint Inversion of 3D Seismic and MT Data

• 3D Seismic for Hard Rock Environments

• Hypogene Alteration as a Vector for Drilling

• Defining and sampling deep cover

• SA case study integration

• are we always going to send core for assay?• are we always going to drill straight holes?• can we drill follow-up holes without de-mob?• can we increase effective radius of the borehole?

Coiled Tubing DrillingCoiled Tubing Drilling• ~1,000m Alberta gas wells with 4.5” casing• 1000s of wells drilled annually by CT• soft, predictable sedimentary rocks• 2-3 hours move in and rig up time (minimal

surface preparation/disruption)• fast penetration rates: up to100m/hr• 2 wells/day achieved• $US 8,000 per well for drilling (excludes

surface pipe, spudding in, casing, cement and wellhead)

• improved cost, hole stability, safety and environmental impact

• key challenges for minex include: coil durability & downhole impact tool



Research highlights

1.1. Lab equipment Lab equipment for rock cutting analysis for rock cutting analysis commissioned & initial commissioned & initial experimentsexperiments identified ‘identified ‘cutting’ and ‘polishing’ regimes of diamond cutting’ and ‘polishing’ regimes of diamond bits.bits.

2.2. Carbon Carbon fibre fibre rod rod with embedded sensors with embedded sensors manufactured manufactured and and lablab--tested.tested.3.3. ‘‘RRod od alignment sensor’ alignment sensor’ prototype constructed.prototype constructed.4.4. Boart Boart Longyear’s SC9 drill rig and research equipment commissioned Longyear’s SC9 drill rig and research equipment commissioned

and drilling at and drilling at Brukunga.Brukunga.5.5. SWD SWD tests confirmed that detectable seismic signals tests confirmed that detectable seismic signals from percussion from percussion

bit and not rig bit and not rig noise and noise and seismometers seismometers set set up for testing up for testing signal signal from from the test rig's diamond bit at the test rig's diamond bit at Brukunga.Brukunga.

6.6. Circuitry completed Circuitry completed for for world's world's first first LWD LWD system for system for minex comprising minex comprising a a natural gamma sensor natural gamma sensor to to be sent downhole be sent downhole on on shuttle and retrieved shuttle and retrieved with with rods.rods.

7.7. Geochemical Geochemical neutron logging tool designed and neutron logging tool designed and manufactured.manufactured.8.8. Seismic Seismic survey survey at Rex at Rex Minerals’ Hillside copperMinerals’ Hillside copper--gold gold discovery.discovery.9.9. Best Best practice guide prepared for practice guide prepared for increasingly popular field XRFs.increasingly popular field XRFs.10.10.Calcrete sampling results, patent being considered.Calcrete sampling results, patent being considered.

Top 10 Research OutcomesTop 10 Research Outcomes

• ~$2M from CRC 2011-2013• ~$1M in additional external grants

Drilling Research and Training FacilityDrilling Research and Training Facility

DET CRC Brukunga real-time drilling parameter logging system

(e.g. WOB, torque, hook load) to be fitted to Newcrest rig

3 pilot driller training

programs

24 unemployed trainees, 15 now in drilling industry

18 PhD projects

commenced

Target of 40 PhD

completions over 8 years



PACE Type Contract to drill X,000m on Xkmby Xkm grid through cover for basement

and/or unconformity sample at $50/m

Program 1CT Rig

capable of drilling through

cover at $50/metre and

sampling basement

and/or unconformity

Program 3Dispersion

&/or alteration vector that increases

halo to 5km x 5km

Technology PushTechnology Push(R&D Providers)(R&D Providers)Market Market PullPull

(Mining Companies)(Mining Companies)

area explored with % likelihood of discovering all existing buried mineral deposits

MiningCompanies

R&D Providers

Suppliers

DISCO-VERY

Commercialisation (Suppliers)

PACE Type Contract to drill 130,000m on 10km x 10km

grid through cover for basement and/or

unconformity sample at $50/m: $6.5M

PACE Type Contract to drill 520,000m on 5km x 5km grid through cover for basement and/or unconformity sample

at $50/m: $26M

Combined with 5km x 5km vectoring (lab-on-the-rig)

technologies, every IOCG-type mineralized system in

the province would be discovered

• need for innovation in minex• more cost-effective, safer and more

environmentally friendly methods of mineral exploration

• structure, projects and early progress of the DET CRC

• role of suppliers in commercialisation• regional drilling proposal• invitation if you wish to be involved as a

Participant or Affiliate• invitation if you are interested in driller

training or technology testing opportunities at test site

ConclusionsConclusions

Documents

DET CRC: Technology for Exploration Under · PDF fileDET CRC: Technology for Exploration Under Cover ... DET CRC: Technology for Exploration Under Cover. ... and/or unconformity sample