Finding minerals and deposits would be incredibly difficult if we didn’t invent a way to find out what was beneath the earth’s surface without actually digging through it first.
The old days were filled with backbreaking labour needed to uncover the contents of mineral deposits and potential sites for exploration. Now, thankfully, the process of exploration drilling has evolved to the point where we can take samples from the earth without going down there ourselves.
Diamond drilling is a big part of that. We’re going to explore the basics of diamond drilling today, giving you some insight into what it is and how it works.
Let’s get started:
What is Diamond Drilling?
The most important part of diamond drilling is the bit. The bit is the piece at the end that enters the earth and cuts through various minerals and contents below the surface.
In diamond drilling, the bit is composed of diamonds, which are the hardest materials on earth and are capable of cutting through almost anything it comes in contact with.
The diamonds are placed strategically into a metallic matrix that rubs down and exposes more of its diamond contents over time. This keeps the bit effective as the drill works its way through the earth over time.
Cutting through the earth is only half of the battle in mineral exploration, though.
Collecting Samples
The diamond bit is created in a circle with space at the centre for minerals to enter through. Minerals then run through the barrel that the bit is attached to. The barrel is a long core stem that spins and moves just in the way that you would expect any drill to.
Simply running the diamond bit and core stem through the earth won’t too much to collect samples of the minerals below, however. There are various methods for getting the core samples up through the barrel.
Depending on the nature of the minerals below, this process can be more or less difficult. Cutting through the earth, gathering samples in the barrel, then pulling the entire barrel out would be time-consuming and ineffective.
As a result, some methods include using a grabbing wire that reaches in and pulls minerals back out. This is often the most effective method, considering that sometimes the material can be heavy and clunky, and you need a sturdy method of getting materials like solid granite out of the drill.
The Importance of Diamond Drilling
Diamond drilling serves us in a few ways. First, it prevents massive destruction to the area that’s being explored. If you’re looking for information on your property, for example, you wouldn’t need to excavate the entire area to find out what’s below.
Second, this technology reduces the human effort in the excavation and exploration process. It can be a dangerous effort as well, so diamond drilling keeps people safe and is extremely effective at digging down to find out what’s below the surface.
Interested In Learning More?
Whether you have a project that requires diamond drilling or you’d just like to learn more about it, we’re here with the information you need. The more you know, the more prepared you’ll be to make the right decision when you need drilling services.
Explore our site or contact us for more information about drilling and much more.
