Drill saves miners power and water

Drilling and mining go hand-in-hand because almost every aspect of extracting minerals involves penetrating the surface of the earth and its underlying bedrock.

Traditional methods of drilling and blasting are still used extensively throughout the world but as the mining industry becomes increasingly conscious of its impact on the environment, new technologies are being explored to lessen the impact conventional mining has on its surroundings.

One recent development in this area of technology comes from Peterstow Aquapower, a company that has developed a new environmentally friendly drill for hard rock mining that it says could revolutionize the global mining industry.

As everyone knows, operating costs and environmental challenges have a serious impact on the mining industry, sometimes leading to mine closures and struggles to meet environmental targets.

Pumping water and power deep into mines, and removing waste and disposing of it, have also proven so expensive that some mines have struggled to stay profitable, but Peterstow says its new drilling technology can change that.

The company’s new drilling system for hard-rock deep mining is said to use less than 0.01% of the energy required by some existing systems and 60% less water.

In addition to these dramatic cost savings, the new drills will help companies respond to increasing regulatory and political pressure to improve energy efficiency.

The new Peterstow system also cuts capital cost by eliminating the need for much of the underground infrastructure needed for traditional hard rock drilling processes, such as compressed air reticulation columns and high-strength water piping.

The system uses a closed-loop water hydraulic technology and modular powerpacks. The closed-loop design cuts water usage and helps ensure a more efficient transfer of power to the drill with improved reliability than existing technologies. It also reduces water wastage and flooding which allows for the reduction of pumping facilities.

• The water consumption of the drills is around two tons of water per ton of ore extracted whereas existing hydraulic technology uses around five to six tons of water per ton of ore.
• For every 1000 drills, the water required by the mining industry can be reduced by 20 million tons per year.
• Five-hundred drill would use 22,500 kWH of energy a month, based on a six-hour daily drilling period, compared to pneumatic drills which can use 3,000,000 kWH.
• Capital costs per 1000 drill are around $(US)18,500.000 compared to $40,170,000 for the equivalent in pneumatic drills, including necessary infrastructure.
• And finally, the drills improve working conditions by reducing dust, noxious fumes and noise pollution, while virtually eliminating the risk of electrocution and oil leaks. This feature provides greater health and safety for workers, and reduces fire and electrical hazards.