ULAANBAATAR, Mongolia Major Drilling Mongolia, a subsidiary of Moncton, N.B.-based MAJOR DRILLING GROUP INTERNATIONAL has signed a new contract to supply a UDR 5000 drill rig to IVANHOE MINES' Turquoise Hill (Oyu Tolgoi) gold and copper discovery in southern Mongolia.
The contract provides for a minimum of 15,000 metres of diamond core drilling in what is the third phase of the operation. Major Drilling Mongolia has 14 rigs on site already, drilling around the clock for approximately the next 12 months, including several high capacity UDR 1000s and UDR 1500s with directional capability. The UDR 5000 drill program will involve diamond coring to depths of up to 3,000 metres.
The UDR 5000 is the world's largest multi-purpose mineral exploration drill rig. It is a very high-capacity, deep-hole rig which is highly effective in diamond coring and rotary drilling techniques. Featuring a 12-m rod pull and mast platform, the UDR 5000 offers excellent productivity at depth.
The directional drilling capability of this rig is necessary to effectively delineate the location of a high grade core to the Far-north discovery zone that has now been delineated to true vertical depths of 2,200 metres. This contract will also allow Ivanhoe to pursue the expansion of the identified zones of mineralization at Turquoise Hill, and to test other high-priority targets on the property.
Major Drilling Mongolia is scheduled to fly the rig into Mongolia by Oct. 11, aboard an Antonov, one of the world's largest aircraft.
Peruse the list of services offered and the wide range of UDR rigs by visiting www.majordrilling.com.
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