How do you design and implement a cost-effective and efficient drilling program for mineral exploration?

In a sense, but mineralisation style, structural controls, complexity of mineralising events and the commodity type (Au, Pb/Zn, Cu iron ore etc.) and to what confidence level one wishes to define the deposit will determine the appropriate drill spacing. How many holes you need will be based on the overall size of the target.

Hay una constante a la hora de dise?ar un programa de perforación que sea rentable pero eficaz en la obtención de resutadosy es la planificación detallada. Primero, se debe realizar un estudio geológico exhaustivo para identificar zonas prometedoras y que datos potencialmente vamos a encontrar en función de la profundidad. Optimizar rutas de acceso y logística para reducir costos. Además, hay que exprimir al máximo los datos geofísicos y geoquímicos disponibles o que se puedan obtener para mejorar la precisión de la ubicación de perforación. La supervisión constante y el ajuste continuo del plan son esenciales para maximizar la eficiencia y rentabilidad.

Some factors you should consider for cost-effective drilling program in mineral exploration are: 1. Do geological analysis to identifies target areas and target deposits. 2. Do remote sensing and geophysical surveys pinpoint deposits. 3. Optimize drilling methods and drill hole locations for exploration success evaluating size, shape, dimension,depth of deposits within budget. 4. Consider local climate and seasons to reduce delays. 5. Schedule drilling during favorable weather to mitigate risks. 6. Factor in costs of mobilization, permits, and equipment. 7. Monitor progress and adjust program for resource optimization. 8. Collaborate with geologists and drilling contractors for efficiency. 9. Ensure alignment with objectives and budget.

Clearly outline the objectives of the drilling program, whether it's resource delineation or reserve estimation. Define the geological parameters to be studied and the depth of exploration. This ensures focused and efficient drilling, minimizing unnecessary costs.

Select drilling methods based on the geological formations and project goals. For instance, diamond drilling may be suitable for hard rocks, while rotary drilling may be more effective in softer formations. This choice optimizes both costs and data quality.

For resource modelling, you need to twin a few RC holes with cored holes to demonstrate that the RC samples are representative.

Something else to consider when planning a drill program is the seasonality of the project location. In the far north of Canada it is best to drill during the winter months because lakes are frozen and easier to traverse and drill through than the warm summer months when the terrain is boggy. In moderately cooler climates a drill program is best planned during the summer instead of the winter, when it is snowing. In the Tropics, drilling during a rainy season can increase risk of injury, when it is muddy and slippery, and the constant flow of water affects transport of core and drill pad building. Best to commence a drill program when the dry season begins.

Hay que considerar varios factores. Inicialmente, se deben analizar los datos geológicos existentes para identificar áreas con potencial mineral. Luego, se realizan estudios geofísicos y geoquímicos para delinear posibles depósitos. Es fundamental por tanto hacer un estudio geológico detallado especialmente para comprender la estructura geológica. Hay que incorporar datos de imágenes satelitales, mapeo aéreo y herramientas de análisis para delinear objetivos de perforación. Hay que considerar la distribución espacial de los sitios de perforación para obtener una representación completa de la zona prospectiva. Finalmente pasar todo por el filtro de la logística para reducir costos operativos.

Drilling as we all know is the most expensive and can make your program go belly up if you blow that budget, especially if you’re a junior. Most contractors provide plod data written on paper, via excel or pdf. Validating this data when you’re working with multiple drill contractors to track performance on production and costs are one of the biggest challenges. Ensure you have the proper systems in place to centralise and consolidate your meters, costs, utilisation as well as safety. Most times what happens is you and your teams are trapped doing low level manual work, wrangling data from multiple spreadsheets without visibility into what is actually happening with the program. And by the time you do it might be too late.

It is useful to request that the drilling contractor provide stabilized core barrels to minimize drill hole deviation. Monitor the wear on the reaming shell as excessive wear or loss of caliper will increase wall rock to pipe friction and thereby increase deviation. Use a downhole survey device to measure deviation which is greater with BQ > NQ > HQ.

Keep in mind that data by itself is not information. For data to inform the reader, the core logger must comment on the observed geological associations. Knowing the rock is fractured, altered and contains pyrite is one thing, but understanding that the pyrite is associated with alteration that follows fractures is quite another dimension. The logger should be encouraged to include his interpretations because if it is not done at the logging bench in the core shack, then a valuable opportunity is lost.

Los resultados de perforación se analizan mediante la revisión geológica de los testigos de sondeo, evaluando la presencia, calidad y extensión de las mineralizaciones sí las hubiere. Los datos geoquímicos y de mineralogía son clave para estimar recursos. La interpretación se basa en la estructura geológica, la mineralización y la estimación de recursos, lo que orienta las decisiones sobre la viabilidad económica y la continuación de la exploración minera.