Our Drills

Back to basics. Is it mineralized or not?

In early exploration drilling, the most common question in need of an answer is whether an exploration target is mineralized or not. If it is, the target will be slated for further work. If it is not, the explorer usually moves on to more prospective ground.

Spend as little as possible drilling barren holes!

On most projects prior to first pass drilling, geological, geochemical and geophysical exploration methods have been used to produce drill targets. No matter how good the initial work, many of these targets will turn out to be barren when tested. Ranking the targets in order of prospectivity is often difficult, especially at the early stage of a project. With this in mind, being able to test more targets and/or different types of targets by using the most cost-effective methods available should significantly increase one’s chances of discovery.

Use the right tool for first pass drilling.

Northspan’s rapid and mobile reverse circulation drills are the results of more than 30 years of design and field experience. “Light-weight, powerful and adaptable” was the design mantra used while developing the drills. Although the Hornet RC drill can be used at any stage of the exploration cycle, it was designed for first pass exploration drilling. Quick, light-weight and rapidly moving, the Hornet RC drill often tests several targets per day. The Hornet RC drill helps take the guess-work out of early exploration.

The Hornet RC drill is the mainstay of Northspan’s fleet. The Hornet is a modular design with every module weighing approximately 1,250 lbs or less, making the Hornet extremely mobile and a very efficient solution for both helicopter-based and land-based drill programs.

The Hornet is available in 100 m depth capacity (the Basic Hornet) or 200 m depth capacity (the Super Hornet) configurations. The Hornet drills 92 mm (3 ⅝”) diameter holes at angles between 45 degrees and vertical. The Hornet requires minimal setup time so that, in favourable conditions, multiple drill targets can be tested in a single shift.

The drill can be equipped with tracks, to operate as a self-propelled unit while remaining transportable by light-helicopter or Twin Otter aircraft. Northspan refers to the track-mounted Hornet as the Grasshopper.

The Hornet drill is ideal for first pass exploration drilling. Originally designed as a rapidly moving drill for kimberlite target testing, the Hornet has since proved its worth exploring for a wide range of commodities at various stages of the exploration cycle from grassroots drilling to resource definition.