In 2016, Epiroc achieved that goal with the launch of the DiscovOre and Arrow 3S core barrel system, an innovation in drilling equipment that addressed both productivity and safety. After years of development, the Epiroc team applied their decades of in-depth diamond core drilling knowledge, along with extensive input from drillers in the field to develop the most innovative coring system on the market in at least a quarter of a century. Some of the highlights include an automatic locking overshot that descends the back end faster, no roll pins and robust, leveraged latches that result in fewer stuck inner tubes and ultimately increase productivity. To this day, the DiscovOre has been vastly adopted across the globe.

Yet, he felt that there was still more that could be done.

Ian saw the potential for an even greater performance increase. Working at one of the largest drilling contractors in the world, he knew that to sell this new concept in the field there would need to be a significant increase in speed.

From DiscovOre to DiscovOre Prime

In his role as Innovation Manager, Ian and his team had been working on ways to improve drilling performance, always looking to be at the forefront of new solutions. The innovation team had recently developed a fast latch head assembly that focused on improving speed and he felt his team would be the perfect partner to collaborate with Epiroc to take the benefits of the DiscovOre even further. Both companies saw the synergy that was possible, and so a collaboration was born that resulted in the DiscovOre Prime, a premium, fast-descent head assembly.

 

The DiscovOre Prime was developed in partnership with drillers to be the safest and fastest core tube on the market. When the original DiscovOre was launched in 2018, it focused on mitigating the risk of injuries related to the roll pin and spearhead. It eliminated the failures associated with the spearhead design by using automatically locking lifting dogs and eliminating the roll pin altogether. What made the DiscovOre exciting was that these extra safety measures were automatic. With the DiscovOre and Arrow 3S, the built-in safety features are automatically engaged and did not require additional, manual steps. What’s more, the features did not add time to the coring cycle, so productivity was maintained.

 

Faster speed was achieved with the Arrow 3S overshot which had a design that made it more efficient in terms of descent time. It was designed to be centralized in the drill string for smoother, faster descent speeds. All in all, the DiscovOre system is still faster than any traditional head assembly, but with the work that Ian and his team had done, Ian thought that some of the team’s ideas for faster descent could be incorporated into this new product resulting in a significant performance increase.

A fruitful collaboration

Major Drilling International Inc. is one of the world's largest drilling and mine service companies primarily serving the mining industry. A global company with field operations and offices in Canada, the USA, Mexico, South America, Africa and Australasia, it provides a complete suite of drilling services for both surface and underground projects.

 

Major Drilling had been a customer of Epiroc’s exploration and geoscience team and the collaboration on the DiscovOre Prime had started in 2018. The teams worked together seamlessly to ensure the project would be a success. Within the year, the DiscovOre Prime was developed and ready to be tested. Both Epiroc and Major Drilling had set aggressive targets for speed and both companies are proud to say that the DiscovOre Prime exceeded those targets.

 

In addition to function, there was more focus on fluid dynamics in the design of the Prime. More emphasis on how the water runs through the assembly, providing more room for water flow, and the speed at which it moved through the equipment were a few of the major differences between the DiscovOre and the new Prime version.

‘’This thing will go as fast as you can feed it’’

The feedback from drillers has been impressive and highlighted that as drillers become more experienced with the system, they are able to push it further, increasing speed while not reducing the proven reliability of the system. A faster head assembly means that a drilling company uses less water and fuel - and drills more meters. 

Results show that at a depth of 1,000 meters, up to 60+ meters of core per shift is drilled as opposed to the usual 36 to 39 meters of core. The Prime is also lighter, smaller, and easier to handle. The design also made sure that it’s easier to change latches and replace parts. As one driller said about the Arrow 3S overshot.

Both Major Drilling and Epiroc are pleased with the results of their collaboration. “Innovation has been a cornerstone of our operations. We are really pleased with how Major Drilling and our company have come together to develop solutions that benefit both customers and employees. These co-development opportunities help drillers outsmart drilling challenges which is one of our priorities,’ said Michelle White, Business Development and Key Account Manager, at Epiroc.

 

The DiscovOre Prime is ideally suited for drilling companies that are focused on performance. Its higher price point is easily justified when you calculate the cost per meter drilled and payback can be as fast as a few shifts. Now the DiscovOre Prime and Arrow 3S overshot are available to all drilling companies worldwide. For more information about the DiscovOre Prime and Arrow 3S overshot, visit our website.