Percussion/Churn Drilling:

Rotary Drilling:
Diamond Core Drilling:

Core Drilling

Truck
Mounted

Drill Rods

Drill Cores

Core Placing and Wrapping

(Coring)
Core recovery
RQD (Rock quality designation)
Logging

Lithology & Geologic structure

Rock mechanic properties
Water inflow

Core splitting (Assay + Back up)

Core Size (Wireline core barrel)

AQ

1-1/16

1-3/16in

BQ

1-7/16

BX

1-5/8in

NQ

1-7/8

NX

2-1/8in

HQ

2-1/2

PQ

3-11/32

EX

7/8in

AX

NX

Costs

Rotary

Percussion

Core

Sandstone

1-2

3-6

20-30

Carbonate

1-4

4-6

20-35

6-12

15-32

Igneous

Drill Pattern

Drill Spacing
(Exploration) 800-1000 m
(Definitive) 200-800 m
(Development) 20-150 m

Disseminated Gold

Exploration drill spacing = 200m

Definitive drill spacing = 80-100m
Development drill spacing = 40-50m

 Porphyry Copper
Exploration drill spacing = 200m
Definitive drill spacing = 80-100m
Development drill spacing = 40-50m

Uranium
Rotary 4-5 in, Assay Interval 1.5m, Core
NX
Exploration drill spacing = 800-1600m
Definitive drill spacing = 300m (vein) - 900m
(Sediment)
Development drill spacing = 15-45m

Coal
Exploration drill spacing = 500-1000m
Definitive drill spacing = 80-100m
Development drill spacing = 25m

Tin (Placer deposits)

Exploration drill spacing = 200-500m
Definitive drill spacing = 100-150m
Development drill spacing = 40-50m

Churn Drill
Assay Interval 0.3m

Oil Shale
Exploration drill spacing > 2000m
Definitive drill spacing = 1000-2000m
Development drill spacing = 500m