Service line 04
Exploration, geotechnical and hydrogeological drilling
We drill for mineral exploration and mine development, for geotechnical investigations at dams, plant sites and tailings facilities, and for groundwater monitoring and supply.
We work for mining companies, junior explorers and project developers, from the first scout holes on a licence to resource definition and mine development drilling. Drilling is supervised by our geotechnical engineers and geologists, who also log the core, run the in-situ tests and install the instruments. Core and chips are logged and sampled to the client's protocol.
What we do
Diamond core drilling
Surface diamond drilling for exploration, resource definition and geotechnical holes, with oriented core where the programme needs it.
Reverse circulation drilling
RC drilling for first-pass exploration, grade control and infill, with cyclone sampling and splitting on site.
Geotechnical drilling
Rotary and percussion drilling with standard penetration, packer and Lugeon tests, undisturbed sampling and piezometer installation.
Hydrogeological drilling
Monitoring boreholes, pumping test wells and dewatering holes, with development and testing.
Logging and sampling
Geological and geotechnical core logging, RQD, core photography, sampling and chain of custody to the client's QA/QC protocol.
Programme management
Hole planning, pad and access preparation, downhole surveys, daily reporting and reconciliation.
How a drilling programme runs
Programme design
Targets, hole depths and methods agreed with the client's geologists, then a costed programme and schedule.
Mobilisation
Access, pads and water arranged before the rig arrives. Safety and environmental plans in place and crews inducted.
Drilling and logging
Daily metres reported. Core and chips logged, photographed, sampled and dispatched under chain of custody.
Close-out
Downhole surveys, collar pick-ups, hole rehabilitation and a final data package reconciled against the programme.
Site standards
- A site-specific safety plan and environmental method statement for every programme
- Inducted crews, daily pre-start checks, job safety analyses and incident reporting to the client's standard
- Sump management, spill kits, water sourcing agreed with landholders, and pads and tracks rehabilitated at close-out
- Sample numbering, duplicates and standards inserted to protocol, for results that stand up to audit and resource reporting
Selected projects
| 2022 | Geotechnical drilling and survey for the ZAMMSA Kabwe Regional Hub |
| 2021 | Geotechnical drilling and survey for the ZAMMSA Kasama Regional Hub |
| 2021 | Installation of vibrating wire piezometers at Kariba North Bank |
| 2020 | Standard penetration tests for an EGENCO office building, Mangochi, Malawi |
| 2020 | Lugeon tests from the cofferdam piers, Kariba Dam Rehabilitation Project |
| 2020 | Drilling, geotechnical and Lugeon tests at the proposed CEC Changa hydropower dam site |
| 2012 | Core logging and rock strength characterisation, Mopani Copper Mines |
Projects before 2023 were carried out by our engineers before Rockface was formed. All projects