Drilling in any environment is potentially hazardous, however risk factors can be amplified in remote locations, and without strict Health, Safety and Environment laws and regulations. Due to budget or other restrictions, operators can often be slow in adopting new technologies and implementing higher than industry standard practices.
IMDEX is committed to the continual improvement of drilling and mining operations. Our leading brands AMC and
REFLEX provide a range of award winning technologies that optimise workflows. Although the primary function of our products is to improve productivity and reduce overall drilling time, our product development team are looking to continually minimise risk and optimise work flows to create positive flow-on effects to our clients’ operations. By breaking down the entire mining cycle, we have pinpointed the following areas for improvement.
Reducing the number of personnel (such as technicians) on site
Offering driller operable instrumentation such as the
REFLEX EZ-GAMMA™,
REFLEX EZ-GYRO™ and
REFLEX GYRO SPRINT-IQ™ negate the need for contractors and technicians such as surveyors or service technicians to be on site. The
AMC MUD AID™ is another example where drillers are guided to complete drilling fluid programs, without the need for a dedicated drilling fluid engineer on site. The unit live samples the drilling fluid system against project-specific mud programs and provides instant alerts for maintenance or treatment.
Improving mechanical functionality and manual tasks during rod trips
Manual tasks take up the majority of unfortunate incidents around the drill rod pipe. The
REFLEX EZ-LATCH™ was developed with safety front of mind ensuring easy release of the inner core tube from the outer core barrel without mechanical jamming. The
REFLEX CORE REMOVAL TOOL™ is a hands free way (via the magnetic clamps) to hold the tool on the end of the inner core tube, keeping hands and feet away from the impact zone during core removal from the lifter case. The
REFLEX ROTA-LOCK OVERSHOT™ is another successful product with safety front of mind. This technology includes a patented release system which minimises downtime from stuck innertubes. The REFLEX ROTA-LOCK OVERSHOT™ allows for fast release without waiting for a dry release or having to cut the wireline.
Software that provides transparency and simplifies on site processes
IMDEX has developed safety management tools in to its software to avoid and drive on-site safety. Apps such as
IMDEX MOBILE™, digitize and simplify processes such as Daily Drill Reports, equipment prestart, shift reports and other safety forms for drillers, verifying information and giving real-time visibility to stakeholders. The application’s user friendly interface makes it easy for drillers to enter safety information, create reports and perform detailed pre-starts in a timely manner. IMDEX MOBILE™ provides an auditable paperless reporting system that aids the achievement of a safety culture on any site.
Systems that reduce the impact of unexpected conditions
Drilling can be unpredictable, and sometimes you may not realise how bad the ground is until you drill. Using preventable systems such as the
AMC BOS™ can relieve down-hole problems causing downtime, rod trips and additional rod handling – all increasing manual handling and risk to injury on site. AMC’s extensive range of drilling fluids can also provide benefit for issues such as high torque, fluid loss or lost circulation, borehole instability or hole cleaning in a variety of ground formations, which will also help to prevent safety issues.
Strict quality control for mechanical parts
Our solutions undergo strict design and testing processes that adhere to numerous industry accepted standards. IMDEX is unique by offering testing via Finite Element Analysis (FEA) engineering software to stress test all mechanical equipment to reduce malfunction.
Further information
As IMDEX leading brands, REFLEX and AMC are innovators in the space of downhole navigation, drilling optimisation, in-field geoanalysis, driller operable geophysics and structural geology. Our goal is to assist the speed of the overall drilling process by providing solutions that are fast and accurate to use. Our drilling fluids, equipment and software are recognised and highly regarded for ease-of-use, reliability and accuracy within the international drilling industry.
For more information about IMDEX’s innovative range, please visit one of leading brand’s websites website reflexnow.com, amcmud.com or contact your nearest AMC or REFLEX representative.