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we take pride
in our work

We are dedicated to delivering safe, high quality drilling, sampling and in-situ testing services on projects of any size or scope. Check out some featured projects below outlining the range of our expertise.

Deep Angle Drilling With Installation

SECTOR: Mining
WHERE/WHEN: British Columbia, 2018
EQUIPMENT: Long Stroke Track Sonic, High-speed Coring Head

The goal was to identify the transition zones from waste rock fill to overburden to bedrock near the toe of a large embankment for a storage facility. Access to the toe was not possible; therefore a mid-slope bench was used to setup the rig and drill at an angle of 30 degrees from horizontal (approximately following the embankment slope face).

Challenges:

  • Deep linear overall target depth of over 220 meters (722 feet)
  • The drilling angle significantly increased the frictional resistance along the outer drill string requiring numerous override casings, from 12 inches diameter telescoping down to 5 inches (total length of all override casings deployed = 567 meters)
  • HQ coring in bedrock required high-speed coring head


Achievements:

  • Less than 1 degree of measured deviation along the borehole
  • Accurately identified the transition sequence and switched to the high-speed head for HQ coring in the bedrock
  • Completed the borehole with a nested VWP installation (three instruments)

Sonic Drilling >

Mud Rotary Drilling With Pressuremeter Testing

SECTOR: Infrastructure
WHERE/WHEN: Alberta, 2017
EQUIPMENT: Mud Rotary Drill (Fraste MDXL), Pre-bore Pressuremeter System

An extensive Pressuremeter Testing (PMT) program was completed using a pre-bore style PMT system in challenging soil conditions. An air rotary casing advance system was used through the coarse overburden soils followed by open-hole mud rotary techniques to create the test pockets with as minimal disturbance as possible.

Challenges:

  • Coarse overburden soil conditions (gravels) needed to be fully cased prior to advancing the borehole down to the PMT test zones
  • Presence of thin interbedded layers required continuous monitoring during test pocket drilling to avoid placing the PMT bladder across contrasting soils types (resulting in non-uniform bladder expansion)


Achievements:

  • Adjusted and refined drilling methodologies to create quality test pockets in variable soil conditions
  • Performed PMTs up to 45 meters in dept

Rotary Drilling >

In-Situ Testing >

Sonic Drilling and In-Situ Testing

SECTOR: Mining
WHERE/WHEN: Ontario, 2018
EQUIPMENT: Track Sonic Rigs (both Long and Short stroke) equipped with Mud Rotary tooling, CPTu including 20-ton Ramset, Electric Vane Shear Testing equipment.

A range of drilling techniques were deployed including sonic with mud rotary (within overburden soils and fill) and diamond drilling (within bedrock). In-situ testing was also performed during both sonic and mud rotary operations, including CPTu and Electric Vane Shear Testing (eVST).

Challenges:

  • Switching between drilling and testing methodologies while maintaining production and quality data collection
  • Hard pushing was required to advance the CPTu through challenging soils


Achievements:

  • Deployed both CPTu and eVST systems from both sonic rigs
  • Used mud rotary techniques from the sonic rig to limit disturbance prior to deploying eVST
  • Successful adaptation and utilization of custom 20-ton CPTu Ramset to any drilling unit, especially during hard pushing applications

Sonic Drilling >

In-Situ Testing >

Artesian Well Installation

SECTOR: Mining
WHERE/WHEN: Manitoba, 2018
EQUIPMENT: Long Stroke Track Sonic, CPTu including 20-ton Ramset, Electric Vane Shear Testing (eVST) equipment

Prior to completing the installations, a geotechnical drilling and in-situ testing program was performed using both sonic and mud rotary methods together with CPTu and eVST. Artesian conditions were identified and profiled within a confined coarse soil zone.

Challenges:

  • Targeted CPTu and eVST within sensitive soils
  • Counter-acting the artesian flow to allow for accurate installation of filter material around screened section
  • Accurately determining pressure balance requirements for installation of hole sealing materials under artesian conditions


Achievements:

  • Efficiently switched between mud rotary and sonic methods to limit disturbance and collect high-quality in-situ test data
  • Adapted PVC monitoring well to relief pump to counter-balance artesian pressures

Sonic Drilling >

In-Situ Testing >

Overwater Drilling, SAMPLING AND IN-SITU TESTING

SECTOR: Infrastructure
WHERE/WHEN: British Columbia, 2017
EQUIPMENT: Dual Spud Barge with Long Stroke Sonic equipped with Mud Rotary tooling, CPTu (including 20 ton Ramset), Downhole Seismic Testing (DST) systems, Electric Vane Shear Testing (eVST) equipment.

A comprehensive near-shore site characterization program was performed using a sonic drill rig to collect continuous soil core, targeted Shelby tubes and In-situ testing (Seismic CPTu, eVST and Downhole Seismic Testing).

Challenges:

  • Target depths up to 150 meters below mudline, in up to 18 meters of tidal water conditions
  • Isolating the eVST system from the effects of tidal conditions and any barge movements
  • Optimizing CPTu production for deep soundings
  • Performing over water seismic shear wave velocity testing


Achievements

  • Deployed custom CPT Ramset with through-chuck mechanism and 20-ton thrust capacity for increased CPTu production on deep soundings
  • Designed eVST isolation mounting system for performing deep tests under tidal water conditions
  • Switched mid-borehole between sonic and mud rotary methods to achieve minimal disturbance prior to Piston Shelby tube sampling in challenging soils

Sonic Drilling >

In-Situ Testing >

we provide high quality services

We offer the best equipment operated by highly experienced personnel to ensure your project is completed efficiently and accurately. Want to know more? Get in touch with us today.

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Safety, Quality And People Are
At Our Core

We believe in leading by example, especially when it comes to safety. Our people—and our culture—reflect this belief in every environment we work in. We have a strong HSE program and a staff entrenched in a productive culture of safety. Our entire team works together to uphold our standards and ensure safety across all operations.

Interested in joining our team? Apply to any of our open positions listed here.