Our man-portable drill rigs are becoming increasingly popular with mineral explorers who are seeking access to difficult, rugged, or environmentally sensitive areas.
These small-scale single-barrel drill rigs do not generally replace larger and more complicated drill rigs (click here to see an example where man portable drill rig out-performs a conventional rig). However, they can help to reduce the cost of a drilling program by providing critical information on where to place a larger drill rig. They are also capable or providing a market reportable drilling result for a fraction of the cost of conventional drilling.
Man-portable drill rigs can consistently drill relatively quickly to depths of up to 20m. They require little or no ground preparation, and are quick to transport and fast to set-up. They are low cost and their low impact results in shortened work program approval times.
Independent Geologist has two man-portable drills and provides rigs and geologist on a daily rate basis. Couple a geologist with a drill rig and a hand-held XRF and you get reportable drilling results at low cost in almost real-time.
The following video shows the man-portable drill rigs in operation. It looks easy but, as with any drilling, success relies on choosing the right rods, bits and muds to support the task being undertaken.