RC Drilling

What's
involved?

Raglan Drilling uses cutting-edge technology and RC drill rigs to provide high-quality Reverse Circulation Drilling services throughout WA. All of our RC drilling tasks are carried out by professionals who are highly competent, experienced, and qualified.

Benefits and Capabilities of RC Drilling:

The benefits of RC drilling include its ease of use, its low water usage, as well as its efficiency. RC drilling is also a cheaper alternative to diamond drilling, with operating costs up to 40% lower. The savings are especially obvious in geologically difficult places, where more traditional drilling methods would increase the cost even more.

Up to 800m depth
Large air packs, 1000 psi/2000 cfm
Automated rod handling
Hands free breakouts
Dust suppression
Down hole Gyro surveying
Excellent deviation control
Better Samples
Faster and More Versatile

Remote Camping

Raglan Drilling has the capability to supply a complete remote camp set with either Explorex type caravans or transportable buildings. We can provide remote workshop facilities as well as accommodation facilities, including:

Explorex Caravans
Sea container accommodation and kitchen with or without dome
Generators
Water tankers (potable and non)
Sea container workshop
Ablutions

Safety

Our commitment to safety is embedded in everything we do to ensure the safety of our people and to de-risk your company when running drilling programs.

Accuracy

Without production bonuses, our drillers don’t chase metres for dollars, so they go the extra mile to get the samples you need safely and effectively.

Reliability

We maximise uptime while on site drilling for clients. We’re small enough to get to site and set up quickly, and large enough to deliver once we’re there.

From the Field

Mount Dimer

Acquired in 2023, the Mount Dimer site is Beacon Minerals’ most remote location. Beacon Minerals needed a reliable contractor to conduct exploratory drilling without supervision, with the competency to deliver quickly.

The team was impressed with Raglan Drilling’s speed, competency and commitment to safety. When mechanical issues threatened timelines, Hugh flew the replacement parts to the site, bringing the project back on track without losing significant time.

“Raglan Drilling’s expertise and commitment to safety made them an easy choice for our remote Mt Dimer project.”

From the Field

MacPhersons Grade Control: Tyco Deposit

Beacon Minerals engaged Raglan Drilling for exploratory drilling at their MacPhersons Project. The Tyco deposit, with its fibrous ground conditions, needed an experienced operator who could manage the additional safety protocols without impacting timelines.

And the clock was ticking. Beacon Minerals needed to mobilise quickly, and Raglan Drilling arranged for a crew to be on-site within the week. This agility, coupled with their specialised equipment and experienced personnel, allowed for immediate commencement of operations while adhering to rigorous safety protocols. The Tyco deposit is scheduled for mining in 2025.

“They managed the extra safety controls so well I knew the program was with the right team. It’s clear Raglan knows how to manage safety in challenging conditions.”

Ready to work with an industry leader in surface drilling?

Frequently Asked Questions

What is RC Drilling?

Reverse Circulation (RC) drilling is a drilling technique that employs dual-wall drill rods with an inner tube. The drill cuttings are subsequently brought back to the surface in a steady, continuous flow through these hollow inner tubes.

What makes RC Drilling unique?

In contrast to most other drilling applications, a sample of rock cuttings rather than a rock core is obtained. A tungsten-steel RC drill bit developed particularly to fracture hard rock is driven by a drilling mechanism in the form of a pneumatic reciprocating piston known as a hammer.

What is the RC Drilling process?

The hammer is used to recover compressed rock samples that have been forced through the machine. When air is pumped through the annulus (a ring-shaped structure) of the rod, the pressure differential generates a reverse circulation, causing the samples to ascend to the inner tube. When the cuttings reach the top of the rig, they are delivered to the cyclone through a hose.

Drill cuttings will flow through the cyclone and fall into the sample bag, which is accessible through the bottom entrance. These bags are labelled with the sample collection point’s position and depth and may be delivered directly to an assay facility for analysis.

Why should I use RC Drilling?

The RC drilling procedure assures that the samples collected are trustworthy and uncontaminated. This opens the door to massively mass-producing high-quality, trustworthy samples. Additionally, sample tracking and cataloguing will be simplified. Because the samples gathered provide particular location and depth information, interested parties and surveyors may make better discoveries of mineral deposits.

What makes RC Drilling Superiour?

RC drilling penetration rates are frequently quicker and occur at greater depths. The sample velocity can exceed 250 m/sec through the inner tube. Production rates are excellent; at speeds more than 10 m/h, rates of 200-300 m/day are usual. As a consequence, the drilling process takes less time, and clients get results far sooner.

RC Drilling

What's
involved?

Benefits and Capabilities of RC Drilling: