Raise drilling with W150 in Kiruna, Sweden

Project Description:

LKAB uses Wassara Drilling System for raise drilling of 20 - 50 meter long shafts/openings in the iron ore mine at Kiruna. First a 254 mm pilot hole is drilled with a stabilized Wassara W150. The pilot is then reamed to 680 mm with a cluster consisting of two Wassara W150 hammers. An advantage with using the Wassara system is that fractured formations are easily drilled.

 
Result:

LKAB drills between 1500 meter and 2000 meter raise with the Wassara system each year. The average rate of penetration when drilling the pilot is 10 meter/hour and when reaming it is between 2 and 4 meters/hour.