Project Description:
Introduction of Wassara in Codelco was possible with the help of Gerencia Corporativa de Proyecto Minería Subterránea. Wassara is used in so called pre-conditioning drilling which means that long vertical holes with lengths of up to 115 meter and with a diameter of 149 mm are drilled upwards with Wassara W100. The ore is then fractured by high pressure water, or, blasting. The main reasons for choosing Wassara are:
- The Wassara hammers ability to drill long straight holes
- The improved working environment with less dust and no oil mist in the air
The contractor, HRI, has modified a Tamrock Solo 606 rig for the project. Feed cylinder and rod breakers are delivered by CMS, rotation unit from Atlas Copco and the high pressure water pump is an Uraca pump.
Result:
Wassara is seen to have a very large potential since the mine is aiming for even longer pre-conditioning holes.
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Equipment: |
Hammer |
Wassara W100 |
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Bit |
Wassara 149 mm |
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Pump |
Uraca, 130 kW electric motor, 205 bar & 346 liter/min |
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Drilling fluid |
Clean water |
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Drill pipe |
102 mm OD with check valves |
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Rig |
Modified Tamrock Solo 606 |
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Formation |
Copper ore |