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CRCMINING

TRANSFORMING MINING

Advanced Logging Tool

Edward Prochon

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CRCMINING – TRANSFORMING MINING

CRCMining is an industry-driven centre for global

mining research and innovation.

We deliver transformational research and innovation to

maximise mining productivity and enhance resource

utilisation and sustainability.

We develop highly-skilled leaders to drive the

adoption of new mining processes and technologies.

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BREAKTHROUGH SOLUTIONS

Shaping the Mining Industry

EdanSafe – Smart Cap operator

fatigue monitoring technology

A baseball cap that monitors and

analyses the wearer’s brainwaves to

determine state of fatigue.

Ezymine Automation

Automation of digging machines,

particularly large electric rope

shovels.

Acumine Collision Avoidance

System

Provides proximity detection

capabilities between haul trucks, light

vehicles and personnel.

Odyssey Technology –

oscillating disc cutter (ODC)

Novel technology for cutting very

hard rock with lightweight mining

equipment, significantly reducing

rock breakage forces.

Commercialised with Joy Global.

Mineware – Pegasys and Argus

Pegasys accurately measures the

performance of dragline operations.

The Argus Shovel Monitor advanced

monitoring system manages shovel

payload, real-time truck loading,

operator performance, and machine

positioning.

Geomole Borehole radar systems

Detects fracture zones at distances as

far as 30 meters or more from the

borehole in electrically resistive rocks.

Tight Radius Drilling (TRD)

Unique water jet drilling technology

with vastly superior performance for

extracting methane gas from coal

seams.

Universal Dig and Dump (UDD)

dragline technology

Increases dragline payloads and

productivity by 15-25 percent.

Pulsed Water Jet technology

Innovative pulsed water jet system for

rapid breakage of oversize rocks at draw

points, ore-passes and sizers.

Cave Tracking technology

Revolutionary technology monitoring the

material flow in block caves in real-time.

Shovel Load Assist Program (SLAP)

Operator assistance technologies for

electric mining shovels.

TruckShield: Prevents collisions between

the shovel and truck.

AutoLoad: Automates the swing, dump

and return phases of the shovel loading

cycle.

Fibre Optic Sensing TECHNOLOGY

In seam gas drainage monitoring.

Conveyor condition monitoring.

Shape sensing.

Underground environment monitoring.

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INTRODUCTION

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CHIEF STRATEGY

Coal Face Automation (No 1 prize)

• This can now be achieved, but the location of the coal

seam horizon is still uncertain

• Leverage gas drainage boreholes and obtain a much

richer data set; benefit the geologist and the driller

Reduce unplanned mining delays by

• Detection of dykes and faults not seen by 3D seismic

• Coal seam roof and floor mapping

• Improve quality of gas drainage holes

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PRESENTATION OVERVIEW

• Describe industry challenges

• Overview of current methods

• Geo-steering

• Mapping of the coal seam for horizon control

• Overview CRCMining’s work

• Conclusion

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OVERVIEW OF EXISTING CHALLENGES

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EXISTING CHALLENGES

Underground Inseam Drilling

• Drilling blind (with orientation data only) is slow and

unproductive due to lack of geological information.

• Surface to Inseam (SIS) survey tools are not certified for

underground (ANZEx) and sometimes oversized.

• In Australia geo-sensing tools for coal interface detection

have not been embraced• Short effective depth of investigation.

• Cost of equipment in borehole becomes high.

• Increased risk profile.

• Cost of data interpretation service.

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EXISTING CHALLENGES

As a result of the existing limitations, frequent roof touches

and branching has become the accepted practice for

checking where you are inside the seam; despite adding to

borehole instability.

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EXISTING CHALLENGES

Longwall Planning & Automation

• Automation demands accurate roof and floor topography

and seam tomography ahead of the mining face• At the face (requires high confidence, and highest level of

accuracy)

• 10-20m ahead (0.5m accuracy)

• Coal seam imaging methods such as 3D seismic & RIM

lack resolution

• Inseam imaging tools have the resolution but have a

limited depth of investigation.

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MAPPING THE SEAM - REQUIREMENTS

A technology is required that can do two things:

• Accurately detect the roof and floor at sufficient range

to assist with drilling.• Drilling straighter holes,

• Eliminate roof and floor touches and branching

• Stay at a target distance from either the roof or the floor.

• Accurately map the coal seam 10-20m head of mining.• Ultimate target is to accurately map the contour of the roof and floor

• Identify fault throws that can not be detected by 3D seismic.

• Identify dykes and other anomalies.

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MAPPING THE SEAM - REQUIREMENTS

■Up to 5km long ■Width is up to 400m

■ Extraction thicknesses from 1.8m to 4.8m

■ Holes are typically drilled 50-70m apart

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MAPPING THE COAL SEAM

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MAPPING THE SEAM - EXISTING METHODS

Seismic• Limited vertical resolution (fault throw resolution)

• 1/32λ possible; which is approximately 4-5m

• Poor lateral resolution for detecting dykes• Not much better than 40m

Radio Imaging Method (RIM)• Can detect fault throws of approx. ½ seam thickness.

• Can detect dykes of approximately 1m thickness.

Resistivity Sounding

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MAPPING THE SEAM - EXISTING METHODS

Online monitoring at the face

• Laser analysis (LIBS)

• Infra read seam tracking (LASC automation)

• Radar

• Ultra sound

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MAPPING THE SEAM – INSEAM IMAGING

In seam imaging.

Torres-Verdin, 2002

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Resistivity – Wave Propagation (pros)

• Up to 3m depth of investigation

• Works well in both high and low resistivity muds.

• Multiple attenuation and phase shift measurements with

angled receiver coils provide localization information

EXISTING METHODS

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Resistivity – Wave Propagation (cons)

• The measurement is very complex, and has a reduced

range.

• Collar style tools have technical compromises and lack

the measurement quality of wireline tools.

• Would be technically challenging to design in a short

slimline sub

• We were quoted >$1M for a slimline prototype.

EXISTING METHODS

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Resistivity – Laterolog (pros)

• Up to 2m depth of investigation

• small borehole eccentricity effects

• high axial resolution

EXISTING METHODS

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Resistivity – Laterolog (cons)

• An ANZEx design may have limited power/current

available for effective excitation and control of the field.

• For maximum effectiveness, electrode sub length of up

to 8m is required.

EXISTING METHODS

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GEOSTEERING

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Geosteering with directional resistivity and/or near bit

gamma is used in the oil and gas industries as well as in

coal mining SIS drilling.• These technologies are used for geosteering in lateral boreholes

and have been deployed in complex carbonates, shale-gas, shale-

oil, and coal-bed methane formations.

For Underground In-Seam (UIS) drilling, the MECCA DGS

provides a gamma option.

COAL INTERFACE DETECTION – EXISTING

TECHNOLOGIES

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GEOSTEERING

• Drilling to a target line with an orientation unit is actually

quite easy. This is not geo-steering.

• In its simplest form geo-steering involves maintaining the

bit inside the target formation by either• Detecting and following a marker band

• Detecting and steering away from the roof and floor.

• In less complex geology it will not be difficult to geo-steer

to maintain the tool on target.

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GEOSTEERING

Take geological measurements

Apply steering correctionIn its more complex

form, geo-steering

involves a complex

technique where the bit

angle is kept consistent

with dips in the

formation.

Compare with respect to markers

and determine stratographic dips

Analyse and interpret the information

Obtain multiple reference markers from nearby well

log

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CRCMINING’S SOLUTION

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CRCMINING’S SOLUTION

Coal seam imaging from within the borehole

• Geo-sensing whilst drilling for detecting the roof and floor

of the coal seam is no longer a novel technique.

• Directional resistivity for coal interface detection (CID)

1m+ depth of investigation and resolution < 30cm.

• Directional gamma or micro resistivity for imaging and

correlation.

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CRCMINING’S SOLUTION

Directional Resistivity

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CRCMINING’S SOLUTION

Directional Gamma

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CRCMINING’S SOLUTION

Wireless Communication

• Bi-directional, high data rate

• Hollow drill rods (lower risk, fishable).

• Enable wireline logging and open the market for other

tools.

• Intrinsically safe

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CRCMINING’S SOLUTION

Scan for changes at three

depths (resolution is important)

*Example only

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CRCMINING’S SOLUTION

Our technical target

• The resistivity data will provide feedback on roof and floor

proximity and direction.

• The gamma will provide imaging for more accurate

delineation and for continuously calculating the dip angle

of the seam.

• The tools will also detect dykes and faults that were not

picked up by 3D seismic.

• When you pass through a fault, the sensors will identify

the direction of the coal seam (within a maximum

distance).

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PROJECT OVERVIEW

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2012 2014 2015 2016 2017 2019

SUPERLOGGER

(GAMMA &

DENSITY) TOOL.

AVAILABLE NOW.

PROTOTYPE TYPE

EMT TOOL

SUCCESFULLY

DEMONSTRATED

AT TAHMOOR.

FIRST GENERATION

WIRELESS DRILL-

SURVEY TOOL

FIRST

GENERATIOM

RESISTIVITY TOOL

FIRST GENERATION

COAL SEAM

MAPPING

SOFTWARE.

IMPROVED CID

ALGORITHMS.

ROADMAP

FIRST GENERATION

LWD TOOL.

PROTOTYPE

RESISTIVITY TOOL.

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ALT PHASE 1 – DIRECTIONAL GAMMA (2012)

ACARP C16018 completed 2012.

• Directional gamma

• Directional density

• Logs to memory

• Designed to ANZ Exd

• Available now.

• Deployed on wireline in

two 1350m SIS

boreholes

• Resolution surpasses

capabilities of existing

shuttle tools used in

Australia.

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ALT PHASE 2 – RESISTIVITY MODULE (2015)

• Develop fully functional LWD tool

• Develop battery & power modules

• Prototype directional resistivity measurement sub.• Test results in simulated borehole conditions match the

performance of existing geo-steering tools

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WIRELESS DRILL SURVEY TOOL (2016)

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CONCLUSION

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Coal seam imaging from within the borehole is expected to contribute to Improvements in longwallmining

CONCLUSION

On Target for deliveringa wireless survey toolin 2016

2017 target for Geo-steeringtool2019 target for coal seam mapping algorithms