Boart Longyear says it will present the advantages of sonic drilling over conventional surface drilling at MINExpo International 2016 in Las Vegas, scheduled for Sept. 26 to 28. Its LS250 MiniSonic drilling rig will be on display as well.

“Although adoption of sonic drilling technology has been gradual, drilling contractors and other professionals are now seeing it as the solution for a variety of needs, including geotechnical, environmental, water and mining applications,” says Shayne Drivdahl, vice president of global engineering for Boart Longyear. “They recognize that sonic offers many benefits that traditional core drills simply cannot provide.”

Sonic drilling utilizes high-frequency, resonant energy to advance a core barrel or casing into subsurface formations. During drilling, the resonant energy is transferred down the drill string to the bit face at various sonic frequencies. Simultaneously rotating the drill string evenly distributes the energy and impact at the bit face.

Drivdahl, an expert on the advantages of sonic drilling over conventional surface drilling methods, will discuss those advantages during MINExpo. His presentation, “How Sonic Drilling Can Increase Your Rate of Return,” will be held Sept. 27, in the North Building, Upper Concourse, in room N257.

Among the benefits of sonic drilling over conventional technologies in appropriate applications is the information provided by the continuous, relatively undisturbed core samples. Sonic drilling also reduces drill spoils and waste by up to 80 percent relative to conventional drilling methods, the company says.

“Sonic drilling is certainly still within its adoption phase,” Drivdahl says. “However, these and other advantages are becoming more and more apparent to clients in real-world situations.”

Boart Longyear will be exhibiting at MINExpo booth 2603 in the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Product experts will be available at the display, which will include the LS250 MiniSonic as well as a broad range of underground, surface, sonic and production drill rigs; performance tooling; and the first two products in the company’s instrumentation line, TruCore and TruShot.

Boart Longyear, based in Salt Lake City, touts itself as the world’s leading provider of drilling services and equipment, and performance tooling for the mining industry. The company has more than 9,000 employees worldwide, manufactures equipment in six global factories, and sells to customers in more than 100 countries. For more information, go to www.boartlongyear.com.