Tailings in the Arctic

19 Jan Tailings in the Arctic

Through 2022 GeoSonic Drilling completed a sonic drilling campaign as part of an ongoing geotechnical investigation on a large tailings storage facility at Boliden Aitik, Sweden’s largest open-pit copper mine. Working with Boliden, Klohn Crippen Berger, ConeTec and Cambridge Insitu Ltd, the drilling campaign encompassed sonic drilling and sampling through rock fill, tailings and underlying superficial deposits before rotary coring to prove bedrock at depths of up to 70m. In-situ testing comprised down-hole CPT, shear vane testing, piston sampling and pressuremeter testing alongside SPT’s . Two rigs working twenty four hours through all seasons presented a particular challenge, including a portion of the works that were conducted overwater from a floating pontoon on the clarification pond in the depths of winter. Thanks to all of our crews involved in this project who have worked tirelessly to make it a success.

Sonic drilling excels in the often difficult to drill rock fill and tailings deposits; for more information on our experience and capability with tailings investigations, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.