Stage™ 3 Diamond Coring Bit Field Tested - Extend, Improve, Exceed

Drill Crews Experience a 300% Increase in bit life

At a nickel mine in Manitoba, Canada, Boart Longyear Drilling Services field tested the new Stage™ 3 25mm diamond coring bit in a multi-site deployment. Drill crews experienced bit life gains of up to 300% over their previous standard 12mm crown.

Boart Longyear Drilling Services has employed 12mm bits for more than three years at a nickel mine in Manitoba, Canada. The ground conditions are demanding due to the variability in the formation, not only from one part of the mine to the other, but even within a single hole. Formations in Manitoba are typically hard abrasive quartz mixed with medium hard and coarse ground.

Until recently, the 12mm 08ABR formula had proven to be the best bit in use at the mine with an average bit life of 37.5 meters.

Extending Bit Life in Hard, Abrasive Ground Conditions

With the proven performance of the 12mm crown, the drilling crews were unsure about trying the new 25mm Stage™ 3. Boart Longyear field engineers knew that upgrading to the Stage™ 3 would provide a significant performance increase. Engineers delivered the bits to the drill crews in the 08ABR formula.

Bit Life is More Than Three Times as Effective

After putting the bits to the test, the drill crews were stunned by the 25mm Stage™ 3 results. The average bit life of the Stage™ 3 was 120 meters—more than three times the life of the 12mm crown.

As more Stage™ 3 bits are deployed in the field, the results continues to prove what drillers and mine operators are saying: “Boart Longyear has delivered another industry first.”