• Introduction to RC Reverse Circulation Drilling Technology

RC (Reverse Circulation) Drilling is an efficient sampling drilling method widely adopted in mineral exploration, which realizes continuous cuttings collection by adopting double-wall drill rods.

The complete system mainly consists of crawler-type RC drilling rigs, double-wall drill pipes, DTH hammers, tungsten carbide drill bits, compressed air supply assemblies and surface cuttings collecting equipment. Compressed air flows downward through the outer annulus of double-wall drill rods, driving the down-the-hole hammer to generate reciprocating impact force. The tungsten carbide bit crushes rock formations. The airflow creates reverse circulation, transporting rock cuttings upwards continuously through the inner tube of drill rods all the way to the ground surface.

Different from core drilling which retrieves intact rock cores, RC drilling collects rock cuttings samples. Cuttings delivered to the surface are conveyed to cyclone separators for classification. Samples are collected and sealed section by section according to drilling depth. After marking drilling location and depth, samples will be sent to laboratories for assay analysis, to obtain stratigraphic mineralization data efficiently.

• Technical Advantages

1. High Drilling Efficiency: Rock breaking by percussion enables much faster penetration rate compared with conventional wireline core drilling, ideal for regional prospecting;
2. Continuous Sampling: Uninterrupted air flow transports cuttings, ensuring good sample continuity and clear stratigraphic boundary identification;
3. Strong Site Adaptability: Crawler chassis provides great mobility, suitable for harsh field conditions including mountains and deserts;
4. Cost-Effective: For large-scale mineral exploration projects, it greatly shortens construction period and reduces cost per meter.

Our crawler-mounted RC drilling rigs are developed for exploration of non-ferrous metals, precious metals, lithium, nickel and other mineral resources. The equipment has been widely deployed in mining projects across Africa, Southeast Asia, Central Asia, reliably performing medium & deep hole sampling operations.