Epiroc is shortly to start work on a new test centre in Örebro, Sweden that will carry out different types of exploration drilling tests and data acquisition.
The new centre, called Innovative Exploration Drilling and Data Acquisition Test Centre (I-EDDA-TC) is designed to provide a unique environment for the development of drilling, and related equipment and methods used for the exploration of mineral resources, such as borehole geophysics. The goal for the future is to establish a leading Test Centre that supports and creates innovation.
The test centre will be developed over three years and be available for customers at the beginning of 2022.
Epiroc says that an important feature of the test centre is two boreholes each one kilometre deep with fully characterised core samples. The company adds the centre is a close collaboration between industry, research institutes and academia.
“With this test centre, we can continue our way towards being the competence centre within exploration drilling – and build networks within the industry,” says Thomas Hallmén, general manager product company Örebro, Epiroc surface and exploration drilling division. It will create opportunities to cooperate with customers and universities as well as with researchers in order to improve our technologies and products for future requirements.”
Effective exploration drilling for mineral resources is an area where industrial innovation plays an important role, according to Bjarne Almqvist, project leader for I-EDDA-TC and researcher at the Department of Earth Sciences, Geophysics, at Uppsala University.
“Despite this need, there is a complete lack of test beds that allow industry to actively test novel drilling equipment,” said Almqvist. “Our hope is that the test centre becomes a focus for both small and large companies that work within exploration drilling and related technologies.”
The new centre will be built next to the Epiroc Surface and Exploration Drilling division Production Centre in Örebro. The European Union is helping to finance the project through EIT Raw materials.
The centre is a collaboration project between Uppsala University, Lund University, Luleå University of Technology, Technical University Bergakademie Freiberg, Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum , RISE (Research Institutes of Sweden) and Epiroc’s surface and exploration drilling division.
