Industry support and collaboration includes knowledge sharing, funding, adaptation (change) and implementation (adoption).
All four aspects are essential to the innovation cycle yet adapting to change and implementation continue to prove problematic. By continuing to ‘do same’ partnerships are often diluted to endless discussion and committee-like behaviour.
At DIG CT, we focus on momentum and continuous improvement.
Since 2008, Craig Lavrick has contributed to the development and evolution of coiled tubing drilling:
- through active participation via inaugural ‘think tank’ DET CRC
- followed by continued participation via DET CRC’s successor in MinEx CRC
- before founding DIG CT in late-2023 – the first company globally to successfully commercially drill within mineral exploration industry using coiled tubing (CT) drilling technology.
Support of the prototype coiled tubing drill rig’s evolution and development includes:
- global miners (Anglo American, Barrick, BHP, Gold Fields, Newmont, Rio Tinto, South 32 and Vale)
- Australian Government (DET CRC, Geological Surveys of SA and WA, MinEx CRC and MRIWA)
- international METS companies (Epiroc, IMDEX, Sandvik and Wassara)
- Australian researchers (CSIRO)
- and Australian universities (Curtin University and University of South Australia).
Specifically, individuals and organisations listed below have been supportive of DIG CT’s efforts:
- CoilRig – Australian-based global manufacturer of coiled tubing drilling rigs.
- Curtin University’s Drilling Analytics Research Centre (DARC) led by Prof. Masood Mostofi in formulating a highly effective and proprietary blend recyclable drilling fluid.
- Australia’s National Drilling Initiative (Project 2: CT Drilling for Definition of Mineral Deposits).
- Geological Survey of Western Australia (GSWA) – Eucla Basement Project
- Geological Survey of South Australia (GSSA)
