Highly mobile, cost-efficient, integrated, low environmental disturbance equipment system and method for surface mineral exploration diamond core drilling

Abstract

A surface drilling system for performing surface mineral exploration diamond core drilling and methods for making and utilizing the same. The surface drilling system can include a drill rig system and one or more drill rig support systems for supporting drill rig operations. If including as support vehicles, the drill rig support systems can comprise a tilt-tray vehicle and an offroad-capable vehicle that can be configured for towing one or more trailers. The tilt-tray vehicle can be equipped with a standardized shipping container for facilitating loading and transporting of equipment associated with the surface drilling system. The surface drilling system advantageously can comprise a set of equipment for surface mineral exploration diamond core drilling that enables highly-mobile, cost-efficient drilling operations to be performed at a predetermined drill site, which can include remote environments with temperature and other climate extremes.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A surface drilling system for surface mineral exploration diamond core drilling at a predetermined drill site via drill rig system having a drill rig mast system coupled with a drill bit for cutting a drillhole at a drilling location of the drill site, comprising:
 a hydraulic-free rod skid system for transporting one or more drill rods for coupling the drill rig mast system with the drill bit;   a low-disturbance mud tank system for providing drilling fluid to the drill rig system and cleaning return drilling fluid received from the drill rig system;   a low-disturbance collar tray system for capturing and reconditioning the return drilling fluid for use by the drill rig system, said collar tray system defining an elongate opening for supporting a predetermined range of drilling angles for the drill rig system and including one or more suction inlets for receiving the return drilling fluid from the drill rig system, at least one external outlet for providing reconditioned drilling fluid to the drill rig system, a foam ground seal support system for preventing leaks of the return drilling fluid and the reconditioned drilling fluid and a wooden damper for reducing drilling vibration;   a mobile warehouse system having drilling tools and consumables for supporting operations of the drill rig system; and   a camping system being disposed at a camping site that is proximal to the predetermined drill site and being configured for housing surface drilling system personnel in a remote environment with temperature and other climate extremes.   
     
     
         2 . The surface drilling system of  claim 1 , wherein said rod skid system and said mud tank system are configured for transport via tilt-tray system of a logistics vehicle. 
     
     
         3 . The surface drilling system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said rod skid system, said mud tank system and said camping system comprises a shipping container. 
     
     
         4 . The surface drilling system of  claim 3 , wherein the shipping container comprises a twenty-foot shipping container. 
     
     
         5 . The surface drilling system of  claim 3 , wherein the shipping container includes corner fittings for a twist-locking mechanism. 
     
     
         6 . The surface drilling system of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said rod skid system and said mud tank system is configured to provide storage for selected equipment associated with the surface drilling system during transport. 
     
     
         7 . The surface drilling system of  claim 1 , wherein said rod skid system includes:
 an adjustable ramp system having a surface for supporting the drill rods and having distal and proximal end regions;   dunnage for being disposed between said ramp system and the drill rods and protecting the drill rods from damage;   at least one mechanical jack system being coupled with the proximal end region of said ramp system and being configured to elevate the proximal end region of said ramp system relative to the distal end region of said ramp system; and   a headboard system, a backboard system and a plurality of support beams being disposed around a periphery of said ramp system and being configured to retain the drill rods within said rod skid system.   
     
     
         8 . The surface drilling system of  claim 7 , wherein said headboard system comprises a plurality of headboard inserts including a first headboard insert that can be added to the headboard system for increasing a height of the headboard system and a second headboard insert that can be removed from the headboard system for decreasing the height of the headboard system 
     
     
         9 . The surface drilling system of  claim 7 , wherein said backboard system comprises a plurality of backboard inserts including a first backboard insert that can be added to the backboard system for increasing a height of the backboard system and a second backboard insert that can be removed from the backboard system for decreasing the height of the backboard system. 
     
     
         10 . The surface drilling system of  claim 1 , wherein said rod skid system maintains a predetermined lifting height at all times throughout the use and depletion of the drill rods. 
     
     
         11 . The surface drilling system of  claim 1 , wherein said camping system includes a containerized living system, a containerized kitchen system and a containerized utility system. 
     
     
         12 . The surface drilling system of  claim 11 , wherein said living system, said kitchen system and said utility system each comprise a twenty-foot shipping container. 
     
     
         13 . The surface drilling system of  claim 12 , wherein the shipping container includes corner fittings for a twist-locking mechanism. 
     
     
         14 . The surface drilling system of  claim 11 , wherein said living system includes an external air conditioning system and provides at least one sleeping room with a bed and a bedside table. 
     
     
         15 . The surface drilling system of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one sleeping room includes an internal sleeping room air conditioning system. 
     
     
         16 . The surface drilling system of  claim 11 , wherein said living system includes a living room with a refrigerator, a table with chairs and an internal living room air conditioning system. 
     
     
         17 . The surface drilling system of  claim 11 , wherein said kitchen system provides food storage and includes at least one electrical appliance, an internal kitchen air conditioning system, a faucet with a faucet drain, a shower with a shower drain and a toilet. 
     
     
         18 . The surface drilling system of  claim 17 , wherein said utility system includes a clean water tank system for providing clean water to the faucet and the shower and a blackwater tank system for receiving grey water from the faucet drain and the shower drain and blackwater from the toilet. 
     
     
         19 . The surface drilling system of  claim 11 , wherein said utility system includes a generator system for providing electrical power to one or more of an external air conditioning system of said living system, an internal air conditioning system of said living system, the internal kitchen air conditioning system and the electrical appliance. 
     
     
         20 . The surface drilling system of  claim 11 , further comprising an elevated deck system disposed between said living system and said kitchen system, the elevated deck system including plurality of deck support beams each having a proximal end region coupled with said living system and a distal end region coupled with said kitchen system, at least one deck platform disposed on the deck support beams, and a set of deck stairs spanning between a ground level of the camp site and the deck platform.