Imerys Bauxite Exploration, Parnassos Mt. Greece

Wireline core drilling through a thick sedimentary sequence made of flysch-type material or carbonates. Several localities were explored with boreholes of 250-700m of depth, either vertical or with an inclination of up to-60 degrees.

Project Challenge

Drilling in remote places has always been a challenge.

• Remote drilling often in elevations of >1200m
• Accumulated snow in excess of 2m in wintertime
• Carbonate subsurface openings

• Possible drilling-induced collapses
• Bad geotechnical conditions of the overburden

RESULTS

According to estimations, the executed 3-year drilling project successfully proven the existence of new ore bodies which might reach a total of slightly above 1Mt of good quality bauxite.