Epiroc–Major Drilling DiscovOre system: safety and cycle-time notes for drill engineers
Reviewed by Tom Sullivan
First reported on International Mining – News
30 Second Briefing
Epiroc and Major Drilling are advancing the DiscovOre and Arrow 3S wireline core barrel system, first introduced in 2016 to boost mineral exploration drilling performance while reducing manual handling at the drill string. The system integrates a latch mechanism and overshot design that allow inner tubes to be retrieved without workers leaning over the rotating drill string, cutting exposure to dropped-object and entanglement hazards. Current development focuses on further cycle-time reductions and safer operation in deep-hole, high-angle exploration drilling.
Technical Brief
- DiscovOre’s latch body is fully enclosed, removing exposed moving parts that can snag PPE or clothing.
- Arrow 3S incorporates a spring-loaded, self-locking mechanism to prevent accidental unlatching under vibration or torque.
- Overshot design includes integrated mechanical failsafes so the inner tube cannot be released under load.
- System is engineered for high-tension wireline pulls typical of deep exploration holes.
- Components are dimensionally compatible with standard wireline drill strings, avoiding ad‑hoc modifications that often bypass OEM safety factors.
- Learnings are likely to inform future guidance on dropped-object and entanglement controls in exploration drilling.
Our Take
Epiroc features heavily across our 482 Mining stories, and the DiscovOre core barrel system sits alongside recent items on the COPROD 89 and Pit Viper platforms as part of a sustained push to modernise drilling productivity and safety rather than just rolling out isolated tools.
The collaboration with Major Drilling effectively gives Epiroc a large-scale proving ground for the DiscovOre system, similar to how the Minetruck MT66 S eDrive is being trialled at Gold Fields’ Granny Smith mine, which tends to shorten feedback loops and de‑risk wider fleet adoption for contractors.
Given DiscovOre’s launch back in 2016, its ‘next level’ iteration signals that Epiroc is now in the optimisation and lifecycle-extension phase of this product line, a pattern also visible in the 25‑year evolution of the Pit Viper rigs where incremental upgrades have helped operators standardise on a long‑lived drilling platform.
Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.
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