Major progress and development suggestions of China''s uranium drilling equipment

Abstract:

Uranium resources are important strategic resources and energy minerals. In view of the current situation where uranium drilling equipment struggles to meet the requirements for safe， green， and efficient drilling in the new era， this paper systematically reviews the development history of China''s uranium drilling equipment since the 21st century. By comparing domestic and foreign equipment， the core problems existing in the current industry are pointed out： spindle drill rigs with low automation are still the main equipment for sandstone uranium exploration drilling， resulting in high labor intensity and safety risks； the equipment system for in-situ leaching （ISL） uranium drilling is incomplete， with prominent contradictions between efficiency and energy consumption； equipment mobilization in special terrain areas is difficult， and drilling fluid solid control technology is backward. To address these bottlenecks， this paper puts forward development suggestions for the next three years， including： carrying out automation and digitalization upgrades for spindle drill rigs and derricks； developing high-efficiency and low-cost construction equipment for hard-to-access areas； deepening research on intelligent solid control technology for drilling fluids； and strengthening the introduction and promotion of advanced and mature process equipment such as fully-hydraulic drill rigs and wireline coring technology. This study provides a scientific basis and a technical pathway for promoting the upgrading of China''s uranium drilling equipment and has important reference value for advancing the technological progress of the geological drilling industry.