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If your mining area also faces three major challenges: water scarcity, sample contamination, and low drilling efficiency, then YG’s rc drill rig is the perfect solution. In early 2025, a reverse circulation drilling rig manufactured by YG was sold to Zimbabwe and performed excellently in local gold exploration. Compared with ordinary direct circulation drilling rigs, it requires no water—cuttings are directly returned to the surface through the inner pipe. This not only avoids cross-contamination but also reduces the drilling time per hole from 3 days to 1.5 days.【WhatsApp/WeChat/Phone】+86 13837122632
YG Reverse Circulation Drilling Rig Specifications
The exported equipment model is YGRC-400 rc drilling machine.
YGRC-400 Product Specification Sheet
| Parameter | Value | Parameter | Value |
| Max drilling depth | 400 m | Drilling diameter | 115-305 mm |
| Air pressure | 1.05-3 Mpa | Air consumption | 16-42 m³/min |
| Drill pipe length | 3 m | Drill pipe diameter | 89/108/127 mm |
| Axial pressure | 5 T | Lifting force | 12 T |
| Fast lifting speed | 14.5 m/min | Fast feeding speed | 21 m/min |
| Max rotary torque | 4000-5700 Nm | Max rotary speed | 0-120/0-150 r/min |
| Auxiliary winch lifting force | 20T | Drilling efficiency | 10-25 m/h |
| Driving speed | 2.5 Km/h | Uphill angle | 21° |
| Weight | 7 T | Dimension | 6.8×2.1×2.8 m |
| Working condition | Loose layers & bedrock | Drilling methods | Top drive hydraulic rotation & propulsion; DTH hammer or mud drilling |
| Matched DTH hammer | Medium & high air pressure series | Optional accessories | Reverse circulation device, mud pump, generator, foam pump |
RC Drill Rig Enhances Gold Exploration Optimization
1. Customer Background
The customer is a gold exploration company in Matabeleland Province, Zimbabwe. Previously, it used ordinary air drilling rigs for surface exploration, holding 3 mining rights areas with an annual exploration drilling volume of approximately 5,000 meters.
2. Construction Challenges
The customer faced three issues: ① Water scarcity in the mining area made traditional mud drilling rigs inoperable; ② Severe cuttings cross-contamination caused by ordinary direct circulation, with sample testing repeatability error exceeding 30%; ③ Slow drilling speed—an average of 3 days was needed for a 100-meter-deep hole, seriously affecting the exploration progress.
3. YG Solution
YG recommended using rc drill rig for reverse circulation drilling:
- For water scarcity: Adopting double-walled drill pipes and air-driven DTH hammers, no water required throughout the process;
- For sample contamination: Cuttings continuously and stably flow back to the surface through the inner pipe, collected and bagged by cyclone separators, with sample purity over 95%;
- For low efficiency: YG’s reverse circulation drilling rig achieves a drilling efficiency of 10-25 m/h, completing a single hole in 1.5 days.It is also equipped with a dust collector to avoid dust pollution, meeting environmental protection requirements.
4. Case Process
- Customer Source: The customer found YG’s product page via Google Search and submitted an inquiry online.
- Key Communication Details: Initially, the customer worried about thread damage during drill pipe handling—YG engineers demonstrated a combined solution of compensating slide plate for automatic thread protection and hydraulic wrench for fast & safe handling via video; the customer also requested verification of actual drilling efficiency, so YG presented test data of YGRC-400 achieving 15 m/h in South African granite formations.
- Final Transaction: After 3 rounds of technical negotiations and price discussions, the customer paid a 30% advance payment, and the equipment was delivered to Zimbabwe 45 days after signing the contract.
5. Application Results
After commissioning, the customer’s single-hole drilling time was reduced from 3 days to 1.5 days. Samples sent to Harare laboratories showed a 70% reduction in repeatability error, and the mining area successfully passed the environmental assessment. Currently, the customer has placed an additional order for one YGRC-500 rc drilling machine for deeper gold exploration.
Frequently Asked Questions about RC Drill Rig
What is the difference between rc drill rig and direct circulation drilling rig?
- Principle: Reverse circulation drilling is performed with double-walled drill pipes. Flushing medium (usually high-pressure air) is injected into the bottom of the hole through the annulus between the inner and outer pipes, driving cuttings to be directly discharged to the surface through the central inner pipe.
- Difference: Compared with direct circulation (where cuttings are discharged through the annulus between the drill pipe and hole wall), reverse circulation has an extremely fast slag discharge speed. Moreover, cuttings do not come into contact with the hole wall, ensuring sample purity and geological exploration accuracy.
What are the main advantages of rc drill rig?
- High Efficiency: In hard rock and fractured formations, RC drilling rigs are usually several times faster than conventional core drilling rigs.
- Sampling Quality: Samples are directly discharged from the central pipe, reducing contamination and enabling real-time acquisition of geological sampling data.
- Low Consumption: It has extremely low water demand, making it particularly suitable for mineral exploration in arid or water-scarce areas.
What are the key points of daily maintenance?
- Lubrication System: Ensure sufficient lubrication of the power head and feeding mechanism.
- Air Compressor Maintenance: Replace filters in a timely manner to ensure dry and clean discharged air.
- Thread Protection: Before each drill pipe connection, must clean the threads and apply an appropriate amount of thread compound.
Besides mineral exploration, what other fields can reverse drilling machine be used in?
Although reverse drilling machine is well-known for mineral exploration such as gold and copper, it is also widely used in:
- Water Well Drilling: Especially for finding deep groundwater in hard rock formations.
- Engineering Geological Survey: Used to quickly obtain stratum information of large-diameter holes.
- Construction Pile Foundations: Serving as a supplementary solution for rapid hole formation in specific strata.
Contact YG
If you are looking for an efficient, environmentally friendly rc drill rig suitable for water-scarce environments, welcome to contact YG. We offer a complete product line with drilling depths ranging from 200 meters to 1,200 meters, and can customize configurations such as dust prevention and high-altitude adaptation. Consult now to get a free technical plan and quotation. YG reverse drilling machine helps you reduce costs and increase efficiency in global exploration projects!
