Agile Sub-Ice Geological Drill

The Agile Sub-Ice Geological (ASIG) Drill was the first sub-glacial access rock coring drill in the IDP inventory. The drill system design is based on a commercially-available minerals exploration rig, which IDP adapted for drilling through ice and for ice coring. The system is designed to drill access holes through ice less than 700 meters thick and subsequently collect bedrock cores from beneath glaciers.

A minerals exploration rig was purchased from Multi-Power Products Ltd., and IDP designed auxiliary systems for fluid handling. In 2016, IDP conducted an extensive North American Test of the complete system just outside of Madison, WI. The drill system was deployed to Pirrit Hills, Antarctica for the 2016-2017 field season where it was successfully used to drill through approximately 150 meters of ice and collected 8 meters of 39 mm (1.5-inch) diameter excellent quality rock core. Nearly 5 meters of ice core was also collected near the ice-bedrock transition, however, the core quality was poor. In 2019, IDP engineers completed air drop testing to quantify parameters that may create a hydrofracking situation in ice. System maintenance was subsequently conducted, and an electronic pressure relief valve and a shaker table for separating ice chips and drill fluid were implemented were recently implemented.

The system was shipped to Thule Air Base (now known as Pituffik Space Base) in Greenland in July 2022 via military vessel. In April 2023, four IDP Engineers/Drillers deployed to Greenland for the GreenDrill project. One borehole to approximately 500 m is planned for the ASIG Drill, with the anticipated collection of subglacial bedrock core. A second season for the project is planned for 2024.

For information on another sub-glacial rock coring drill in the IDP inventory, see the Winkie Drill.