Agile Sub-Ice Geological (ASIG) Drill
The Agile Sub-Ice Geological (ASIG) Drill is the first sub-glacial access rock coring drill of its kind for IDP. The drill system design is based on a commercially-available minerals exploration rig, which IDP has 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.
The ASIG Drill system was successfully used in remote west Antarctica near the Pirrit Hills during the 2016-2017 field season, where it drilled through approximately 150 meters of ice and collected 8 meters of 39 mm diameter rock core of excellent quality. Nearly 5 meters of ice core was also collected near the ice-bedrock transition, however, the core quality was poor.
The ASIG Drill is much less logistically intensive than the Rapid Access Ice Drill (RAID) deep drilling system developed by the University of Minnesota Duluth.
The ASIG Drill is one of two rock coring drills in the IDP inventory (see also Winkie Drill).
Equipment Details
Name | Agile Sub Ice Geological (ASIG) Drill |
---|---|
Type | Rock coring; ice coring/augering |
Number in Inventory | 1 |
Max. Depth Drilling Through Ice | 700 m |
Hole Diameter | 62.5 mm |
Rock Core Diameter | 39 mm |
IDP Driller Required? | Yes, 2 drillers (4 people required for drill assembly) |
Drill Fluid Required? | Yes |
Power requirements/source | 120 V, 5 kW generator |
Estimated Drilling Time | Ice: 1m/minute Rock: 0.15 m/minute rate of penetration |
Time to move (breakdown and setup) | 2 days |
Helicopter Transportable? | Yes (see system weight/cube below) |
Light Aircraft Transportable? | Yes (see system weight/cube below) |
Trench Required? | No |
Total System Weight | 19,000 lbs (200 m); 31,000 lbs (700 m) |
Shipping Cube | 700 |