New drill technology may change the face of mining

News24 reports new hydraulic technology from South Africa’s Peterstow Aquapower has the potential to change the way mining is done if widely adopted in the industry. The drill technology uses water as a hydraulic fluid instead of oil but also no external air compression or water as with conventional mining.

The drill presents a “plug-and-play” system for mining as it promises to reduce costs and work more effectively. The machines cut the water use by 80% and can save about 28% of electricity costs for a mining operation.

News24 reports:

The drill works with a closed loop system where water is fed to the drill and back out to an external reservoir. This means that the drill uses a fraction of the water and energy of conventional mining machinery.