Downhole survey tools take a new direction with GyroSmart

FlexIT has introduced GyroSmart® which will take downhole survey tools into a new direction.

Gyrosmart is a revolutionary system which has not been used in downhole survey applications in the past.

According to Downhole Survey managing director Mike Ayris, the GyroSmart will completely change the way downhole surveying is carried out today, providing highly accurate azimuth and dip data from inside the drill string.

Not since 1974 when Claes Ericsson first introduced the Fotobor® has such a revolutionary design change in downhole surveying equipment been developed and made available to the mining and civil engineering industries.

Ericsson has been in the downhole surveying industry manufacturing instruments for 32 years; developing a range of leading-edge multishot survey instruments that are now in daily use in exploration, mining and engineering projects around the world.

The GyroSmart downhole survey tool has been designed in co-operation with a development team from Imego AB which is an independent contract research organization engaged in sensory systems development.

The GyroSmart uses Imego's highly advanced MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical System) gyro sensor. This is known to the market as the IBG10, Imego's digital Butterfly Gyroscope, and is licensed exclusively to FlexIT for borehole surveying.

To prove the functionality of the GyroSmart, two prototype tools were run at a test facility in Sweden in early April 2006 to a depth of 790m. The hole had been drilled to 800m at a dip angle of -55 degrees with the top 100m of the hole steel-cased, ranging in sizes from 300mm to 76mm, thus creating a challenge for any survey instrument. The GyroSmarts were housed in standard 38mm brass running gear and run in and out of the hole at a speed of 20 metres per minute. At each 10 metre survey station the GyroSmart was held steady for 10 seconds allowing the system to become stationary before moving to the next station. The total time taken to survey in and out the 790m drill hole was 1 ½ hours.

Unlike other Gyro Systems, the GyroSmart requires no surface calibration. The surface computer and GyroSmart are initialized through blue tooth communication within seconds. For the purpose of the trial and due to freezing conditions at the surface, the GyroSmart assembly was placed in the water-filled borehole for approximately 10 minutes to stabilize to the in-hole temperature.

Further field trials were untaken in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, last month with the first production run to be completed at the end of this month.

The GyroSmart will be commercially available from FlexIT Help Centres located worldwide in July 2006, at a price significantly lower than other gyro systems of comparable accuracy. Several advance orders for the Gyrosmart have already been received from around the world.

For more information contact Downhole Survey managing director Mike Ayris mike@downhole.com.au or phone +61 409 289 285

Claes Ericsson info@flexit.se or phone: +46 707 170 575