Location
Karijini National Park, WA
Service
HDD Drilling
Sector
Mining
Expertise
Large-diameter horizontal dewatering wells for complex mining environments.
Cape Dunstans partnered with Rio Tinto to design and deliver an innovative horizontal dewatering well at its Marandoo open-pit mine in the Pilbara.
Delivered through an Early Contractor Involvement model, the solution eliminated the need for conventional in-pit vertical dewatering infrastructure. This reduced operational activity within the pit while improving safety and dewatering efficiency.
Project delivery included:
A horizontal dewatering well drilled to a measured depth of 1,306 metres and a vertical depth of 173 metres.
Installation of 810 metres of 16-inch casing and a site-specific slotted production section designed for the mine’s groundwater conditions.
Delivery of Rio Tinto Iron Ore’s longest 16-inch cased drill shot and its longest water well at the time of construction.