Trapped miners Chile.

[pachapapa]

Significant progress was made yesterday with the recovery of the stuck piece of drill bit in the hole being drilled by the Schramm T 130 drill rig.

This hole is hnown as Option B, there are three options in progress to release the miners.

The local newspaper El Diario de Atacama based in Copiapo has released an interesting technical video on the recovery of the drill bit.

If you log on to the following link and the scroll down the right margin you will reach a video window with "Continua el Plan B" as a title, just click on the triangle to view; the video also has sound.

http://www.diarioatacama.cl/matriz/index.html

[WJT]

These men obviously must have the disposition to be able to work in those conditions but I don't think I would have lasted a day! I can only imagine what they are going through. I hope they are released soon. If they must stay down there until Christmas as they were first saying I would hope they could at least get some daylight down there!

[pachapapa]

Rarely a case of disposition but normally a case of economic necessity.

Chileans are a hard breed and they will survive, important when cut off from the surface is communication and knowing that someone is doing their best to effect a rescue.

The Schramm T-130 has now started drilling again and if all goes well the borehole will reach the undreground workshop within a week; the hole will only be 30 cms in diameter but will be an enormous psychological boost to the miners.

However a word of caution the hole is being drilled along the line of an earlier diamond drill hole and this can sometimes cause deviations of a percussion down the hole drill and lead to jamming of the bit, so care in the operation of the drill is paramount.

On completion of the hole the drill string will be drawn from the hole and the hole examined before commencing the second stage of reaming (enlarging) the hole; thisprocess will cause the chippings of rock to fall down the original hole and this material will have to be cleared by the miners, again this joint activity in effecting the rescue will help the morale of the miners.

But the initaial break through of the Schramm Drill is crucial; I expect hard miners to shed a tear of relief when that happens.

P.S In the 24 hours following the recommencement of drilling 100 metres was drilled.

[WJT]

It just sounds horrific. My heart goes out to them and will be looking out for any news of these poor men.

[pachapapa]

The Schramm T-130 as of thursday evening had reached a depth of more than 520 metres, the rock conditions have improved permitting higher power and advance rate.

The initial connection to the workshop is now anticipated during the weekend and may indeed occur on saturday 18th september; an important date in chile for the national day celebrations and this year marks 200 years of Chilean Independence.

[pachapapa]

The Schramm T-130 broke through to the underground workshop today friday during the morning chilean time.

[WJT]

That is terrific news! They must be feeling so relieved.

[pachapapa]

Around noon CET the Schramm T 130 drill passed the 500 metres depth mark; the reaming diameter has been reduced by 2 inches, suggesting that this portion of the hole has a quality of rock not requiring casing. The break through at full reamed diameter may occur this weekend.

The progress of the rescue project can be obtained from the tweets by the Project Chief André Sougarret, available at:

http://twitter.com/asougar

[Dave&Olive]

hi ok

   The Japanese are the first down the shaft   http://www.break.com/index/motorized-scooter-crashes-through-elevator

    Dave   [:)]

[pachapapa]

Thanks I enjoyed that clip enormously, these scooters are enormously expensive and are an unnecessary burden for social security contributors.

No wonder there is such a high deficit. In addition the types that drive these contraptions are always doing their best to run over my feet in the local Grande Espace.

Well finally one of them got his come uppance and hopefully sustained serious injury at least.

[cooperlola]

[quote user="pachapapa"]

Thanks I enjoyed that clip enormously, these scooters are enormously expensive and are an unnecessary burden for social security contributors.

No wonder there is such a high deficit. In addition the types that drive these contraptions are always doing their best to run over my feet in the local Grande Espace.

Well finally one of them got his come uppance and hopefully sustained serious injury at least.

[/quote]Pacha, I have had occasion to hire these on a couple of occasions (one for a music festival, the other time at Silverstone).  They allow me to get about and enjoy an event which otherwise I would have to find somebody to go along to with me, to push me about in my manual wheelchair.  When I went to Oxford with my 88 year old mother, it was the only practical way to see the sights without her having to shove me around the place, or me getting exhausted in the manual job.  I don't get annoyed very often with the posts on here - I just let them wash over me - but given how vitriolic you were when somebody made a quip about the partially sighted - I think you owe those of us with disabilities for whom such aids help us to live a normal life, an appology.  Grovelling at that.[:@]

[Tony F Dordogne]

Coops, just ignore him, he's just bloody ignorant and enjoying something like the clip - and wtf has that to do with the Chilean miners, keep up Mods - on top of the enjoyment of bull fighting says it all.

He just has no idea how offensive he is.

[ebaynut]

[quote user="pachapapa"]

Thanks I enjoyed that clip enormously, these scooters are enormously expensive and are an unnecessary burden for social security contributors.

No wonder there is such a high deficit. In addition the types that drive these contraptions are always doing their best to run over my feet in the local Grande Espace.

Well finally one of them got his come uppance and hopefully sustained serious injury at least.

[/quote]

I think it would be your head I would be trying to run over.

What a stupid thing to write. It is the fat cats at the"top" taking it all, which is why there is a deficit, not because of help given to people who need it to get around.

[Théière]

[pachapapa]

[quote user="cooperlola"][quote user="pachapapa"]

Thanks I enjoyed that clip enormously, these scooters are enormously expensive and are an unnecessary burden for social security contributors.

No wonder there is such a high deficit. In addition the types that drive these contraptions are always doing their best to run over my feet in the local Grande Espace.

Well finally one of them got his come uppance and hopefully sustained serious injury at least.

[/quote]Pacha, I have had occasion to hire these on a couple of occasions (one for a music festival, the other time at Silverstone).  They allow me to get about and enjoy an event which otherwise I would have to find somebody to go along to with me, to push me about in my manual wheelchair.  When I went to Oxford with my 88 year old mother, it was the only practical way to see the sights without her having to shove me around the place, or me getting exhausted in the manual job.  I don't get annoyed very often with the posts on here - I just let them wash over me - but given how vitriolic you were when somebody made a quip about the partially sighted - I think you owe those of us with disabilities for whom such aids help us to live a normal life, an appology.  Grovelling at that.[:@][/quote]

I found the post by D&O not funny in the context of 33 miners trapped underground.

I dont even find the post funny in the context of people in wheel chairs.

I commend you supporting disabled motorised persons.

But my concern for the miners takes precedence.

[cooperlola]

[quote user="pachapapa"][quote user="cooperlola"][quote user="pachapapa"]

Thanks I enjoyed that clip enormously, these scooters are enormously expensive and are an unnecessary burden for social security contributors.

No wonder there is such a high deficit. In addition the types that drive these contraptions are always doing their best to run over my feet in the local Grande Espace.

Well finally one of them got his come uppance and hopefully sustained serious injury at least.

[/quote]Pacha, I have had occasion to hire these on a couple of occasions (one for a music festival, the other time at Silverstone).  They allow me to get about and enjoy an event which otherwise I would have to find somebody to go along to with me, to push me about in my manual wheelchair.  When I went to Oxford with my 88 year old mother, it was the only practical way to see the sights without her having to shove me around the place, or me getting exhausted in the manual job.  I don't get annoyed very often with the posts on here - I just let them wash over me - but given how vitriolic you were when somebody made a quip about the partially sighted - I think you owe those of us with disabilities for whom such aids help us to live a normal life, an appology.  Grovelling at that.[:@][/quote]

I found the post by D&O not funny in the context of 33 miners trapped underground.

I dont even find the post funny in the context of people in wheel chairs.

I commend you supporting disabled motorised persons.

But my concern for the miners takes precedence.

[/quote]Pacha, when I saw the post with the video clip, this was my reaction.  In fact I was quite surprised to come back and find your post which seemed to me (and it still does now I re-read it) to support the "humour" of the video and to commend its posing, not to condemn it.   Thank you for putting the record straight on that.  The plight of the Chiliean miners is horrific.  Thank goodness for those who are doing their best to rescue them, how brave and courageous they are.  Thanks for keeping us up to date with that.  But please, if you're being ironic, do it less subtly because it was certainly lost on me and thus came over as crass and offensive - as does any so called "joke" about the miners or anything connected with the dreadful state they are in.

[Chancer]

I thought the post about the lift was  insensitive considering the ongoing plight of those souls underground.

I expected a repost from PPP and when I saw it thought that he was just playing along, what did surprise me were the offensive personal posts that followed, reminds me of classroom bullying.

It woud be good if this thread could return to the very serious subject of the miners.

There is a similar saga going on at the moment in the Ardeche with a pair of trapped spéléologues for those that folow the French news.

[Salty Sam]

This one Chancer ?

http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?p=650813

Anyone here remember this incident, very sad;

http://www.grantham.karoo.net/paul/graves/neilmoss.htm

[pachapapa]

Recent update, work on the excavation from the surface will continue through the night of friday to saturday.

http://www.20minutes.fr/article/606755/societe-speleologue-disparu-recherches-poursuivront-nuit

[pachapapa]

Hi coops & chancer.

The Schramm T-130 continued drilling around midnight ( 20:30 chilean time) last night. This will be the most anxious 12 hours for the operation as the connection to the underground ramp position is complicated. The original hole is being reamed and this means that powerful springs are used to push the reaming heads against the rock surface. If the reaming head was to actually break through and penetrate the tunnel underground, then the reaming heads would spring out and occupy a diameter greater than the reamed hole above. The 626 metre drill string and the reaming head would then become irremedially blocked in the drill hole with no possibility of the miners being able to remove the head from the drill string.

The drilling will approach the underground cavity "softly softly" until it is almost at the break through point; the proximity of the bottom of the reaming head will be monitored by the miners using steel extension bars; the condition of the hanging wall ( roof) of the ramp will be carefully watched. If all goes well the reaming head will get to a couple of metres from the point of intersection and will then be drawn back up the hole a sufficient distance to avoid any possibility of getting jammed through spalling rock.

The trapped miners will then charge the holes which have been previously drilled around the original pilot hole and then blast to effect the final break through to the escape shaft; the blast will also if all goes well result in an increase in the height of the tunnel to accomodate more easily the length of the escape capsule.

The moment of truth will be around midday in France about 9:00 in Chile.

Hold thumbs!

http://www.emol.com/noticias/nacional/detalle/detallenoticias.asp?idnoticia=440423

[pachapapa]

Alls well!

Enhorabuena!

http://www.cooperativa.cl/perforadora-del-plan-b-llego-a-la-galeria-donde-se-encuentran-los-mineros/prontus_nots/2010-10-08/161723.html

[Gardengirl]

They seem to have been doing a splendid job there! What emotions the men and their families must be having! [:)]

[Chancer]

Struggling a bit with the Spanish, what I had learned was consigned to some corner of my brain when I became immersed in France.

3 to 8 days more needed for reinforcement before the rescue, the earliest being Tuesday the 12th, is that right PPP?

I thought of you last night as there wasa good program on Arte (90 mins long at midnight) about the politics of a new gold mine at 4800m elevation in the cordillere des Andes on the Chilean/Argentinian border, very interesting to see the political fight between the prosperity and stability the mine will undoubtedly bring to the region and the worries of the farmers who fear that the river will no longer run or be contaminated, apparently they have shelved the plan to move a glacier! Maybe you can find it on Arte catch up or whatever.

Probably old news now that the polémique of the lithium deposits in the Salar D'Uyuni.

[pachapapa]

The break through was done apparently according to interview with Golborne, the minister of mines at the required 26 " diameter, so the capsule will pass.

There is talk that only the first 100 metres will require casing, near the surface where ground is more broken; but the camera survey of the condition of the hole will decide finally; but if only 100 metres lining is enough they should begin pulling on tuesday.

Unfortunately the ingenieros have other things to do than speak to the media at the moment and the journalists are working overtime. Just been watching the BBC who have a real prat called Hiscox on direct; interviewing mothers using his "O" level pigeon spanish and making erudite geological observations about the hard granite rock which has resisted the drill bits.

Thanks for heads up on the Arte, missed it completely but was watching Germany, Portugal and Spain "footy" last night. I presume I'll be able to catch it later on Arte +7.

[pachapapa]

It is on again twice later in the month. I know the area well as I worked for the St Joe International Corp at El Indio Gold Mine in the early 1980s. The mine was later acquired by Barrick and exploration in the immediate area identified the Pascua-Lama deposit.

Quote:

Barrick announced that its El Indio Mine in northern Chile

would finally close in mid-2002, after a 3-year “stay of

execution.” The mine had been expected to close in 1999, but

the company kept it running because new reserves were found

through ongoing exploration, and cost-cutting measures allowed

cash flows to continue.