New/Edit Drillhole

Use the DH-Data > New Drillhole menu option to create a new drillhole and the DH-Data > Edit Drillhole menu option to modify collar survey attributes of an existing hole.

New/Edit Drillhole dialog options

Drill Hole name

Specify the name for the drill hole. For the New Drill Hole this must not be an existing hole. For the Edit Drill Hole, select a hole from the drop-down list.

Description

Specify a description for the drill hole.

Collar Coordinates Location (X, Y, Z)

Specify the location for the collar.

Extract XYZ from grid

When this check box is selected, and a DEM (digital elevation model) or surface grid is provided for the area, the X, Y and Z locations are calculated, based on the current X and Y locations. If the collar Locations Calculate check box is selected, the current end-of-hole location, along with the current dip and azimuth values, are used to find the intersection of the straight hole with the surface, and X, Y and Z are updated.

If the Extract XYZ from grid check box is not selected, and the collar Locations Calculate check box is selected, then the collar location is based on the current dip, azimuth, end of hole location and planned depth.

Collar Coordinates "Calculate" check box

When this check box is selected, the collar Location text boxes are made read-only, and are calculated based on the user input end-of-hole location and the current dip and azimuth values.

Dip, Azimuth

Specify the dip and azimuth in degrees of the straight hole. By default, dip is negative down (-90 for vertical holes), but this can be reversed in the "Drill Hole Preferences" dialog under the "Hole survey dip angle sign (downward)" parameter. Azimuth is measured in degrees east (clockwise) from north.

Dip and Azimuth "Calculate" check box

When this check box is selected, the dip and azimuth text boxes are made read-only, and are calculated based on the user-input collar and end-of-hole locations.

End of Hole Coordinates Location (X, Y, Z)

Specify the location for the end of the hole.

Planned depth

The planned depth behaves differently depending on which combination of parameters is currently selected using the three "Calculate" buttons.

If the Collar Coordinates "Calculate" box is checked, then changing the dip, azimuth or end of hole location will update the planned depth to be equal to the collar-end of hole distance - if the "Extract Z from grid" is checked and you have a surface grid. You can then change the planned depth without changing the end of hole location (which then becomes a "target" location, not the end of hole).

If the Dip-Azimuth "Calculate" box is checked, then changing the collar location or end of hole location will update the planned depth to be equal to the collar-end of hole distance. You can then change the planned depth without changing the end of hole location (which then becomes a "target" location, not the end of hole).

If the End of Hole coordinates "Calculate" box is checked, then changing the collar location or end of hole location will update the planned depth to be equal to the collar-end of hole distance. In this case, changing the planned depth will change the end of hole location.

Interactive

Click the Interactive button to select the start and end points interactively on the current data frame in Data View. The first point selected will be the collar, and the second point the end of hole location. Selection may be done on either a plan or a section view.

If the Extract Z from grid box is checked and a DEM grid is defined, then the collar Z value is adjusted to be on the grid surface. Holes defined on a plan map will need to have the end of hole elevation updated manually. Holes defined on a section map will be located on the section center plane.

Application Notes

There are a number of different ways of defining a new drillhole, depending on which Calculate check box is currently selected:

  • To define the hole based on the collar and end-of-hole locations, select the Dip/Azimuth "Calculate" box.

  • To define the hole based on the collar location, dip and azimuth, select the End of Hole Coordinates "Calculate" box.

  • To set a "target" location, to be intersected from a given dip and azimuth, select the Collar Coordinates "Calculate" box. Once you have entered the target location, you can update the planned depth, for instance, to extend the hole beyond the target. The "Extract Z from grid" label changes to "Extract XYZ from grid" to indicate that the true intersection of the hole with the surface is calculated to yield the collar location.

Using a Surface DEM Grid

The following applies if you have checked the "Extract Z from grid" check box and specified a DEM grid:

  • If you change the collar X or Y location, then elevation (Z) is extracted from the DEM grid.

  • If the collar location "Calculate" box is checked, then the current end of hole and dip and azimuth are used to calculate the intersection of the hole with the surface, and the planned depth is updated to give the collar to end of hole distance. The "Extract Z from grid" label changes to "Extract XYZ from grid" to indicate that the true intersection is calculated.

  • If there is no valid elevation on the grid at the current (X, Y), or if the currently defined hole does not intersect the grid at all, the collar locations are blanked out.