Daily News
Project Acronym: BVDP | State: Operational Phase | Expedition ID: 5067
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... (?TBD)
- (inserted: 24.07.2024 19:37)
BVDP: 2024-07-24 ˇ
Current depth at 750 m
Go on drilling.... BVDP is currently passing 750 m depth hoping to get to 800 m by the end of the week before a long weekend for the hole team.
- (inserted: 23.07.2024 19:37)
BVDP: 2024-07-23 ˇ
Current depth at 734 m
The BVDP site 3 core laid out at the core yard.
- (inserted: 19.07.2024 19:37)
BVDP: 2024-07-19 ˇ
Current depth at 686 m
A new laboratory container arrived on site.
- (inserted: 18.07.2024 19:37)
BVDP: 2024-07-18 ˇ
Current depth at 686 m
Drillers changing the lifting robe from single to double line to accommodate for heavy lifting.
- (inserted: 15.07.2024 19:37)
BVDP: 2024-07-15 ˇ
Crossing further massive chromitite seams
LG-6 Chromitite massive seams intersected at 620.5 (1.5 cm thick) and at 621.5 (0.15 cm thick).
- (inserted: 13.07.2024 19:37)
BVDP: 2024-07-13 ˇ
Borehole survey after reaching 608 m depth
Steven from Master Drilling preparing to survey the borehole at 608 m.
- (inserted: 12.07.2024 19:37)
BVDP: 2024-07-12 ˇ
Second chromite layer with thickness of nearly 1 m
This afternoon, we intersected two LG-6 massive chromitite seams separated by a 1m thick pyroxenite layer. The first seam was encountered at 606.1 m with a thickness of 0.40 m, and the second seam at 607.4 m with a thickness of 0.95 m. The seams have been sampled for microbiology purposes.
- (inserted: 11.07.2024 19:37)
BVDP: 2024-07-11 ˇ
Massive chromitite seam at 579.91 m
LCZ LG-7 massive chromitite seam (30 cm thick) was intersected at 579.91 m. A 72 cm long microbiology sample was collected, which includes a pyroxenite hanging wall (30 cm) and footwall (12cm).
- (inserted: 10.07.2024 19:37)
BVDP: 2024-07-10 ˇ
Current drilling depth at 569 m
Wrapping up the day as the sun sets with the current drilling depth at 569 m.
- (inserted: 03.07.2024 19:37)
BVDP: 2024-07-03 ˇ
First appearance of visible sulphide mineralization
We have encountered the first appearance of visible sulphide mineralization at 500 m, manifesting as fine disseminations within feldspathic pyroxenite. The current depth is 518 m.
- (inserted: 27.06.2024 19:37)
BVDP: 2024-06-27 ˇ
Guests from the Council for Geoscience (CGS)
We were thrilled to host esteemed guests from the Council for Geoscience (CGS) on the BVDP drill site today! We had insightful and productive discussions about geology, sharing knowledge and exploring new ideas. A big thank you to our visitors for their valuable contributions and for making this day a remarkable one! #Geology #CGS #KnowledgeSharing #EarthSciences
- (inserted: 26.06.2024 19:37)
BVDP: 2024-06-26 ˇ
Current bottom depth of 460 m
Today we had our lable printer working full time and added lables to the core boxes while reaching a current bottom depth of 460 m.
- (inserted: 15.06.2024 19:37)
BVDP: 2024-06-15 ˇ
Borehole logging carried out at drill site of BVDP
Survey being carried out by Wireline.
- (inserted: 14.06.2024 19:37)
BVDP: 2024-06-14 ˇ
Preparing for wireline logging of the upper 320 m
Preparing for wireline logging of the upper 320 m at the BVDP drill site
- (inserted: 13.06.2024 19:37)
BVDP: 2024-06-13 ˇ
Master Drilling drill crew packing core boxes for transport to Marula Mine core yard
Master Drilling drill crew packing core boxes for transport to Marula Mine core yard
- (inserted: 12.06.2024 19:37)
BVDP: 2024-06-12 ˇ
Drilling is now at 326 m
While the hole is being cemented Mabatho is undertaking lithological logging of the drill core. In the background the core boxes are stackedand ready to move to the Marula Mine core yard
- (inserted: 04.06.2024 19:37)
BVDP: 2024-06-04 ˇ
While waiting on the drilling to continue past 136 m, the science team carries out maintenance of...
Maintenance of the seismic sensors.
- (inserted: 23.05.2024 19:37)
BVDP: 2024-05-23 ˇ
Installation of Mini Ruedi
The mini reudi getting installed! Hurray!!
- (inserted: 22.05.2024 19:37)
BVDP: 2024-05-22 ˇ
Geomicrobiology in BVDP
During today's weekly meeting, Prof. Yohey Suzuki from Japan, demonstrated the use of UV light on water samples as part of the Geomicrobiology research of the BVDP drilling project.
- (inserted: 15.05.2024 19:37)
BVDP: 2024-05-15 ˇ
Mini Ruedi finally arrived
Today the instrument for the gas monitoring arrived at WITS university.
- (inserted: 14.05.2024 19:37)
BVDP: 2024-05-14 ˇ
Software training
With the cement having to dry in the borehole there is time for to catch up with additional work to be done. Today there was a training session to allow for downloading directional borehole logging data.
- (inserted: 10.05.2024 19:37)
BVDP: 2024-05-10 ˇ
Pulling rods
Today the drillers are pulling the rods at 110m so that borehole can be cased.
- (inserted: 09.05.2024 19:37)
BVDP: 2024-05-09 ˇ
Reaching 100 m
Good progess on site, reaching 100 m depth and taking a microbiological sample today
- (inserted: 08.05.2024 19:37)
BVDP: 2024-05-08 ˇ
Cores arriving on deck
The team on site is getting used to routines and distributes the curation, archiving and sampling of the core material amoungst each other.
- (inserted: 07.05.2024 19:37)
BVDP: 2024-05-07 ˇ
Drilling reached 65 m
Drilling the Bushveld is continuing at a fast pace now, reaching 65 m within 2 days of drilling. In the coming days the drilling crew will set the casing. Wonderful cores containing pyroxenite have been recovered.
- (inserted: 26.04.2024 19:37)
BVDP: 2024-04-26 ˇ
Drilling started today!
Just before the long holiday the engines were started and the drillers recovered the first core run of the Bushveld Drilling Project. Congratulations to Derik and his team!
- (inserted: 25.04.2024 19:37)
BVDP: 2024-04-25 ˇ
Database Training at drill site
Preparations at the drill site are coming to an end and we expect drilling to start tomorrow.
- (inserted: 19.04.2024 19:37)
BVDP: 2024-04-19 ˇ
Database Training at the CGS at the South African National Core Library
In preparation of the BVDP (Bushveld Drilling Project) members of the ICDP operational support group and the Council for Geoscience held a training course on the ICDP database system mDIS (mobile Drilling Information System) at the South African National Core Library in Donkerhoek near Pretoria.
- (inserted: 12.09.2023 19:37)
BVDP: 2023-09-12 ˇ
BVDP scientists to take part in the ICDP BASE project sampling party in Berlin, Germany
During their visit to Germany, the South African team also met with the Germany BVDP colleagues from GFZ Potsdam (Bob Trumbull and Ilya Veksler) and from the BGR in Hannover (Wilhelm Nikonow and Dieter Rammlmair). to discuss collaborative research and matters related to the upcoming drilling.
- (inserted: 11.09.2023 19:37)
BVDP: 2023-09-11 ˇ
BVDP scientists to take part in the ICDP BASE project sampling party in Berlin, Germany
From September 11-14, BVDP scientists Frederick Roelofse and Justine Magson from the University of the Free State, South Africa, and Clement Ndou and Muneiwa Mukwhevo of the South African Council for Geoscience were in Berlin, Germany, to take part in the ICDP BASE project (Barberton Archean Surface Environments) sampling party. This was an excellent opportunity to learn from the sister project and interact with BASE scientists and young researchers. Huge thanks for the invitation from Prof Christoph Heubeck, PI of the BASE project.
- (inserted: 22.07.2023 19:37)
BVDP: 2023-07-23 ˇ
BVDP highlighted at the IV. Intern. Conference on Scientific Drilling, Potsdam, Germany
The ICDP celebrated 25+ years of existence with a conference in Potsdam, Germany on July 21-23, 2023. The meeting was organized around four forward-looking Science Themes: “Geohazards, Georesources, Environmental Change, and Earth Evolution and Geodynamics”, as well as cross-topic initiatives related to the future of the ICDP. The Bushveld Drilling Project is the active ICDP project that addresses mineral resources. Its combination of drill cores donated by the mineral industry with new scientific drilling was highlighted as a model for collaboration of industry and academia.
- (inserted: 04.07.2023 19:37)
BVDP: 2023-07-04 ˇ
BVDP represented at the 14th International Platinum Symposium
Three members of the BVDP coordinating team, project PIs from South Africa and from Germany, as well as two young scientists from South Africa attended the 14th International Platinum Symposium in Cardiff, UK, over the period 4-7 July to present results of ongoing research and to give an update on the status of the project.
- (inserted: 25.06.2023 19:37)
BVDP: 2023-06-25 ˇ
BVDP issued tender for drilling operation
On June 25, 2023, the BVDP project team and Wits University issued a public tender for the drilling operation, the first milestone in getting our project underway. Part of the tender process was a visit to the prospective drill site at Marula Mine on July 20th. The visit was attended by a number of drilling and local community service companies, members of the BVDP team and Wits University Procurement office. We are grateful to the Marula Mine geological team for hosting us and preparing the prospective drill site for the visit.
- (inserted: 20.07.2021 13:59)
2021-04-01 ˇ
BVDP scientist at the University of Bloemfontein logging donated cores
In April, 2021 BVDP scientists at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein began logging 6000 -meters of donated drill cores from the Bushveld complex, marking the start of the first phase of operation. These drill cores cover the upper two-thirds of the 9 km-thick Bushveld layered intrusion and their donation by Impala Platinum Ltd. is a major contribution to the success of the project. Research projects from Germany and South Africa have been funded to commence work on the drill cores once the logging and documentation is completed. One goal is to identify breaks in the variation of density and mineral composition with height that may mark episodes of recharge into the magma chamber. Another is to develop methods to combine EDXRF (energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence), hyperspectral and LIBS (laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy) scanning to achieve rapid 2-D quantification of mineral modes, textures and composition.