Design and Implementation of an Automated Gamma Probe for Jet Boring Uranium Mining

A proof-of-concept detector prototype capable of collecting and storing radiometric data in the jet boring system (JBS) during pilot hole drilling at the Cigar Lake uranium mine is presented. Cigar Lake is the world’s second highest known grade uranium mine and is located in northern Saskatchewan, Canada. Variant design is used to design, develop, test, and implement the detector’s firmware, software, and hardware. The battery-powered detector is attached inside a JBS drill rod to collect radiometric data through the drilling cycle. A readout box is used to initiate the detector, recharge the battery, and download radiometric data after the pilot hole drilling cycle is complete. Functional testing results are presented, and comparative test results between the JBS gamma probe and the AlphaNUCLEAR Hi-Flux probe are evaluated. Field data collected from a pilot hole are plotted against the pilot hole’s driving layout and jetting recipe to show the accuracy of the readings collected.