THE CHALLENGES OF ELDORADO GOLD
QUEBEC
Mineral exploration is an essential step in the discovery and definition of mineral deposits. The main tool used for exploration is drilling, allowing the extraction of samples in the form of cores that will be analyzed to characterize the resource. During drilling campaign, a large amount of water, contaminated with suspended solid material (SSM) and liquid sludge, is released directly to the environment.
Eldorado Gold Quebec favors the concept of green mine and wishes to position itself as a leader in this field. In a desire to solve the situation at the Lamaque mine, the mining company tried to find a technology available on the market.
Solutions proposed by ASDR
ASDR offered a comprehensive and integrated solution to meet the client’s objectives and the requirements of the drilling subcontractor, including:
- Being simple to operate and to move on the different sites
- Maintain water use to a strict minimum during drilling activities
- Treating water on request to recycle water despite the addition of drilling additives
- Generating high-dry sludge (< 75%) that is easily manageable
- Being able to operate in winter and rough conditions
Our objective would be to only drill using the ECOMUD™. Based on the location, there is the possibility of putting more than one drill on the system. Eventually, we would like to use the ECOMUD™ for all our drill rigs, no matter where we are. 
Étienne Gonthier
Technical assistant for exploration, Eldorado Gold Quebec
