US 11,732,568 B2
Method of, and a system for, controlling a drilling operation
Charles Benjamin McHugh, Kensington (AU); and Eric William Nettleton, Research (AU)
Assigned to Technological Resources Pty. Limited, Melbourne (AU)
Filed by Technological Resources Pty Ltd, Melbourne (AU)
Filed on Apr. 28, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/731,757.
Application 17/731,757 is a continuation of application No. 16/932,028, filed on Jul. 17, 2020, granted, now 11,352,870.
Application 16/932,028 is a continuation of application No. 16/165,151, filed on Oct. 19, 2018, granted, now 10,746,012, issued on Aug. 18, 2020.
Application 16/165,151 is a continuation of application No. 14/889,080, granted, now 10,125,597, issued on Nov. 13, 2018, previously published as PCT/AU2014/000502, filed on May 7, 2014.
Claims priority of application No. 2013901627 (AU), filed on May 8, 2013.
Prior Publication US 2022/0251939 A1, Aug. 11, 2022
Int. Cl. E21B 44/02 (2006.01); E21B 7/02 (2006.01); E21B 49/00 (2006.01); G05B 13/02 (2006.01)
CPC E21B 44/02 (2013.01) [E21B 7/02 (2013.01); E21B 49/003 (2013.01); G05B 13/021 (2013.01)] 18 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of optimizing a drilling operation by a drill rig in an open cut mine, wherein the drilling operation relates to a plurality of holes to be drilled in a bench of the open cut mine, the method comprising the steps of:
storing a geological model of the bench in a database;
sensing, by a sensor pack located on said drill rig, data related to the drilling operation;
sensing, by a position determining sensor, position information of the drill rig;
providing the sensed data and position information, via a communications link, to a receiver;
updating, by a processor in communication with each of the database and the receiver, the geological model of the bench based on the sensed data; and
controlling, by the processor, operation of the drill rig to perform said drilling operation, based on the updated geological model and the position information.