Raisebore’s Capability Statement

Raisebore, as the name suggests is a specialist raiseboring company. We specialise in all core varieties of raiseboring; be it conventional, down-reaming or uphole raiseboring.

The company commenced operations in 1994 and since that time has raisebored in excess of 98 kilometres of shafts having a total in situ rock volume of in excess of 576,000 cubic metres.

Raisebore has had extensive experience in environmentally sensitive areas and has completed major projects in the township of Beaconsfield, Metropolitan Sydney, the Tower Colliery at Appin and has installed both major surface raises at Ridgeway which is the epitome of environmental sensitivity.

We have developed procedures for noise control and the containment of hydrocarbons which we consider to be the most advanced in the industry. This was demonstrated when we raisebored a 200 metre deep shaft, set up on a jetty located in the centre of Avon Dam Reservoir, which is the major water supply for the City of Woollongong and complied with all EPA requirements.

Our fleet encompasses all sizes of raiseboring giving our clients the opportunity to ream raises as small as 0.66 metres diameter up to 5.0 metres diameter with our Robbins 97RL machine.

Raisebore has eleven machines in its’ fleet which is currently one of the largest in Australia. This is a significant client consideration as it is particularly important in the case of a major machine failure that the Contractor is able to offer replacement equipment so as not to unnecessarily delay the project. We are in a position to offer a minimum of four machines for all sizes of raiseboring up to and including 3.0 metres in diameter, and two units capable of 5.0 metre shafts.

We are the only company to have a dedicated ‘slot hole’ division which comprises five low profile, easily manoeuvrable rigs ideal for this activity. These machines have the capacity to down-ream as well as conventional reaming with two units having the additional capacity to uphole raise.

Innovation has been a feature of our operations.

We have introduced the concept of down-reaming to the Australian market place in 1992.

We have developed uphole raiseboring to the Australian market place in 1994.

We have developed the only ‘intrinsically safe’ raiseborer for operation underground in coal mines in 1996.

We have developed a methane monitoring system, which measures the methane content in the air directly at the reamer head, by vacuum monitoring via the drill string.

We have developed a technique to dewater a mine which had water inflow of 300 litres a second (not a misprint, 300 litres a second!).

We have developed low angle slot raises at 35 degrees, to suit shanty backs.

We have introduced a technique to minimise ‘dropping of reamers’ by installing a certified steel rope into the drill string, known as a ‘catch rope’.

We have introduced an alarm system to identify a crack propagating in the drill string by filling the drill string with pressurised fluid.

We have retrieved an 8 cubic metre loader that had fallen into an open stope by using a raiseborer as a crane.

We have changed cutters on a reamer that was unable to be lowered by down-reaming an access shaft to intersect the jammed reamer.

We have set up on a jetty and drilled through a lake 30 metres deep with use of caissons to form a penstock.

We have excavated a one metre diameter horizontal tunnel which was used for the rescue of trapped miners in Beaconsfield Mine.

We will only operate using equipment for any particular project that complies with Best International Practice.

We will only operate in compliance with the relevant Australian Standard for the particular task being performed.

We will only operate the equipment recommended by the Original Equipment Manufacturer for the particular project.

We ensure each project has a specific Safety Management Plan.

We ensure each project has specific Job Safety Analyses and each task within that project has a specific Safe Work Practice.