DA Smith conducted core drilling and in situ stress measurements at the Sanford Underground Research Facility (SURF) for various scientific investigators in 2014, 2017, and 2021. SURF is a located in the former Homestake Mine in Lead, South Dakota, once one of the deepest and largest underground gold mines in North America.
In 2014, DA Smith* completed five CSIRO HI Cell stress measurements on the 4850 Level for Jacobs Associates. DA Smith* returned in 2017 to core eight 60-meter HQ3 holes on the 4850 Level for Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). Borehole collars were cased with 304SS HW casing and Reflex tools used to survey completed holes and for rig set ups (azimuth aligner).
In 2021, DA Smith drilled an additional eight HQ3 core holes for LBNL and three 6-inch-diameter core holes for Respec in support of ongoing scientific research on the 4100 Level.
Read the SURF March 8, 2021 article "Geothermal research group studies the not-so-solid ground beneath our feet."
* Formerly as Agapito Associates, Inc.