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ddrill2.jpgMinerals Exploration & Drilling

We offer a range of truck, track and skid mounted drilling rigs suitable for surface and underground exploration Drilling.

Carnon Contracting was originally formed in 1988 to
market the mining expertise of Carnon Consolidated,
which at that time owned and operated the South
Crofty and Wheal Jane hard rock metalliferous mines.
As part of their operating remit Carnon Contracting
also provide the underground diamond drilling
exploration resource to both of the mines. At one time,
at South Crofty mine, Carnon Contracting were
diamond drilling at a rate of 10,000m per annum.

Due to the confined access and the
relatively small dimension of the
tunnels, the drills used underground at
the above mines, still used today, vary
from compressed air powered Bazooka
and V.A.G. drills to Atlas Copco
Diamec 250 and 262 electrically
powered machines.

ddrill10.jpgWith regard to our
surface drilling capability we have
various types of rigs including a
Diamant Boart 747 fitted for
wireline drilling mounted on a
‘Moxy’ all terrain dump truck chassis, a Hydreq-Griffin
mounted on a County 4 x 4 tractor and man portable
Marlow Mole DD3 and DD2 drilling rigs. Normally we
carry out conventional drilling from TT46 to T2101 sizes
and wireline drilling in either BGM or NGM.
Being previously associated with operating mines, the
one important aspect of diamond drilling we do
understand is that CLIENTS WANT CORE - NOT HOLES.

ddrill3.jpgCarnon Contracting will carry out contracts both in
the UK and overseas.
Previous and current clients include:-

  • Aggregate Industries - Various quarries in the UK
  • Anglesey Mining - UK (Wales)
  • Base Metals Mineral Resources Corp -Philippines
  • Billiton Minerals - France
  • Brit-Can Minerals - UK
  • Connary Minerals/Minmet - Portugal
  • Decade International - Greece
  • Harry Winstone - Sierra Leone
  • Heckla Mining - Greenland
  • Irish Salt Mine - Northern Ireland
  • Omya Croxton + Garry - UK (Middleton Mine)
  • Rio Tinto Exploration and Mining - Africa
  • Tilcon Quarries - UK (Scotland)
  • TVX Hellas - Greece

.

Recent Projects

Carnon Contracting have successfully completed a bolting and meshing contract for Cormac at a site near Launceston in Cornwall, UK. The works included the installation of solid bar rock anchors and rockfall mesh to mitigate the risk to site workers from potential rockfalls[...]
Carnon Contracting have recently completed a scheme to stabilise the face of an excavation for a new Ecohouse in Polzeath in Cornwall. The rocks comprised the installation of Soil Nails and Rock Anchors and the construction of a reinforced sprayed[...]
Carnon Contracting have completed drilling boreholes for Ground Source Heat Pumps in Mullion in Cornwall. A total of 12 no. 100m boreholes were drilled for Aquasource and ROK. The loops and Grout were supplied by[...]
Carnon Contracting have completed a Ground Anchor/ Soil Nailing contract in Cornwall. It comprised the installation of Stainless UK Grip bar anchors/Solid Nails and piles to remediate a failed retaining wall in Falmouth. The site had access issues and the drilling[...]
Carnon Contracting and Crofty Consultancy have jointly completed an Environmental drilling project at Newquay Airport in Cornwall UK. The works included the installation of sampling holes for the monitoring of groundwater. The[...]
Carnon Contracting have drilled and installed seven Ground Source Heat Pump Boreholes at a site in Somerset.The works included the installation of the ground loops and the grouting of the system with Thermally[...]
Carnon Contracting have completed a project to stabilise a slope at Penlee Quarry near Newlyn in Cornwall. The works entailed the installation of 9 grouted Ischebeck Titan Soil Nails and the stabilisation of the slope using sprayed concrete, Shotcrete. The client[...]
Carnon Contracting have recently completed several small mini piling contracts for private customers and small developers throughout Devon and Cornwall. Mini Piling quite often provides a cost effective alternative to deep concrete foundations and avoids the requirement to take large[...]
Carnon Contracting have carried out a Site Investigation adjacent to the slip road of the A30 at Tolvaddon for Card Geotechnics. The works included rotary drilling and the gathering of data from Standard Penetration Testing.[...]
Carnon Contracting have completed a contract to carry out underground safety works at Tywarnhale Mine near Porthtowan for its owners, Imperial College of Science and Technology. The works comprised the blocking of of an old stope access to maintain access through[...]
Carnon Contracting have completed a site investigation drilling contract for Aquasource at a site on the North Coast of Cornwall . The contract involved the drilling and casing of holes into the side of an abandoned[...]
Carnon Contracting have completed a significant contract to install 48 Double Corrosion Protected rock Anchors at a development site near Lynton in Devon. The client was Hoveman Developments and the materials will be supplied by DYWIDAG. The rock anchoring phase of[...]
Rock Bolting and Underpinning Carnon Contracting were contracted to carry out emergency works when a slope failed at the base of a garden in Mylor, Cornwall. After stabilising the angle of the slope a comprehensive scheme of works was designed by[...]
Retaining Wall Repair Carnon Contracting have recently completed a Rock Bolting contract as part of a project to rebuild a failing retaining wall at Chywoone Hill, Newlyn in Cornwall. The access to the site was extremely awkward with all equipment being[...]
Carnon Contracting have recently undertaken the installation of Rock Anchors and Mesh at a site at Hannafore Road in Looe, Cornwall. The main contractors were Collards Constructions and the works comprised the installation of circa 30 rock anchors, plates and[...]
Carnon have completed a contract to install 53 Rock Socketed mini piles for a project in Carbis Bay in Cornwall. The project was carried out for a private client who is constructing a modern thermally efficient timber frame structure supplied[...]
Carnon Contracting have completed a significant contract in Feock in Cornwall comprising the installation of Self Drilling Anchors and mesh to stabilise a cliff face that had partially collapsed. The works included the drilling of 80 Self drilling anchors, mesh[...]
Mine Shaft Refurbishment Carnon Contracting have completed the installation of a new ladderway and ventilation system to Roskear Shaft, Camborne, Cornwall for the Environment Agency. This enables personnel to access the adit drainage level safely without the use of specialised cranes. This project also included the installation of[...]
Carnon Contracting were approached in 2005 to devise a method of obtaining Core Samples from the base of the Quay at Braye Harbour on Alderney in the Channel Islands. Carnon Contracting drew up a drilling approach involving[...]