sonic drilling

[jacare]

Anyone out there with experience in sampling a gold placer using a sonic drill? My concern is the effectiveness of sample recovery, especially if the gold particles are very fine. Thanx

 

[ctmtwilliams]

Sample recovery with sonic drilling in fine grained sediments is no worse than with other conventional drilling methods. Sometimes the use of a "Sand Catcher" or similar devise is common in the core barrel if core recovery is a problem in unconsolidated materials.