Web training: environment and work environment for exploration drilling

The purpose is to provide a web-based training for drillers in both exploration drilling and other kinds of drilling. The goal is to increase knowledge and considerations of environmental and work environment aspects, thereby improving safety and environmental performance when drilling. It is possible, if required, to introduce certification linked to completed and approved education.

Press release Svemin, 16 December 2020

Brand new education is launched – to ensure good environmental management during exploration

The Drilling Industry Education Center is now launching a completely new education for exploration drilling practitioners. Environmental management and high standard in field work combined with theoretical knowledge about relevant legislation are in focus.

Under our feet, the bedrock can contain metals such as iron and copper that are crucial for the society. We might also find battery metals such as cobalt and graphite, which are necessary in the transition to a sustainable society. To discover and locate these metals, we are dependent of efficient exploration work to map and examine the bedrock. Sometimes, this requires hundreds of meters of drilling in the bedrock. To leave as small footprint as possible, it is important that the exploration work is carried out with as little impact on the environment as possible.

The Drilling Industry Education Center now hopes to ensure this by contributing with a special course Environmental fieldwork. The objective is to increase the knowledge about environmental management and to secure high standard when undertaking field work, by improving safety and minimizing the environmental impact from field work. The course is mainly designed for personnel doing exploration drilling and other exploration field work.

– Exploration is about investigating and gathering information about what is in our bedrock. It is a time-consuming and resource-intensive work that often takes place in remote and inaccessible places. The distance and the inaccessibility to the work places make it important to plan and prepare well so that the work can be carried out as safely, efficiently and with as little environmental impact as possible, says Kerstin Brinnen, Director Legal Affairs and Land Issues at Svemin and part in the project group that developed the course.

– The course covers both information on how to carry out the practical work and of rules that can be actualized during fieldwork, says Kerstin Brinnen.

The course includes, among other things, tips and instructions for field personnel regarding how to protect natural environments, transportations in the terrain and on the handling of drilling water and chemicals as well as restoration and aftercare. The new course has been developed in collaboration with representatives of the industry to be well anchored and practical oriented.

– It is important that exploration drilling takes place in a safe way and with as much knowledge and environmental considerations as possible and hopefully we will come a long way with this new education. Especially since it is digital and can be performed remotely at any time, Kerstin concludes.

The courses provided by the Drilling Industry Education Center are currently only available in Swedish, but the course about environmental fieldwork will most likely be available in English next year.

More information

Check out the course (in swe)