A new mine, Troilus, opened outside of Chibougamau, Quebec, several years ago. They had purchased several Atlas Copco DM45 rigs and the drilling conditions were difficult. They were having a problem with breaking pin-and-box threads on their drill pipe, and I got the call.
My first question was, what is a Chibougamau? Located in central Quebec, the small town (pronounced “shi-boo-gah-moo”) has grown in importance because of copper and gold deposits. These deposits, discovered in early 20th century, resisted attempts to mine them due to the remoteness of the area. But, as roads and rails built out, mining flourished.