During a
mineral exploration program in an environmentally sensitive area nearMount Painter
in South Australia, a helicopter was used to
position, construct and service drilling rigs in order to avoid the need to
create new access tracks. The drilling program was designed to optimise the
advantages of natural landforms in order to minimise the environmental impact of
site construction and drilling activities. This minimisation of land disturbance
reduced the required amount of rehabilitation measures to the extent where all
impacts of the helicopter-supported programme had disappeared within 12 months
of completion of work.