Red Dog Operations Horizontal Drain Holes

The Problem

An active highwall instability zone — Ground Hazard Zone Aqqaluk 10 (GHZA10) — along the north wall of the Aqqaluk Pit at Red Dog Operations was being driven by elevated pore water pressure within and behind the highwall, posing a direct safety risk to mine personnel, equipment, and the continuity of operations at one of the world's largest zinc mines. Reaching the site required chartering aircraft to a fly-in-only facility 620 miles northwest of Anchorage, with no road access and no ability to truck in equipment — placing extreme constraints on what could be mobilized and how.

JDC's Solution

Jensen Drilling Company flew its entire equipment package into Red Dog Operations on Teck charter aircraft and executed a horizontal drain hole (HDH) drilling program through the winter of 2026, with temperatures dipping below -30°F during active operations. Working under strict MSHA protocols within an active open pit mine, JDC drilled 15 horizontal drain holes from the 850, 875, and 900 ft bench elevations into the north highwall, completing each with slotted PVC drain pipe. JDC's proprietary drilling technology was critical to maintaining alignment and achieving target depths through highly variable mixed rock — including shales, chert, massive Zn/Pb sulfides, and fault gouge melange. Arctic-rated cold weather equipment and indirect heating systems kept operations continuous despite extreme ambient conditions.

Customer Benefit

Jensen Drilling Company successfully completed a technically and logistically demanding horizontal drain program in one of North America's most remote and challenging operating environments — fly-in access only, sub-Arctic permafrost terrain, and winter temperatures below -30°F. The installed drains relieve pore water pressure at the toe of GHZA10, reducing the risk of highwall movement and allowing Teck to safely maintain operations in the Aqqaluk Pit.