Chile Mining Disaster Coming to an End - American Heroes Involved

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It was August 5 when 33 miners were trapped over one half a mile underground and were told it would take until Christmas, nearly five months, to drill new shafts and get them out. That news upset the owner of a small drilling operation in Pennsylvania who knew his company and crew could do much better.

In time they went to Chile to help and now it seems the ingenuity of the American miners could get the trapped miners out nearly two and one half months ahead of time thanks to the Americans and their equipment.

The latest news is the drilling will be complete this weekend and the miners could be saved by next Tuesday. Here is the information you should know about Brandon Fisher and his team, the heroes of the rescue.

Center Rock Drilling Bit Nears Chilean Miners Trapped Underground
October 8

San Jose mine in Copiapo, Chile -- Progress has been rapid on the drilling to rescue the Chilean miners thanks to a huge, 24 hour a day effort and employment of Center Rock's drill bit that is drilling its way through 2,070 feet of rock to finally reach the miners.

Brandon Fisher, CEO of Center Rock, Inc. is personally on-site assisting in the drilling of a rescue shaft to rescue the 33 trapped Chilean gold and copper miners. The planned rescue itself will be by using a steel capsule designed by the Chilean navy lowered into the hole to bring the miners to the surface one-by-one.

This current drilling employs a T-130 rig standing 45 meters tall with a Center Rock percussion-technology drill that can bore through as much as 40 meters of rock per day, depending on conditions. Center Rock has drilled holes as wide as 10 feet in diameter; this drill is carving a shaft 28" in diameter - wide enough to lift a man through using the capsule.

Brandon Fisher, whose American company built the drills, said that the pneumatic-based drilling system that will dig the final hole will have four hammers instead of just one - like the drill that Center Rock used to initially reach the miners with a 12" pilot hole.

Center Rock's drilling expertise was called upon by industry experts and Chile to drill this rescue bore hole for the 33 miners who were trapped during a cave-in on August 5th. The first small bore hole that reached the miners 17 days after the mine collapse brought news to the world they were alive 2,070 feet below the surface. Rescuers have been sending food, medicine and letters through a small pipe to the miners, as well as video cameras so the miners can communicate with their families.

Cutting large diameter holes in rock can be a challenge - the low profile (L.P.) drill series from Center Rock is currently used by some of the nation's largest building, roadway, and mining contractors to quickly drill holes to the exact size required by their specifications. The advanced engineering of the drills provides a cost effec¬tive solution for drilling and excavation requirements up to 120" in diameter.

About Brandon W. Fisher:

Brandon Fisher founded Center Rock, Inc. in 1998 as a small drilling company that has grown to become a leading manufacturer, supplier and service provider of drilling products that now employs approximately 70 people and continues to expand. Fisher's innovative and adaptive leadership coupled with Center Rock's quick responsiveness, unique products and 24-hour customer service are the hallmark of Fisher's entrepreneurial commitment and a key ingredient to his company's ability to compete in the drilling market, world-wide.

About Center Rock, Inc.:

Headquartered in Berlin, PA (with a Construction Product Sales office in Germantown, WI, and an engineering team in Roanoke, VA), Center Rock, Inc. manufactures and distributes a complete line of air drilling tools and products, including L.P. Drills and Hole Openers, that together meet drilling needs ranging from 5" to 120". The company's staff provides more than 75 years of combined oil field and construction site experience, excelling in hard-rock / unconventional environments.

Center Rock drills are frequently used to cut foundation holes for highway overpasses, bridge supports, building foundations and large utility poles among many other infrastructure projects as well as for mining, oil and gas and geothermal drilling.
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