I'm not a religous man but, if those of you that are religous are saying some prayers tonight, say one for those poor guys trapped in the mine in Chile.

Lets hope that some of the technology that goes into extracting wealth from the Earth and the resources that governments worldwide use for military purposes will be mobilised in the effort to get them out safely.

Yes! It is hard to believe that it should/could take until Decembers to get them out...:confused1:

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Thomas

"Hey, ...I'm just ridin' shotgun"

This is in Chile right ????

I was reading about it today. It's friggin crazy !! I wonder how much money/effort the company are actually putting into it.

As if their lives weren't tough enough as it is.

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Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

Amen to that. I know nothing about mining and the practical difficulties of drilling a larger shaft to get them out but surely some company / government somewhere must have the equipment to do it quicker than three months.

As my wife said when we were talking about it this morning " where's International Rescue when you need them?"

Drilling a 700m hole would take weeks under normal circumstances. Drilling a 500mm shaft wide enough for man access whilst ensuring minimal disturbance (so as not to cause further collapse) in a fractured rock adds much complexity. Throw in the fact that the world is watching your every move and you can see why it would take so long. Constructing a borehole isnt simply a case of 'just drilling a hole'. You have to use casing to support the sides of the hole and even with all the care in the world gear can get trapped halfway down the hole. Imagine what it must be like to be one of the drillers knowing that the lives of so many people depend on you. That must be quite a high pressured job.

It's hard to tell from the photos exactly what rig they're using, but basically what I'm saying is that it is not a unreasonable amount of time to construct this borehole. Mining companies and oil exploration companies have access to the best drilling rigs (they are the main market for rigs) so it is reasonable to assume that the rig they are using is suitable.

Slow and steady is definitely the way to go here. There are no shortcuts.

Hope that helps.
Gar (officially a geologist, but an environmental consultant by trade)
Edit: Who am I kidding? Officially I'm a waster and I'm lucky to have a job :-)

Great comments! From what I've read and heard on news, Gar's comments are spot on. As much as the Miners in Chile get screwed over, in this case the whole world is watching and the pressure is on.

What I haven't heard is who really owns the company? I wonder if its a front company for a US or Euro based corporation as is often the case.

I pray for those poor guys and can only help the good that comes out of this may force the companies to improve working conditions.

We have similar issues in the USA. Unbelievable abuse, blatant federal and state safety violations. No one seems to care. Very sad state of affairs here and I'm sure its possibly even worse in Chile.

Think good thoughts!

Three out as I type this. So far,so good.

Should be some fat wage packets waiting, provided they haven't lost their bonus.

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Anything can happen in the next half hour

The Miners had another reason to get out quickly, as Gary Glitter was coming over to lend his support to the Chilean rescue operation, but they needn't have panicked, as he changed his mind once he realised they weren't trapped Minors!

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[/SIZE] "Live dangerously for as long as you can!"

Eighteen out now, keep those fingers crossed.

nearly there brave men fingers crossed

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Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do.

All 33 miners rescued!

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Who breaks a butterfly upon a wheel?

Cheers Here's to them.

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My trip to Millau (France) and back 2009.http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...u-france-43474

Fantastic news!

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Nick and his 2010 Yamaha XT1200Z Super Ténéré