HolePlan™ is a trademark of Hole Plan Ltd. All software code and 3D visualisation logic are protected under the International Copyright Law. This software is an independent engineering tool and is not affiliated with any hardware manufacturer.
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Drilling intelligence without borders
BY IVAN DIMITROV – EXPERIENCED DRILLING ENGINEER & CEO OF HOLEPLAN™
LYUBOMIR BANDROV & ILIYAN VENKOV – SENIOR SOFTWARE ENGINEERS
In exploration diamond drilling, the synergy between office-based engineering and field execution remains a persistent operational challenge. While survey tool technology has advanced rapidly, the software used to manage borehole trajectories and store critical data often remains locked within closed ecosystems or scattered across various sources, leaving project managers struggling with fragmented information.
Essential information, including survey trajectories, lithology logs, and rod configurations, is often fragmented across multiple software ecosystems. Integrating data from diverse hardware providers frequently results in manual migration challenges. This lack of compatibility doesn't just slow down reporting but also masks the real-time visibility needed to make crucial decisions.
HolePlan™ was engineered to resolve this friction by providing a completely vendor-neutral workspace. Unlike traditional platforms, it acts as a centralized data hub where all stakeholders can integrate data from any provider into a spatially accurate 3D environment.
The software architecture of HolePlan™ makes it a unified platform for drilling intelligence.
To effectively integrate drilling data, it is essential to start with a standardized reference frame. The use of a globally recognized coordinate system like UTM and including automated Grid North correction is crucial. For instance, at a depth of 1,500 m, an uncorrected grid north error of just 1.5° can result in 40 m of horizontal displacement. By handling this correction at the architectural level, HolePlan™ ensures that all trajectories remain consistently referenced.
A platform supporting both Metric and Imperial units is a first step to real data sovereignty. The vendor-neutral solution allows all historical survey data — whether collected with magnetic tools today or high-precision gyros tomorrow — to remain in a unified, accessible format.
Once drilling begins, a centralized survey data management panel serves as the primary record for each drilled interval: trajectory measurements, lithology, downhole components, and target definitions in a range of shapes and dimensions. Data can be entered manually or synchronized in bulk through simplified Excel or CSV templates, eliminating the double-handling of information that typically fragments field records.
The Survey Data Management Panel provides instantaneous feedback on the 3D view.
Unlike most drilling software that treats planning and execution as separate activities, HolePlan™ provides a consolidated engineering framework that connects them into a dynamic continuous workflow. The journey begins with trajectory design, moves through field data capture and extends into real-time deviation analysis and equipment protection, with each phase seamlessly transitioning into the following one.
Precision starts with selecting the right trajectory model for the ground conditions at hand:
The multi-branch planning capability allows engineers to design paths where several branches deviate from a single mother hole — collaborating directly with directional drilling contractors within the same project environment.
Straight hole model
Natural deviation model
Directional drilling model
Multi-branch planning capability
As survey data accumulates, comparing the actual borehole path against the planned trajectory at every meter becomes crucially important. Continuous Path-to-Plan Analysis lets engineers track whether the hole remains within the defined trajectory tolerances and predict how emerging deviations will develop under various scenarios. This transforms reactive decision-making into proactive steering control.
Continuous path-to-plan analysis
The workflow closes with a safety layer that applies rod specifications, CDDA values, and engineering input to the accumulated trajectory data. HolePlan™ incorporates real-time dogleg severity (DLS) color-coding directly onto the 3D trajectories to highlight intervals of high curvature where fatigue or twist-off risk is elevated. By visually flagging curvature rates, the software provides an instant risk analysis, helping protect both the drill string and the project budget before problems occur underground.
Real-time dogleg severity (DLS) color-coding
Exploration drilling often happens in the world's most challenging environments — regions where digital infrastructure is non-existent, and a stable internet connection is often a luxury. In the context of these harsh field realities, a desktop engine offers a more reliable and field-ready foundation for drilling operations than a cloud-dependent platform.
HolePlan™ is built on a high-performance desktop engine, designed to operate on field workstations. By processing all 3D visualizations and complex trajectory calculations locally, the software ensures that engineers maintain a continuous, uninterrupted workflow even at the most remote sites on Earth. A system built on the belief that a connection should be a bonus, not a requirement.
100% offline power for remote operations
HolePlan™ is designed as a vendor-neutral and data-centric engineering environment, with its utility extending across the industry:
By serving each stakeholder within a unified framework, HolePlan™ supports collaboration without sacrificing data ownership or operational independence.
We believe advanced drilling software should be accessible to every participant in the exploration process. Our pricing model is designed to remove traditional cost barriers, enabling independent drillers, field geologists, and global mining organizations alike to adopt modern, high-precision tools without complex licensing. The result is faster adoption, broader collaboration, and measurable operational value across the entire drilling cycle.
As exploration targets become deeper and more complex, the need for independent, flexible, and precise software tools has never been greater. HolePlan™ isn't just a new software tool; it is a shift toward a more open, transparent, and safe drilling industry.
The initial release of HolePlan™ establishes its foundation, but the architecture is designed for continuous development. By unifying exploration drilling data into a single, client-controlled platform, HolePlan™ gives engineers something that fragmented systems never could: a complete operational picture, accessible anywhere, controlled by the people who need it most.
Originally published as "HolePlan Trajectory Design Software: Drilling Intelligence Without Borders" in Coring Magazine. Read the original article on Coring Magazine ↗
