Boart Longyear samples for the proposed Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. In spite of the financial crisis, the 1930s saw improvements in diamond drilling technology, including the use of industrial-quality diamonds mined in Africa that were called “boarts.” In 1936, South Africa’s Anglo American Corporation formed Boart Products South Africa (Pty) Limited, which was later named Boart International. The new company developed the first mechanically-set diamond core bits, which were less expensive than the hand-set core bits that used more expensive Brazilian diamonds (carbonados). Longyear’s business gradually improved in the 1940s in response to expanding worldwide mineral exploration. In 1949, the
Boart Longyear Boart Longyear Boart Longyear is a global mineral exploration company founded in 1890. It is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. Regional offices and operations are located in the Asia-Pacific region, North and South America, Europe, and Africa. The company provides mineral exploration services and drilling products for the global mining industry and also has a presence in drilling water exploration, environmental sampling, energy, and oil sands exploration. As of 2018, it employed more than 5,000 people. In 1888, Edmund J. Longyear, a mining engineer from the first graduating class at the Michigan Mining School, drilled the first