Tag Archives: drill rigs

Sandvik to deliver ‘biggest BEV fleet to date’ for Foran’s McIlvenna Bay

Automation, Base metals, Energy minerals, Environmental, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, Power supply for mines, Sustainable mining, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Foran Mining has selected Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions to supply a fleet of 20 battery-electric vehicles (BEVs), including trucks, loaders and drills, for its McIlvenna Bay project in Saskatchewan, Canada.

Set to be one of the world’s first carbon-neutral copper development projects, McIlvenna Bay will be powered by clean hydroelectric power and designed to take advantage of Sandvik’s latest technological advances in sustainable mining, the OEM says.

Sandvik’s biggest BEV fleet to date will include seven Sandvik 18-t-payload LH518B loaders (pictured dumping into a TH550B), six Sandvik 50-t-payload TH550B trucks, four Sandvik DD422iE jumbo drill rigs, two Sandvik DL422iE longhole drills and one Sandvik DS412iE mechanical bolter. Delivery of the equipment is scheduled to begin next year and continue into 2025, Sandvik says.

Sandvik will also provide on-site service support and Battery as a Service by Sandvik at the underground copper-zinc mining project located in east-central Saskatchewan.

Jakob Rutqvist, VP Strategy and Commercial for Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions’ Battery and Hybrid Electric Vehicles (BHEV) Business Unit, said: “This record contract is the culmination of a year-long collaborative effort between Foran Mining and Sandvik and demonstrates a shared vision that electrification will drive the future of sustainable mining. BEVs have enormous potential to reduce a mining operation’s carbon footprint, and Canada continues to be the epicentre for mining electrification and a blueprint for what to expect in other major mining regions very soon.”

Copper and zinc are critical metals for the transition to a low-carbon future as essential elements of electrical grids, solar panels, wind turbines and batteries. The McIlvenna Bay project intends to supply those minerals in a way that will not only be carbon neutral but ultimately have a net positive impact on the climate, according to Sandvik.

Dave Bernier, Chief Operating Officer of Foran Mining, said: “This is a very exciting period for Foran as we continue to execute on our initiatives to permit, construct and operate McIlvenna Bay. Sandvik is a global leader in industrial battery technology and we look forward to working together on our project. Utilising battery-electric equipment with semi- and fully-autonomous capabilities can help us achieve carbon neutral targets and provide a safer working environment, which is part of our Net Positive Business strategy as we look to deliver critical metals essential for global decarbonisation in a responsible and socially-empowering way.”

Foran Mining conducted a thorough analysis during its 2020 prefeasibility study to determine the investment case for BEVs compared with diesel. The company determined that BEVs would deliver better financial results at McIlvenna Bay when considering the savings generated through lower ventilation capital and operating costs.

That report, authored by AGP Mining Consultants Inc, envisaged the potential use of 7 Sandvik LH517i LHDs and 11 Artisan Vehicles (Sandvik) Z50 battery electric trucks for a 3,600 t/d of polymetallic ore operation.

Stefan Widing, President and CEO of Sandvik, said: “I am very pleased that Foran Mining has chosen Sandvik to deliver our leading battery-electric solutions for the pioneering McIlvenna Bay project. We see very strong momentum for our mining electrification offering, which offers great potential in driving more sustainable mining, helping customers to boost productivity, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve workers’ health.”

A dedicated on-site project team will be jointly working with the mine’s operations team to ensure the products and services in the delivery scope support the alliance on Foran’s journey towards more productive, efficient and sustainable mining, Sandvik said.

“Battery as a Service by Sandvik will enable McIlvenna Bay to get the most out of its battery-electric equipment by relying on unrivaled expertise to manage the capacity and health of batteries and chargers throughout their long lives,” it added.

Rio Tinto orders more Epiroc Pit Viper 271s, SmartROC D65s for Pilbara iron ore mines

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Epiroc says it has won a large order for mining equipment from Rio Tinto in Australia that will see it deliver several Epiroc Pit Viper 271 drill rigs to be retrofitted by Rio Tinto with autonomous capabilities.

On top of the Pit Viper 271s, Epiroc is set to provide SmartROC D65 drill rigs loaded with intelligent features, it said. The units will be used at the miner’s iron ore operations in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.

The order exceeds SEK150 million ($14.7 million) in value and was booked in the June quarter of 2022. It follows a large order by Rio Tinto in the March quarter of 2022, also for Pit Viper 271s, and a large order in 2021 for Pit Viper 271 and SmartROC D65 rigs, also for its iron ore mines in Pilbara.

Epiroc President and CEO, Helena Hedblom, said: “Epiroc and Rio Tinto have a long-standing partnership focused on optimising safety and productivity through cutting-edge innovation.”

The Pit Viper 271 and SmartROC D65 drill rigs, manufactured in Texas, USA, and Örebro, Sweden, respectively, are built to face the toughest conditions and will come installed with Epiroc’s Rig Control System, RCS, making them ready for automation and remote control, Epiroc noted.

Murray & Roberts Cementation taps VR, simulators, operational mock-ups to raise training bar

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Virtual reality, simulation and mock-ups are among the range of learning platforms the Murray & Roberts Cementation Training Academy (MRTA) is using to raise the bar in training operators of mechanised equipment.

The impact of these enhanced training techniques is not just improved safety and productivity in mining operations, but also a business cost awareness, according to Tony Pretorius, Education, Training and Development (ETD) Executive at Murray & Roberts Cementation.

“Our unique approach to training mechanised operators takes the process well beyond the regulated requirements,” Pretorius said.

After covering the psycho-motor skills, induction, legal and technical skills, and the relevant standards and procedures of the mine, MRTA takes an innovative approach to the more practical elements of the training. For instance, learners are placed in a virtual environment to assess the condition of equipment, followed by videos showing how this equipment operates in the workplace and how it is to be inspected.

“They then progress to the use of simulators, where we can monitor three main areas of proficiency: health and safety, machine appreciation and productivity enhancement,” Pretorius said. “The academy’s selection of simulators for this purpose includes the Sandvik DD321 drill rig, the Sandvik DD311 bolter, the Sandvik 514 and Sandvik 517 LHDs.”

He noted that a compact, mobile and immersive virtual reality drill rig simulator has also been introduced, allowing learners to experience a range of tasks. These include accurate indexing according to surveyed positions, different face conditions and various drill and blast patterns. It also simulates emergency triggers and highlights where the operator’s drilling behaviour is sub-standard, showing the consequences of this for boom and drilling consumables.

“Operators can also receive feedback simulations, where the cost of consumables and operational disruptions are explained,” Pretorius said.

The learners can then be introduced to the mock-up environment at MRTA, where they can have the real experience of machine operation in a confined space. Here, they are required to demonstrate applied capability in emergency preparedness, machine inspections and brake tests as well as machine set-up and operations.

“What is important for all operators to understand is how their behaviour impacts on mine costs and productivity,” Pretorius said. “This is one of the key areas where our interventions distinguish us in the training space.”

He said only after this intensive preparation are the learners placed in a workplace where they can progress to the required applied competency levels in a safe manner.

Dando Drilling officially launches Infinity Range of rigs

Mineral exploration, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , , , ,

Dando Drilling International has officially launched its Infinity Range of drilling rigs, bringing with it a new modular and scalable way of manufacturing rigs for the mineral exploration, water well and geotechnical drilling sectors.

Launched in the presence of the Lord-Lieutenant of West Sussex, Susan Pyper (pictured in the centre), on July 1, the event – attended by IM – saw Pyper and Mark Jones, Managing Director of Dando (pictured left), unveil a plaque to commemorate the occasion. It was followed by a visit from the Right Honourable Nicolas Gibb, MP for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton and Minister of State (Education), on July 2.

UK-based Dando has created a centralised design across the drilling sectors, which can be scaled up or down, and fitted with the appropriate equipment for each application with its Infinity Range.

This new approach to rig design allows Dando to offer multiple variations including pullback capacity, undercarriage type, engine power and options of auxiliary equipment, without rigs needing to be designed and engineered almost from scratch.

“The Infinity Range incorporates Dando’s ‘bespoke’ mantle while maximising the use of ‘off-the-shelf’ components enabling the company to accelerate the build and delivery time of its rigs, whilst improving safety and reducing environmental impact,” the company said. “The range also includes new Sonic and Multitec rigs and various rod handling options, further providing the ability to meet customer demands and requirements and enhancing safety.”

Among a plethora of options aboard these new rigs is the incorporation of two engines – a larger one to power the compressor and smaller one for the hydraulics – the ability to operate the rigs via radio remote control; and tracked/crawler, trailer, skid or truck/pickup undercarriage.

Mark Jones, Managing Director of Dando Drilling International, said: “During the past year, Dando has been responsive and adaptive to change, with the outcome being our industry-leading design which offers versatility, cost efficiency and shorter lead times. The Infinity Range showcases the very best of British engineering and, with almost infinite permutations across the key drilling sectors, enables us to deliver our customers truly bespoke rigs.

“With over 150 years of experience in the drilling industry, along with the best of modern engineering, Dando’s new Infinity Range applies innovation to its robust rig design to create a sustainable model of rig manufacturing for the future.”

The company is currently in the process of constructing the first Infinity rig for a water well customer in Ethiopia. There are expectations the Infinity Range will also catch on in the exploration sector given there are many existing Multitec rigs in use across the globe at projects.

Drill rig utilisation nears capacity in key mining hubs, IMDEX survey reveals

Mineral exploration, Mining equipment, Mining services, , , ,

A snapshot of mineral exploration drill rig use in major mining regions globally has revealed Australia, USA and parts of South America are nearing capacity, as the surge in exploration continues unabated, IMDEX reports.

In a market update ahead of a presentation to the Macquarie Emerging Leaders Conference, IMDEX said rig utilisation in Australia was “nearing capacity” at 79%, and 72% in North America.

IMDEX Chief Executive Officer Paul House said the company was able to produce the snapshot because of its global presence in major mining regions, adding that global rig utilisation had only just returned to or exceeded pre-COVID 19 levels.

The March snapshot showed rig utilisation was at 37% in Europe, 38% in South America, 30% in Africa, and 55% in Canada.

Activity in Canada would be significantly higher in the northern summer drilling season, House explained, while certain parts of South America were at high capacity percentages.

In regions nearing capacity, delivery times for new rigs had increased and labour shortages were adding to the pressure, according to the survey.

“We believe the industry is willing to invest and spend but may not be able to move as fast as it would like,” House said. “The industry drivers of depleted reserves, strong commodity pricing and the trend towards decarbonisation, are driving substantially increased industry exploration budgets.

“However, delivery against these targets will require time and investment in labour, drilling rigs, and other supply chain pressures that are a current constraint.”

He added: “When S+P says exploration will grow by 15-20% in a year and we see that the areas that are most active are running at maximum rig utilisation, and we know the lead time for new rig orders has blown out to nine or 10 months, we believe that increase won’t happen in that timeframe.

“A lack of rigs places even more importance on using the best technology to drill more metres with the rigs that are available.”

House said the long-term outlook for mining technology was strong.

IMDEX was positioned to benefit from increasing demand for digital operations and real-time orebody knowledge, with a strong core business and strategy to outperform industry growth, he said.

Fortescue fast-tracks carbon neutrality aim, sets plan to trial hydrogen-powered drills

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Fortescue Metals Group is accelerating its carbon neutrality efforts, with the iron ore miner now expecting to achieve this ‘green’ milestone by 2030, 10 years earlier than its previous target.

Fortescue Future Industries (FFI), a wholly owned subsidiary of Fortescue, will be a key enabler of this target through the development of green electricity, green hydrogen and green ammonia projects in Australia, however, the company has also identified battery-electric technology as a potential diesel alternative game changer.

Dr Andrew Forrest, Chairman of Fortescue Metals Group, said: “We have joined the global battle to defeat climate change. We are trialling and demonstrating green hydrogen technologies in global-scale commercial environments, while also rapidly evolving into a green hydrogen and electricity producer of similar scale.”

In line with its 2030 aim, Fortescue, through FFI and its operations team, is undertaking to deliver several key projects by the stretch target of June 30, 2021. This, the company says, will underpin its pathway to decarbonisation.

These projects include:

  • Developing a ship design powered by green ammonia and trialling that design in new ammonia engine technology, at scale;
  • Testing large battery technology in its haul trucks – a project the company is pursuing with the help of Williams Advanced Engineering;
  • Trialling hydrogen fuel cell power for its drill rigs;
  • Trialling technology on its locomotives to run on green ammonia; and
  • Conducting trials to use renewable energy in the Pilbara of Western Australia to convert iron ore to “green iron” at low temperatures, without coal.

Fortescue Chief Executive Officer, Elizabeth Gaines, said: “Each of these projects will contribute to the world’s inexorable march to carbon neutrality. Fortescue will establish that the major steel, truck, train, ship and mobile plant industries can be operated with renewable, environmentally friendly energy. This will be possible as a result of these ground-breaking Fortescue trials. Each will be tested by Fortescue using commercial-scale equipment to prove that the demand for direct green electricity, green hydrogen and green ammonia could one day be as large as the fossil fuel industry.”

She added: “These projects are in addition to Fortescue’s significant investment with our partners into energy infrastructure, including the Chichester Solar Gas Hybrid Project and Pilbara Energy Connect program.”

Forrest said the company’s commitment to demonstrate green hydrogen’s economic value in world-scale operations, and become a major energy exporter, means Fortescue will emerge as an “executor” of major green hydrogen projects.

He said the company’s green energy and industry initiatives may one day out-scale its iron ore business due to the global demand for renewable energy, but Fortescue’s commitment to iron ore and resources globally “remains indefeasible”.

Fortescue says it is seeking to move from being a major consumer of fossil fuel with a current trajectory of more than 1 billion litres a year of diesel being used across the operations if no remedial action is taken – to a major clean and renewable energy exporter.

FFI is advancing projects across Australia, including Tasmania, to build large-scale renewable energy and green hydrogen production capacity. This will expedite the substitution of green hydrogen and green ammonia for carbon-based fuels, it says. These projects will, with the support of Australia’s governments, contribute to a significant reduction in national carbon emissions.

Kumba’s Kolomela, Sishen iron ore mines to deploy Rosond nex-gen exploration drill rigs

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Rosond of Midrand, South Africa, is combining automation, software, data analytics and machine learning to create a next-generation drill rig that will help transition the company from contractor to technology provider.

The company dispatched the final batch of 28 state-of-the-art drill rigs to Anglo American’s majority owned Kumba Iron Ore operations in the Northern Cape in December, to be rolled out at Kumba’s Kolomela and Sishen iron ore mines. This forms part of a R2 billion ($134 million), five-year tender clinched by Rosond to supply Anglo American with the latest drilling technology as it modernises its geoscience operations.

“We really believe that this is going to be a future game changer,” Ricardo Ribeiro, Managing Director of Rosond, said.

In the face of COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, Rosond said it was able to compress a year’s work into six months. It collaborated with a leading Italian manufacturer to develop the advanced drill rigs, which will be deployed for core, percussion and reverse circulation drilling.

“I am happy to report that the last two drill rigs were dispatched in December 2020,” Ribeiro added. “We are excited to see the entire fleet operational early this year. These are some of the most highly-advanced exploration drill rigs in the world.”

The drill rigs feature increased safety with the automation of most of the arduous and dangerous manual labour involved, Rosond says, taking away the need to handle the drill rods, and load and unload heavy equipment from the drill rigs.

The rig operators are housed in a climate-controlled, air-conditioned control room for an improved work environment that, in turn, assists with fatigue management and also boosts productivity and accuracy, Rosond says.

The opportunity to build such rigs also arose with several women being deployed as part of a team at Kumba. Recruiting and training this team formed part of Rosond’s tender with Anglo American, Ribeiro explained.

Rosond took the strategic step in 2012 to begin developing new technology for the drilling and exploration sectors, with the drill rigs leveraging the latest developments in software, telemetry and automation.

“We brought in a lot of technology from the construction and oil and gas industries to develop specific functionalities such as dust suppression and automation, as well as software and telemetry systems,” Ribeiro said.

The 28-strong fleet at Kumba will be deployed in an 80 km radius to optimise exploration drilling by providing critical geological data about the sites under investigation, Rosond says.

Having successfully developed the hardware of the new drill rigs themselves, the future plan is to launch a software division to focus on the application of data analytics and artificial intelligence in optimising the drilling process, as well as promoting machine learning.

“We are optimistic that in the future our drill rigs will be able to identify all the necessary parameters in order to be able to guide the operators seamlessly,” Ribeiro said. “The end goal in our development process is to have a full autonomous drill rig.”

Epiroc ‘new generation’ Boomer drill rig to launch in 2021

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Epiroc is planning a “new generation” Boomer face drilling launch in 2021 as it looks to capture more market share in the underground mining contractor market.

Speaking at Epiroc’s Capital Markets Day Fika 2020 event on Monday, Sami Niiranen, President of Epiroc’s Underground division, said the new rigs would be designed for increasing both production and safety.

The company referred to the machine in presentation slides as a “true development rig, fully equipped for multi-task operation and automation”, with Niiranen adding that the Boomer will come with a battery-electric driveline option.

During his presentation, Niiranen also provided investors and interested parties with the latest numbers on Epiroc’s digitalisation and automation solutions.

He confirmed that more than 1,000 machines were now connected to the company’s Certiq telematics system, while there were circa-90 production Simba production drills operating autonomously. This came alongside around 50 automated underground LHDs and some 670 drills with full automation capability.

Epiroc to showcase surface drilling automation expertise at CONEXPO 2020

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Jon Torpy, General Manager and President for Epiroc USA, says the company is heading into its first CONEXPO-CON/AGG as “an experienced company committed to driving the future of intelligent infrastructure development, quarrying and mining”.

The company plans to showcase its surface drilling automation expertise at the Las Vegas show, taking place on March 10-14, with several “innovative and productive offerings” set for their North America debut.

The new Epiroc SmartROC D60 down-the-hole (DTH) surface drill rig for quarrying, mining and construction (pictured) will get a showing. This rig has been updated with Epiroc’s innovative automation-ready platform, with the D60 offering the “intelligence and power to consistently and efficiently drill high-quality blast holes with accuracy and precision”, Epiroc says.

It is loaded with smart features such as automated drilling and rod handling that increase safety, efficiency and consistency for a lower total cost of ownership, according to the company.

The automation-ready platform also includes the new Auto Feed Fold feature. With a single action, Auto Feed Fold enables the operator to fold the feed for tramming or position it for drilling. This also comes in handy when operating one or more drill rigs remotely with the BenchREMOTE option, Epiroc said.

The D60 can drill holes of 4.6-7 in (11.68-17.78 cm) in diameter and to a maximum depth of 182 ft (55.47 m). “All these features and flexibility are packed in a rig that is economical to run due to the intelligent control of the compressor and engine rpm,” Epiroc said.

The SmartROC D60 also uses 79 gallons (359 litres) less hydraulic oil than previous versions and features fewer hoses and pumps, according to the company. This helps to further reduce costs and makes servicing easier, while increasing sustainability and reducing the environmental impact of the rig.

Alongside the SmartROC D60 rig at the Epiroc CONEXPO-CON/AGG stand will be the PowerROC D60 Tier 4 Final surface drill rig.

This hydraulic DTH surface drill rig for mining and quarrying not only drills the largest holes in the PowerROC family, it is equipped with an engine that meets Tier 4 Final emissions regulations to reduce its environmental footprint, the company says.

The rig can drill large holes ranging from 4.31-7 in. In addition, the 5+1 Rod Handling System makes it possible to drill holes down to a depth of 98.5 ft, according to the company.

“The rig features a pilot hydraulic system and straightforward electronics which make the PowerROC D60 both easy to operate and simple to service,” Epiroc says. “The powerful rotation unit ensures that the rig can operate reliably in all types of rock conditions. In addition, a highly effective dust collection system ensures that the work environment is kept clean and safe, which protects both machine and personnel.”

The last big rig to go on display will be the Epiroc DM30 II.

Built off the same platform as the DM45 and DML blasthole drill rigs, the Epiroc DM30 II is suitable for a variety of multi-pass rotary and DTH drilling applications, Epiroc says. The compact yet heavy-duty design of the DM30 II delivers powerful performance and easy transport between benches or even between properties, according to the company.

A crawler-mounted, hydraulic tophead-drive rig, the DM30 II can achieve a clean hole depth of 28 ft for single-pass applications and up to 148 ft for multi-pass applications with a starter rod under the rotary head. It also features a 30-ft drill pipe change and a four-rod carousel. It is designed to handle 4-6.5 in drill pipes with a pulldown of up to 30,000 lbf (133,446.7 newtons) and a hole diameter of 5.5-7.875 in.

The mainframe and layout of the machine has been updated for 2020 to better assist customers needing a small-profile machine for tight drilling conditions or transit between sites, Epiroc said. Reductions include: working width (to 14.16 ft); transport width with ladders and non-cab side jack removed (12.3 ft); and height, tower down (15.4 ft).

Customers can choose a low- or high-pressure compressor to create the right configuration for their drilling operation. The DM Series drill rig can be equipped with on-board technology capabilities with the optional Epiroc Rig Control System (RCS) Lite for added safety and productivity.

The company will also use the show to talk up its new digital fleet management solution, My Epiroc.

My Epiroc is available on web and mobile devices with features for increasing fleet efficiency and safety. The platform enables mining and infrastructure operations to optimise fleet performance, with the solution to be demonstrated at the Epiroc booth.

“Regardless of role – a fleet manager focusing on uptime, a machine operator getting the job done, or a member of the service team keeping on top of equipment performance, safety and reliability – My Epiroc is built to assist in accomplishing jobs and improving work flow,” the company said.

Epiroc will also exhibit rock drilling tools solutions for integration with the FlexiROC T30 R, PowerROC D60 and SmartROC D60 drilling rigs, while presenting its TCO supervisory agreement to improve fleet maintenance and lower total cost of ownership.

JSW Australia enlists help of BBurg for customised drill rig development

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Drill contractor JSW Australia says it has formed a strategic alliance with German drill rig manufacturer BBurg to develop customised drill rigs specifically suited to local conditions.

The partnership with BBurg also supports the ongoing evolution of the JSW fleet, the company said.

The first product of the new alliance is the HD2500RC, a leading technology rig developed to tackle challenging terrain at the Fortescue Metals Group Solomon Hub site in the Pilbara of Western Australia (pictured), JSW said. The first rig is expected to be deployed on site early next year with a second planned for delivery later in the first half of 2020.

JSW CEO, Jeff Branson, said: “The terrain at Solomon makes the preparation of drill pads difficult and expensive, which created an opportunity for a high powered, small footprint drill rig. With many years of experience working at the Solomon site and having experienced the challenges posed by the terrain, we shared ideas and concepts with BBurg, which provided the foundation for the development of the new rig.”

Branson added: “BBurg’s knowledge and experience in the development of top hammer and down-the-hole machines for mining applications has enabled us to custom-build a rig that is ideally suited to the site conditions, and we are excited about putting it to work on site.”

The HD2500RC has the following key features:

  • Low footprint with width of 3.5 m;
  • High power with capacity to push 32.3 cu.m/min of air at 500 psi down the hole;
  • Rod handler to increase productivity and improve safety;
  • 330 m of rod capacity on board; and
  • Full wireless remote control.

The alliance with BBurg is part of a broader JSW strategy to ensure that its fleet is continually upgraded and improved to meet the changing needs of the market, the company said.

“BBurg’s customer-driven engineering approach, which tailors rigs to specific applications, resonated with us as it supports our ability to provide customised drilling services to our clients,” he said.

“The HD2500RC is the first of several new rigs that we will be introducing in the near future.

“Our fleet is reviewed and upgraded regularly, and we are excited about the new rigs that will be added, making the latest technology available to our clients and supporting the achievement of their objectives.”