Tag Archives: Fimiston

Ausdrill presents One Touch drilling

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Ausdrill is bringing One Touch drilling to its Rock Commander blasthole fleet, in the process creating a future where drilling can be optimised for efficiency and precision with minimal manual intervention.

The company, part of Perenti, said the innovative technology is set to transform the way it drills, and the way its operators work.

With just a single touch of a button, a driller can pre-select the hole depth and the machine takes care of the rest. It will touch ground, collar the hole, and then drill down to the required depth, including changing rods and flushing the hole. This means there is no need for manual intervention except for potential finetuning, Ausdrill says.

“One Touch ensures every step is meticulously executed, prolonging component life and reducing wear and tear, making it a safe, highly efficient and cost-saving solution,” it added.

In a video promoting the launch, Luke Phillips, Area Manager, Drill & Blast Operations, said One Touch drilling sets Ausdrill apart from its competition: “We are bringing this technology that is essentially already existing in the marketplace to the world-class Rock Commander fleet.”

The move coincides with the recently awarded five-year contract at the Northern Star Resources-owned Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines (KCGM) Fimiston open-pit gold mine in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia.

The circa-A$160 million ($104 million), 60-month contract – the largest ever Australia surface mining contract Perenti has received – incorporates activities that commenced March 1, 2022, and will continue to March 2027. It includes the provision for up to 14 production blasthole drill rigs to support ongoing operations.

Phillips said One Touch drilling and the KCGM contract form an integral part of the Ausdrill technology roadmap.

“The stages thereafter will be a semi-autonomous approach to how we work, and mine and drill in and around underground work,” he said.

Ian Chisholm, a Driller at the Fimiston Open Pit, referred to the technology as “cruise control” for a drill rig.

“You just push the button and everything is done for you,” he said, adding that the rest of the process is made up of monitoring tasks.

Phillips added: “One Touch drilling benefits the client because it has the potential to remove human error in regards to rework or redrilling holes. [It also] reduces or removes damage because it is a semi-autonomous product, and it’s something that our trainees can engage with at an early grassroots stage.”

Related to this, SITECH WA, a provider of innovative technology solutions for mining operations in Western Australia, recently announced a strategic partnership with Ausdrill to introduce Trimble Groundworks machine guidance technology across Ausdrill’s Rock Commander fleet.

The integration was referred to as a milestone achievement for both companies, with the successful implementation of Groundworks on Rock Commanders at BHP WAIO laying the foundation for this partnership. The synergy between Rock Commander and Groundworks has solidified this decision, further influencing its adoption at KCGM’s Fimiston gold open pit (the Super Pit).

Trimble Groundworks boasts a user-friendly interface that enhances job site safety, accuracy and operational efficiency, according to the company. Operators of all skill levels can quickly adapt to and leverage the system’s capabilities, making it a powerful tool for mining professionals. Real-time spatial information provided by Groundworks also significantly enhances safety by alerting operators to exclusion zones and potential hazards.

One of the notable benefits of this integration is the elimination of the need for manual marking of drill patterns, resulting in substantial labour cost savings, the companies said.

NRW’s Primero Group awarded major EPC contract for KCGM Growth Project

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NRW Holdings says its wholly owned subsidiary Primero Group Limited has entered into an EPC contract with Northern Star Resources Limited for its KCGM Growth Project in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia.

The execution of the engineering, procurement and construction contract follows an extensive program of work to define the scope, cost and schedule, according to NRW. Under the agreement, Primero will be responsible for the design, procurement, construction and commissioning of the process plant facilities, with the commercial model for delivery an “Incentivised Target Cost”.

The EPC contract has an approximate value of A$973 million ($647 million). The contract is scheduled for completion by the September quarter of 2026.

Last month, Northern Star announced the final investment decision on the KCGM Mill Expansion project, agreeing to invest A$1.5 billion to boost the mill’s capacity to 27 Mt/y, from 13 Mt/y. Included within this is 20 MW grinding mills – the highest powered, gear-driven mills in the world – and the first gear-driven 28 ft (8.5 m) diameter ball mill, according to FLSmidth.

Primero participated in a competitive early contractor involvement (ECI) program from January 2022 and has worked with the Northern Star project team to develop a technically-superior design that will bring operating benefits to the Fimiston processing plant, it says. Following the ECI program, Primero was engaged to undertake further value engineering and scope development.

Primero’s Managing Director, Michael Gollschewski, said: “The execution of the KCGM Growth Project is the culmination of an 18-month journey with Northern Star. The work conducted to date to develop the capital cost, design, execution strategy and schedule for the project, has been one of the most comprehensive and rigorous ECI programs we have participated in. The effort of the combined teams to define this key project has provided a solid foundation for a safe, efficient and successful delivery.”

NRW’s Managing Director, Jules Pemberton, said: “This EPC contract reinforces Primero’s reputation as a leading provider of world class engineering and construction services. This
project showcases Primero’s full range of in-house capability. I look forward to developing a long-term relationship with one of the industry’s leading gold producers.”

Perenti secures largest ever Australia surface mining contract at KCGM’s Fimiston mine

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Perenti Limited says its Ausdrill subsidiary has been awarded a new surface miningcontract at the Northern Star Resources-owned Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines (KCGM) Fimiston open-pit gold mine in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia.

The new circa-A$160 million ($110 million), 60-month contract incorporates activities that commenced March 1, 2022, and will continue to March 2027.

Ausdrill has been contracted to provide up to 14 production blasthole drill rigs to support ongoing operations.

Given the scale and quality of its existing Ausdrill fleet, Perenti does not expect any new capital outlay to support this contract, it said.

Mark Norwell, Managing Director & CEO of Perenti, said “We continue to remain focused on supporting the families, friends, and colleagues of Trevor and Dylan following the tragic incident at the MMG-owned and Barminco-operated, Dugald River mine in Queensland last week. However, over the weekend Ausdrill executed a material contract and in-line with our disclosure obligations, we are providing the market with an update.

“We have secured our largest ever surface contract in Australia, which continues our relationship at one of Ausdrill’s first ever projects. We are very proud to be part of Kalgoorlie’s history and we look forward to continuing to deliver certainty and value for Northern Star, our employees and business partners.”

He added: “Since the release of our operational update on 19 December 2022, we have continued to deliver on our strategic objectives and while we have seen some strengthening of the Australian dollar relative to the US dollar, we have seen overall margin improvement and continued to win or extend existing contracts, positively resolve commercial negotiations and further simplify our business. Market conditions continue to remain favourable into the second half of financial year 2023 in support of further delivery against our 2025 strategy. We look forward to providing additional details when we release our first half 2023 results tomorrow.”

Paul Muller, President Contract Mining at Perenti, said “Ausdrill began with two drill rigs in 1987 at the Fimiston mine. Since then, Ausdrill has continued to expand its services to include blast hole and grade control drilling, utilising a fleet of drill rigs specifically designed and manufactured (in-house) to meet the unique specifications required by the Fimiston open-pit mine.

“We look forward to continuing to provide our value-add expertise to the KCGM operations while extending our long-standing relationship with our local and regional stakeholders.”