Tag Archives: Peter Stokes

Epiroc partners with Capital on SmartROC D65 battery-electric drill trial at Sukari

Epiroc has partnered up with mining services company Capital Limited to field test the SmartROC D65 BE, a battery-electric surface drill rig for the mining and construction industry.

The battery-electric version of the SmartROC D65 surface drill rig will be tested at Capital Limited’s Sukari operation, in Egypt (owned by Centamin) during 2024. This mine already has a broad fleet of Epiroc drill rigs, according to the OEM, with Capital carrying out an earthmoving contract involving load, haul and associated drilling services.

Hakan Aytekin, Vice President, Epiroc Surface division, said: “This field test is an important step in our drive towards emission-free surface drill rigs. Capital Limited is always pushing the boundaries with new technologies, and that makes them an ideal partner for this field test.”

The field test is a major step in the mining service provider’s emission reduction and decarbonisation pathway, also representing its pledge to continue to provide a premium service to its clients, it says.

Peter Stokes, Chief Executive Officer, Capital Limited, said: “We are excited to be at the forefront of the transformation alongside Epiroc, bringing innovative electric drill rigs both to our fleet and to the broader market.

“Epiroc brings the supply of top-quality equipment, strong aftermarket support and competitive OEM financing options. Our close partnership ensures that we are appropriately prepared for the demand ahead of us.”

The autonomous SmartROC D65 MKII for production drilling applications became commercially available last year following testing in Australia, however this is the first public mention of a battery-electric version of the surface drill rig.

Epiroc has sustainability goals for 2030, which include halving the CO2 emissions from both operations and from sold products. The aim is to offer a full range of underground equipment in emission-free versions by 2025, and surface equipment by 2030.

Capital books ~$35 million drilling services contract with Nevada Gold Mines

Capital, a leading mining services company, has announced the award of a material drilling contract in Nevada with Nevada Gold Mines and associated rig purchases, together with an update on the ramp up of operations at its Ivindo iron ore contract in Gabon.

The three-year drilling services contract with Nevada Gold Mines (NGM) in the US spans a wide range of drilling services including diamond, both surface and underground, and underground reverse circulation. Drilling spans a number of operations across NGM including underground diamond drilling in the Leeville underground mine within the Carlin complex, underground RC drilling in Carlin and diamond drilling at the Robertson project within the Cortez complex.

NGM is a joint venture between Barrick (61.5% ownership) and Newmont (38.5% ownership), with Barrick as operator. NGM operates three Tier One gold assets: Carlin, Cortez and Turquoise Ridge, consisting of 10 underground mines, 12 open-pit mines and associated facilities.

The contract will consist of nine rigs and will include equipment with advancements in automation for improved safety and efficiency, Capital said.

The contract is expected to generate annualised run rate revenues of circa-$35 million once all the rigs are fully operational from 2025, at margins commensurate with the broader group, Capital said. The company will purchase new rigs with associated equipment for the contract with capital expenditure expected to be circa-$20 million, predominantly falling in 2024.

In Gabon, the company reported that ramp up of operations at its load & haul, crushing and drilling contract with Ivindo Iron SA, majority-owned by Fortescue, was proceeding well.

“We have now commenced drilling operations to assist in further defining this world-class deposit,” Capital said. “The majority of the mining equipment is now in country with operations also already underway, and crushing due to commence later in the year.”

Peter Stokes, Chief Executive Officer of Capital, said: “This new drilling contract award represents a landmark moment for Capital as we extend our geographic reach in drilling into North America, adding to our existing and growing operations in Canada with MSALABS. It is a strong endorsement of our long-standing commitment to world leading standards in both safety and productivity.

“We are pleased to further expand our services with Barrick, having begun our relationship across operations in Africa before extending more globally, first at the Reko Diq mine in Pakistan, earlier this year, and now to the Nevada Gold mines complex in the United States.

“It is also great to see a continuation of our decisive and strategic move to reposition and improve our contract portfolio, set out in the second half of 2022, focusing on large-scale mine sites and Tier-1 projects with significant growth potential. The addition of world-class contracts in 2023 across Reko Diq, Ivindo and now Nevada presents significant further opportunity and a strong platform as we look into 2024.”

Capital to carry out earthmoving and crushing services for FMG-tied Ivindo Iron in Gabon

Capital has announced the award of a new mining services contract with Ivindo Iron SA, majority-owned by Fortescue, at its namesake project in Gabon.

The earthmoving and crushing services contract has been announced at the same time as the company has extended its revolving credit facility.

Ivindo is in the northeast of Gabon and is one of the world’s largest undeveloped, high-grade haematite iron ore deposits with the potential to become a globally significant iron ore mine, according to Ivindo Iron, which is the operating entity for the Belinga project and a company that Fortescue has a 72% indirect interest in.

Earlier this year, Fortescue, through Ivindo Iron SA, signed the Mining Convention for the Belinga iron ore project in Gabon with the Gabonese Republic, paving the way for first mining to begin in the second half of 2023. Belinga is part of the wider Ivindo project.

The Capital contract has a term of up to five years and will generate approximately $30 million of revenue per year once fully operational, the London-listed company says. It involves both earthmoving and crushing services. Capital says it will use existing equipment and is in the process of purchasing circa-$15 million of additional equipment to service the contract.

Capital has already begun mobilising equipment to the site. This mining and crushing services contract is in addition to the three-year reverse circulation and diamond drilling services contract with Ivindo, announced earlier this year, where drilling recently commenced.

Peter Stokes, Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are thrilled to have been awarded the mining and crushing services contract at Ivindo. This is our second significant mining services contract and continues our strategy to diversify our revenue stream through an expanded service offering. We look forward to working closely with Ivindo Iron to expand our relationship from drilling services to mining and crushing services and ensure a rapid ramp up on this world-class deposit.”

Rio Tinto cements new Singapore-Western Australia freight shipping route

Rio Tinto says it has secured a new commercial freight shipping service connecting Western Australia’s Pilbara region to the major international shipping hub of Singapore.

The service will provide the company with a quicker, cheaper and cleaner alternative to the existing freight delivery route via Perth, helping to drive regional economic development and local job creation, according to the miner.

The regular freight service commenced with the arrival of the MCP Graz at the Port of Dampier from Singapore today. The vessel delivered essential maintenance supplies for Rio Tinto Iron Ore’s operations in the Pilbara, including rail wagon wheels, wagon parts, oil and lubricants. Future shipments are expected to include tyres for heavy earth moving equipment, conveyor belts, rail wagon and locomotive parts and mining consumables.

The service is also open for use by local businesses in the northwest of Australia, providing companies operating in the region with better access to international markets and more efficient movement of freight, Rio said.

Rio Tinto Iron Ore Managing Director of Port, Rail and Core Services, Richard Cohen, said: “This is an important new service that connects the Pilbara to the rest of the world via the major international shipping hub of Singapore. It will provide a number of benefits by delivering cheaper, cleaner and faster freight to the region.

“It is an important breakthrough not only for our business, but it will also provide a great opportunity for the local Pilbara economy by helping to unlock small business growth and supporting job creation.”

Rio Tinto expects the service to reduce the lead time for goods in to the Pilbara by six to 10 days compared with freight via Fremantle. Additionally, it is expected to provide an annual saving of around three million litres of diesel fuel by reducing road train travel from Perth by more than 3.8 million kilometres.

Over time, Rio Tinto is hopeful more than 50% of its freight requirements to the Pilbara will use this service, increasing the speed of delivery and lowering costs. The vessel capacity of the freight service will be 350 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent) with Toll Global Forwarding (a division of Toll Group) and other freight forwarders offering a service for smaller volumes on the vessel, the company said.

Peter Stokes, President of Global Logistics for Toll Group, said: “This dedicated container vessel service from Singapore to Dampier will enable enormous possibilities to deliver more efficient supply chains to the Pilbara region.

“Toll Group is heavily invested in the north of Western Australia and is one of the largest employers in the Pilbara region. We are proud to be partnering with Rio Tinto on this landmark project which will provide businesses in the north with a significant opportunity to access international imports and exports.”

Viva Energy, the supplier of fuels and lubricants and supply partner to Rio Tinto, expects to reduce its road transport travel by 350,000 km/y through use of the new service.

Viva Energy Sales Manager, Gavin Syminton, said: “Over and above any commercial benefits, there are also a number of other positive aspects to the initiative including increased opportunities for local employment through infrastructure investment, the reduction of our carbon footprint and a shorter, more efficient supply chain.

“As we continue to work closely with Rio Tinto, we hope to further connect our business and community through this opportunity while making the region a more sustainable place to live.”