Tag Archives: Pit Viper 231

Epiroc Pit Vipers, SmartROC D65s on their way to Newmont Boddington

Automation, Explosives and blasting, Mining equipment, Mining services, Precious metals, , , , , , , , ,

Epiroc says it has won a large order for surface mining equipment from Newmont in Australia, with a fleet of Epiroc Pit Viper 231 and SmartROC D65 drill rigs set to be used at the Boddington gold and copper mine in Western Australia.

The rigs, which will be operated tele-remotely, will replace an older fleet of Epiroc equipment.

The equipment order is valued at about SEK335 million ($32 million) and was booked in the September quarter of 2024. Epiroc will also provide service on the machines.

“We have a long-standing partnership with Newmont, which is on the forefront of advanced mining operations,” Helena Hedblom, Epiroc’s President and CEO, said. “We are happy to support them as they continue to make their operations as safe and productive as possible.”

Chris Dark, Newmont’s General Manager for the Boddington mine site, says: “Newmont and Epiroc have had a long-term relationship on the Boddington site. This order recognises and continues this successful relationship that has enabled the success of the Boddington drilling operations over the life of the mine. Together we look forward to unlocking the long-term future of the Boddington site, which is recognised globally as a Tier 1 gold asset.”

The Pit Viper 231 rotary blasthole drill rig is a flexible workhorse that can be configured in many different ways for a wide range of rotary and down-the-hole drilling operations, Epiroc says. The SmartROC D65 rig consistently delivers high-quality blastholes with accuracy and precision. Both machines are built tough, loaded with intelligent features and very fuel efficient, the OEM claims.

Delivery of the fleet will commence immediately and will continue into the first half of 2025.

Epiroc to provide IAMGOLD’s Côté mine with autonomous blasthole drills

Automation, Explosives and blasting, IoT, Mineral project development, Mining equipment, Mining services, Precious metals, , , , , , , , , ,

Epiroc says it has won a large order for surface mining equipment from IAMGOLD Corp in Canada that will optimise safety and productivity through advanced automation at its greenfield Côté Gold operation in Ontario.

The order includes several Pit Viper 231 and SmartROC D65 drill rigs for the open-pit gold development, which is currently under construction and expected to start production in the second half of 2023. The Pit Vipers will be fully autonomous, while the SmartROC D65 rigs are prepared for remote operation.

The order is valued at approximately SEK130 million ($15.1 million) and was booked in the September quarter of 2021.

“IAMGOLD, a returning Epiroc customer, is taking safety, sustainability and productivity extremely seriously,” Epiroc’s President and CEO, Helena Hedblom, said. “As IAMGOLD is preparing a new exciting mine project, we are proud to contribute to their success with our advanced machines and solutions for autonomous operation.”

IAMGOLD has previously employed different levels of autonomous drilling at its other operations using Epiroc Pit Vipers. It launched the first automated drill rig in West Africa with assistance from Epiroc back in February 2020 at its 90%-owned Essakane mine in Burkina Faso. This followed a series of automation steps carried out on the company’s fleet of Epiroc PV235 blasthole drills, beginning with the ‘Operator Assist’ phase back in 2016.

The Pit Viper 231 and SmartROC D65 surface drill rigs are built to face the toughest conditions while optimising productivity, safety and fuel efficiency, according to Epiroc. Advanced features include Epiroc’s telematics system, Certiq, which allows for automated and intelligent monitoring of productivity and machine performance.