Sandvik partners with MACA to supply new surface drill rigs

Sandvik Mining and Rock Solutions has been selected by mining, civil and materials processing contracting group MACA to supply nine new surface drill rigs.

These rigs will completely replace an aging mixed fleet at the Gruyere open pit gold mine in WA’s Goldfields, where MACA was recently awarded a five-year contract extension.

MACA has provided various services at Gruyere, a joint venture between Gold Fields and Gold Road Resources, since the contractor initiated bulk earthworks in 2017. Gruyere is expected to produce an annual 350,000oz of gold per year with a current mine life until at least 2032.

The order includes six Sandvik DR410i rotary blasthole drills, two Leopard DI650i down-the-hole (DTH) drills rigs and a Pantera DP1500i top hammer drill rig.

Sandvik DR410i drill rigs are compact, powerful and technologically advanced. They are designed for rotary and DTH holes up to 254mm, with a mast offering a first pass capacity of 14m and a max depth of 32.3m.

The Leopard DI650i is a self-contained, crawler-mounted intelligent DTH drill rig designed for demanding high-capacity production drilling applications.

The Pantera DP1500i is a hydraulic, self-propelled top hammer drill rig ideal for production or pre-split drilling in large quarries or open pit mines and construction sites.

Deliveries of the rigs began in July and will continue through to April 2024.