Hard rock underground mining services provider Barminco (ASX: ASL) is the first company globally to have taken delivery of a new mobile raise boring machine with uphole, downhole, and back reaming capability.
Barminco, which has been using Sandvik’s new Rhino 100 Mobile Raise Boring machine for eighteen months in Ghana and three months in Australia, has now added a module enabling back reaming capability to the machine.
The Rhino 100 is a fully mechanised and self-contained electro-hydraulic mobile raise borer designed for slot raising in underground mining. Up until now, a back reaming module had not been used anywhere in the world on this rig.
Mick Radi, Barminco’s General Manager of Mining, said the new module – which had already been deployed at AngloGold Ashanti Limited’s Sunrise Dam site – would enable safe, efficient upward and downward drilling providing maximum flexibility for clients.
“We are thrilled Barminco is offering a world first for our clients. The new plug and play back reaming module gives us the capability to quickly change from an uphole slotting machine to a conventional back reaming raise bore machine. The mobile carrier enables the Rhino to be totally self sufficient with no requirement for other fleet to assist in rig moves. Fast set up times and high drilling productivity is helping us to derisk our clients production plans and increase the certainty of meeting targets,” Mr Radi said.
“We have been successful using our Rhino 100 Mobile Raise Boring machine on our client’s sites in the Goldfields region. Our plan is to keep the machine in this region where there is demand for this capability.
“The addition of this new module is just one of many ways Barminco is providing innovative solutions for clients, such as AngloGold Ashanti Limited.
“We have been working with AngloGold for fourteen years and by providing this new capability we are helping them improve their operations to be even more efficient and safe.
“We are pleased that Barminco has been able to apply our capital to a client’s technical problem with such great results.”
Bryan Watson, Manager Mining from AngloGold Ashanti, said the module was already making a significant difference on site.
“This new piece of equipment saves us time, is safer, and will assist us achieving production targets at Sunrise Dam,” Mr Watson said.
“We appreciate Barminco’s approach to working with us as a client to help us achieve more efficiencies on site.”
The down drilling module drills a pilot hole at 279mm, up to a depth of 200m. This can then be reamed to a diameter of 660mm or back reamed to a diameter of 1.06m. Back reaming can be achieved to a depth of 100m with hole angles at a maximum of 15 degrees dump, and 30 degrees to either side from vertical.
The setup time for the machine is two hours, compared with a three to four day set up for a conventional raise boring machine.
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