Epiroc secures major surface and underground mining equipment orders

An Epiroc Pit Viper 231. Image: Epiroc

Newmont Corp in Australia – the world’s leading gold producer – has ordered a fleet of Epiroc Pit Viper 231 and SmartROC D65 drill rigs that will 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 MSEK 335 (US$32.4 million) and was booked in the third quarter 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,” says Helena Hedblom, Epiroc’s President and CEO. “We are happy to support them as they continue to make their operations as safe and productive as possible.”

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 DTH (down-the-hole) drilling operations. The SmartROC D65 rig delivers high-quality blastholes with accuracy and precision.

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

The order for underground mining equipment, including battery-electric vehicles is from ERG in Kazakhstan. Several of the machines will be operated driverless (tele-remotely), and all of the equipment will be supplied with a collision avoidance system.

ERG, has ordered a fleet of Epiroc loaders and mine trucks as well as drill rigs for face drilling, production drilling and rock reinforcement. The equipment will be used for expansion of the 10th Anniversary chromium mine, also known as ShDNK-2, in western Kazakhstan. Some of the machines will be battery powered, reducing ventilation needs and strengthening work conditions and productivity.

The order is valued at about MSEK 350 (US$33.9 million) and was booked in the third quarter 2024.

“We have a common goal with ERG of making mining operations as safe and productive as possible,” added Helena Hedblom, Epiroc’s President and CEO.

The equipment ordered includes the battery-electric and automation-ready trucks and loaders Minetruck MT42 SG and Scooptram ST14 SG. Other machines include the Boomer S2 face drilling rig, Simba E70 S production drill rig, and Cabletec M10 S rock reinforcement rig, among other models.

Delivery of the equipment will begin in the first quarter 2025 and will continue into the second half of 2026.