Amid lacklustre global commodity prices and difficult times faced by the Zambian copper mining industry, the country’s largest copper mine, Kansanshi, has opted to renew its fleet of blast hole drill rigs by acquiring Sandvik D25KS and DP1500i drill rigs.

Sandvik Zambia key account manager for First Quantum Minerals Rob McMaster says mining contractor First Quantum Mining & Operations (FQMO) has taken a progressive step “to ensure improved efficiency and reliable production” by replacing its DR500 fleet with Sandvik D25KS and DP1500i drills that are easier to operate on site.

The machines will be required to work up to 5 000 h/y and will also require less maintenance and specialised care than their predecessors, according to McMaster.

The Sandvik D25KS blast hole drill is a stable and highly manoeuvrable drill for surface mining and large-scale quarrying. It is a down-the-hole hammer drill with a high-pressure air compressor, air-line lubricator and fine-feed control.

The Sandvik DP1500i is an intelligent, self-propelled, self-contained, crawler-based surface drilling rig equipped with a cabin, movable boom and a rod changer. It is suitable for production drilling in large quarries or openpit mines and construction work sites and is well suited for wall control (presplit drilling) and development works.

FQMO has a fleet of 30 drills and the new Sandvik drills enable the contractor to achieve high production levels.

“They will join . . . a number of other Sandvik D25KS drill rigs, as well as the larger Sandvik D45KS and Sandvik DP1500i top hammer drills. The standardisation will, in many ways, simplify maintenance, as well as stockholdings of spares, rock tools and parts, to make the operation easier to manage,” McMaster says.

Sandvik has also entered into a buy-back agreement with FQMO to trade in its Sandvik fleet of the DR500 series, comprising 11 rigs used for blast hole and presplit drilling, for nine new Sandvik D25KS rigs and four new Sandvik DP1500i rigs.

The bundled deal makes the transaction more affordable and is in line with FQMO’s overall objectives, McMaster concludess.