With several opportunities in Mozambique’s flourishing mining industry, mining equipment and service provider Sandvik Mining is expanding the footprint of its already established office to support customers’ operations in all disciplines of mining in the country.

“Since fulfilling all statutory requirements in November last year, we have settled down to begin trading in earnest this year, and, thus far, our presence in Mozambique has been well received,” says Sandvik Mining territory manager Hosea Molife.

Although the company’s efforts are currently focused on the growing coal mining industries, it is in a position to supply all of the products and services available from its global offering.

The operation was established in the north- western town of Tete, which is central to current mining efforts, and was officially opened on November 21, last year.

“Not only is Tete quickly establishing itself as the mining capital of the country, but it is said to be situated on top of the biggest coalfield discovery worldwide in the past 50 years,” says Molife.

Sandvik Mining’s presence enables mining companies to gain easier access to necessary services to run their operations compliant with world-class standards.

“The establishment of a strong presence in Mozambique is a timely move. We are seeing massive investment in Mozambique’s mining industry from all the big players worldwide – many of whom have global contracts with Sandvik Mining for the supply and support of equipment, as well as the provision of mining services to our customers,” says Molife.

Supporting Efforts
He adds that Mozambique is a new territory with many different challenges and opportunities. “We have been supporting most of the mining operations from across the border in South Africa and Zimbabwe. Having a per- manent local presence means that we can daily deal with all the players in the industry. We are not only able to assist our existing clients, but also establish relationships with new customers and newcomers in the industry.”

The office is located near the headquarters of all major mining companies and, as a result, Sandvik Mining is able to support major operations, such as mining group Rio Tinto’s Benga mine, all of Brazilian mining group Vale’s operations, as well as to contracting giants such as contract mining and equipment group Eqstra, wherever they might mine.

Molife says that most mining efforts are currently centred on the extraction of coal. As a result the type of equipment and services currently being supplied are tailored to these requirements. At present, the exploratory nature of the mining ventures lends itself to the company concentrating much of its efforts on supporting exploratory services and equipment.

Beyond Exploration
Drill rigs, such as the Sandvik D75KS, are being used throughout Mozambique for blasting overburden to clear the path to valuable commodities below surface. These drill rigs are able to drill oversized 351 mm holes, which enable large explosive charges to be used in the clearing of overburden.

There is also growing demand for the company’s Sandvik DPI 1500 production drills as mines come into full production. The Sandvik DPI 1500 drills are able to deliver precision bored holes for precise blasting and separation of ore and overburden.