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Blasthole drilling rig to begin production this month

22nd March 2013

By: Chantelle Kotze

  

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Mining services company Atlas Copco reports that the last Pit Viper 351 blasthole drilling rig for diversified miner Anglo American subsidiary Kumba Iron Ore’s drill rig order will be introduced into production this month.

The rig forms part of the company’s largest-ever South African order, worth R290-million, which will be delivered to Kumba’s Sishen mine, in Kathu, in the Northern Cape.

The order was received in the first quarter of last year, with the first unit delivered to the Sishen mine during July 2012.

Sishen, one of the seven largest open- pit mines in the world, has an existing fleet of ten Pit Viper 351s.

Atlas Copco Mining & Rock Excava- tion Technique business area marketing and communications manager Kathryn Coetzer says the company has been identified by Anglo American as one of two preferred suppliers of surface drills with a drill diameter of more than 165 mm.

“We are proud to have been chosen as a strategic long-term partner of Anglo American and we look forward to building on the partnership in the future,” adds Atlas Copco Mining & Rock Excavation Technique president Bob Fassl.

“The Pit Viper 351 has a good reputation among our customers and we receive great interest in this product from mining companies worldwide.”

It can be used for single-pass rotary and down-the-hole drilling of angled or vertical holes to a depth of 19.8 m and for the drilling of blastholes of up to 406 mm in diameter.

The Pit Viper 351 cable feed system generates 56 700 kg of bit load and 267 kN of pullback, while its retract speed is 0.8 m/s.

This lightweight and smooth operating system results in longer life and lower operating costs, compared with traditional chain or rack-and-pinion feed systems.

Owing to the system’s light weight, the Pit Viper 351 can operate a ‘live’ tower, allowing it to be raised and lowered without lowering the rotary head. An automated tensioning system adjusts the cable tension, eliminating downtime for cable adjustment.

Coetzer says the Pit Viper 351 currently operates in more than ten countries worldwide.

In its third edition of the Blasthole Drilling in Open Pit Mining reference book, which was launched in September 2012, Atlas Copco Drilling Solutions, a divi- sion within Atlas Copco’s Mining & Rock Excavation Technique business area, focuses on the broad range of mid- and large-range rotary blasthole drills, which include the DM series and the Pit Viper series.

The third edition contains examples of technical articles and practical experiences in the use of different drilling methods at various mining operations. It is suitable reference for everyone involved in blasthole drilling for openpit mining, including mining companies, consultants, universities and mining schools.

This edition also showcases the new Pit Viper 311 wide-range rotary blasthole drill, which debuted at the MINExpo International 2012 trade show, in Las Vegas.

The Pit Viper 311 is similar to the Pit Viper 351, with its single-pass drilling. The Pit Viper 311 can, however, drill holes deeper – to a maximum depth of 38.1 m, compared with the 19.8 m depth of the Pit Viper 351.

Atlas Copco Drilling Solutions communications manager Justin Cocchiola says a multipass version of the Pit Viper 311, known as the Pit Viper 316, is being developed.

The Pit Viper 316 will drill to a depth of 90 m using a five-rod carousel, with a 50 ft drill pipe. It is scheduled to be launched this year as a replacement to the DM-M3 model and it will specifically match the flexibility required for cast-blasting operations in coal mining.

Edited by Megan van Wyngaardt
Creamer Media Contributing Editor Online

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