South African explosives manufacturer BME has further enhanced its international footprint by supplying its market-leading AXXIS electronic detonators to customers in the US.

In a statement last week, BME MD Joe Keenan noted that the company was already shipping AXXIS detonators to customers in Atlanta and Texas, and the introduction of a number of BME’s other products and services would follow.

“Our range of highly stable emulsion formulations has also been approved by the [relevant] authorities, and these will soon be available to the US market,” said Keenan. “We expect considerable interest from users and distributors alike as we unveil our offerings to this market.”

He highlighted that much of the anticipated initial demand was expected to come from large existing customers who had previously worked with BME in Africa and Australia and also had operations in the US. BME’s US presence would be supported by staff in its recently opened offices in Denver, Colorado.

BME’s AXXIS system has been behind the world’s largest surface blasts. Keenan noted that electronic detonation had become increasingly popular, owing to its reliability, accuracy and flexibility, making blasting practice more predictable and allowing for larger and more cost-effective blasts.

“We expect that the powerful features of the AXXIS system and its user-friendly interface are going to prove as attractive to this new market as they are in our existing markets,” Keenan said. “Our immediate plans for the US market are to establish and develop our distribution network for the AXXIS system and emulsion explosives to develop customer relationships in mining, quarrying and construction.”

BME’s emulsion products will be toll- manufactured in the US to BME’s specifications. The company’s emulsion technology, production capacity and customer service culture have made it one of the largest explosives suppliers to Africa’s opencast mining sector.