Since being awarded a $140-million, four-year-long drilling services contract at iron-ore major Fortescue Metals’ Cloudbreak mine in February, Australia-based drill and blast services provider Action Drill & Blast mobilised its drill fleet of 12 drills to site, ahead of schedule.

Action Drill & Blast has also been scaling up its activity at the mine since starting drilling in February.

The Cloudbreak mine, located 125 km north of Newman, in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, is Fortescue Metals’ first producing mine, delivering about 40-million tons of ore a year. The mine forms part of Fortescue’s greater Chichester Hub operations, where the miner is ramping up production to 95-million tons by the end of this year.

Action Drill & Blast GM Warren Fair tells Mining Weekly that its workforce of 100 personnel and fleet of ten large drills and two smaller drills were on site by April, three weeks ahead of schedule.

The drill complement comprises four Atlas Copco DML-series rotary drills for blast-hole drilling and one Atlas Copco Pit Viper 235- series drill for drilling 203 mm to 270 mm diameter holes, all with a weight-on-bit force of up to 60 000 lb; two Atlas Copco Pit Viper 275-series drills, with weight-on-bit force of up to 75 000 lb; and three hired drills, which will be replaced with new Atlas Copco Pit Viper 275-series drills by the end of the year.

Two Atlas Copco D65 down-hole hammer drills are also on site, drilling 165 mm holes for wall control.

Action Drill & Blast has also increased its workforce, which currently comprises more than 100 staff members. The company aims to drill 160 000 m each month, comprising 140 000 m of overburden, says Fair.

In line with Fortescue Metals’ corporate values, Action Drill & Blast is also supporting the employment and training of indigenous personnel at Cloudbreak and has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indigenous Construction Resource Group for the supply of fuels and oils services, he adds.

While the Australian mining industry is experiencing a difficult period and is cutting costs as far as possible, many projects have been unable to move forward, owing to weaker commodity prices and cost increases, says Fair.

Action Drill & Blast regards this as an opportunity to demonstrate its capability and strength in improving project operations, while reducing costs.

The company has ensured its competitiveness and has maintained a strong tender pipeline during this time, not only through its diversity in commodities and markets but also through the added support provided by its parent company, civil and mining contractor NRW.

The company believes it is at little risk of losing contracts as a result of any shift towards owner-operator models owing to its specialist services and commitment to cost efficiency.

Action Drill & Blast aims to substantially increase its revenue by 2017 through extensive marketing in its current operating sectors and development into other synergistic sectors such as oil and gas.

The company is also particularly focused on demonstrating to gold miners how its precision blasting expertise and the experience of its team can reduce ore loss and dilution, and thus, improve the overall profitability of a mine.

Further, the company, in conjunction with NRW, is targeting work in Africa, owing to considerable investment activity under way and the attractive pipeline of project opportunities.

“While still in the first phase of our expansion into Africa, which entails evaluating the market and developing strategy, the company conducted a tour of the region – visiting various sites in West Africa – and has identified several medium-term opportunities to target,” concludes Fair.