Rock solid romance

In the gloom of a tunnel, 450 meters below Chile’s arid Atacama desert, Edio Arriaga directs a drill towards the gnarly rock face. Inside his air-conditioned cabin, he pushes a button on a green-lit panel and grips a joystick. The drill explodes into life, water dripping from its jaws as it eats into the rock.

This is a COPROD for Simba E70 S in operation at Pucobre, a medium-sized copper, gold and silver mine near Copiapó in northern Chile.

The Pucobre and Epiroc partnership to test the technology underlying the COPROD for Simba solution started in 2022 and has resulted in significant improvement in drilling precision. The unique combination of high penetration rates and precision has led to orders of three new Simba E70S COPROD and an Easer machine for slot raise drilling.

COPROD has significantly improved drilling accuracy thanks to Epiroc’s Total Station digital navigation system, which enables exact rig positioning and execution of digital plans.

Deviation levels have dropped from 8–10 percent to around 3 percent. Drilling speeds average over 1 meter per minute with high-quality holes of up to 50 meters. Dilution is down to 5 percent, meaning less waste rock removal. Burden has increased by 20 percent without affecting fragmentation, reducing the amount of explosives needed.

Pucobre mines use the sublevel stoping method, creating multiple sublevels and tunnels and then drilling and blasting steep chimneys. After 30+ years and seven kilometers of tunnels, the best deposits have been mined. Now the company is digging deeper to reach smaller, less accessible ore bodies.

Pucobre’s production costs have increased by 20 percent over the past five years due to higher inflation and more complex mining, for example more rock reinforcement, ventilation and water management. Pucobre must implement smarter ways to work and adopt new technologies to prevent cost increases while ensuring that safety standards meet target zero injury requirements.

The company's partnership with Epiroc deepened in 2017 when Pucobre replaced its 40-ton truck fleet with the 65-ton Minetruck MT65 S, aiming to increase production by 40 percent (to 450 000 metric tons/month) and cut costs by 25 percent. Since then, the relationship has evolved into a close collaboration to tackle ongoing challenges.

Pucobre executives frequently visit Sweden, Canada and Australia to observe Epiroc machines in action. The company also hosts global visitors keen to study the partnership. Epiroc has a permanent site presence, offering technical support and training through a

state-of-the-art simulation center. 

“Whenever we need support, they are there to answer our questions,” says Arriaga. “We apply our practical knowledge to the equipment they provide.”

Central to the operation is the COM control center. There are multiple digital displays, and operators using headsets oversee mine planning and real-time equipment data via Epiroc’s planning solutions. This integration tool facilitates planning, scheduling, task management and reporting. 

Telematics transmit equipment data to the surface. Previously, manual planning in Excel  took weeks; now, planning takes days. 

The mine has reached its 450 000 metric tons/month production goal, though cost reductions have not yet been fully realized. The long-term strategy includes using teleremote and autonomy equipment operation. The latest rigs are autonomy-ready, and adjacent to the COM are new teleremote operation panels still wrapped in plastic.

Pucobre is halfway through its technology roadmap. The second half – which includes automation of certain machinery – is the hardest. People are still needed for maintenance, and teleremote operators need to be trained. 

“It’s not the same as having a person in the mine. You have to trust the technology to be perfect,” says Ríos.

In July 2025, Pucobre signed a US$24M deal with Epiroc to upgrade its fleet of Minetruck MT65 S trucks to the latest models and implement additional digital tools to optimize processes and further improve efficiency and cut costs.

Ríos estimates that the technologies they are implementing can extend the life of the mine by more than 20 years. “If you are very efficient, then you can mine a smaller ore body that otherwise wouldn’t be cost effective,” he says.

But the changes implemented in recent years have not been easy. Many technologies were introduced rapidly, requiring a steep learning curve for long-time employees.

José Fredes – a 36-year veteran of Pucobre, who started his mining career with a pickaxe – is now head drill instructor. He trained his son, also José, who now operates the Easer from an air-conditioned cabin. “My journey wasn’t easy, but I was eager to adapt,” Fredes says. “These technologies help us work better, faster – and more safely.” 

“There’s always resistance to change,” adds Carlos Morales, Pucobre’s people and technology manager. “Users value tech when it is clear that it helps. Otherwise, they just see new machines and systems. Communication and leadership commitment are key.”

Bergkvist emphasizes that the success of the Epiroc–Pucobre partnership hinges on shared expectations and transparency. “Challenges will always arise,” he says. “It’s how we tackle them together that makes this unique.”

Ríos agrees. “If we share the same values and objectives, we can overcome any challenge with the right attitude.”

Bergkvist believes this partnership model is replicable with other clients, depending on their willingness to be transparent and problem-solve collaboratively. “With Pucobre,” he says, “we’re standing on the shoulders of giants.