November 2, 2023
This goal is bolstered by their recent agreement to purchase five autonomous Pit Viper rigs from Epiroc to work at their open pit mine in the Sudbury District of Ontario, which will help keep operators out of any potential danger zones while drilling.
For Epiroc, the agreement marks the first fully autonomous fleet of Pit Viper rigs on Canadian soil. The powerful blasthole drill rigs are also equipped with Mobius for Drills, a digitalization tool that imports drill plans and collects key data for mining personnel all while enabling multi-machine control. The solution also introduces 3D-P, engaging Epiroc’s wireless networking capabilities into the agreement which enables integration and connectivity with the mines existing networks.
With the introduction of new technologies in both automation and digitalization, the Côté Gold Project is utilizing innovative techniques to ensure operator safety, increased longevity of their machines and a higher output in their surface drilling operation.
“This is an important milestone for Epiroc Canada, we are excited to collaborate with IAMGOLD to continue driving innovation within the mining industry,” said Charlie Ekberg, General Manager Epiroc Canada. “The autonomous Pit Viper fleet has a strong reputation for reliability and this recent agreement shows our shared commitment to operator safety on site,” said Chris Graves, Business Line Manager Surface Drilling at Epiroc Canada.
“The Epiroc Pit Viper fleet is an integral step along the Côté Gold journey to be the first fully automated haulage and drilling mine in Canada,” said Francis Letarte-Lavoie, Operations Manager Côté Gold. “The existing four Pit Viper rigs are progressing towards full autonomous mode, and we anticipate the fifth drill set for delivery in April 2024 will complete the fleet successfully. We look forward to continuing to develop the partnership with Epiroc in order to meet our milestones during this critical time for Côté Gold and IAMGOLD in general.”
For further information please contact:
Marketing & Communications Manager, Epiroc Canada
Phone: + 1 416 726 6719
Email:
brianne.cartmill@
Business Line Manager (Surface division), Epiroc Canada
Phone: + 1 416 525 6416
Email: chris.graves@epiroc.com
Global Brand and Communication Manager, Epiroc Surface division
Phone: +46 (0) 733 26 7382
Epiroc is a global productivity partner for mining and construction customers, and accelerates the transformation toward a sustainable society. With ground-breaking technology, Epiroc develops and provides innovative and safe equipment, such as drill rigs, rock excavation and construction equipment and tools for surface and underground applications. The company also offers world-class service and other aftermarket support as well as solutions for automation, digitalization and electrification. Epiroc is based in Stockholm, Sweden, had revenues of SEK 50 billion in 2022, and has around 18 000 passionate employees supporting and collaborating with customers in around 150 countries. Learn more at www.epirocgroup.com
Epiroc´s Surface division develops, manufactures and markets a wide range of rock drilling equipment and solutions for use in surface mining, construction, quarries, as well as water well applications worldwide. It also provides customers with exploration equipment, tooling and advanced orebody data analysis. The division has production in Sweden, the United States, Canada, China, India, Australia and South Africa. Please see www.epiroc.com for product offerings.
