Modern Mining December 2020

DRILL RIGS

Next-generation intelligence and automation for exploration rigs

Drilling services provider Rosond is using ground-breaking technology, including data analytics, automation and software, to transform exploration drilling in the mining industry. Modern Mining caught up with MD Ricardo Ribeiro about Rosond’s R2-billion multi-year drilling agreement with Anglo American to implement the new technology at Kumba Iron Ore. By Mark Botha.

F ollowing the financial crisis of 2008, Rosond, which celebrates its 65th anniversary next year, took the step in 2012 to develop new technology for the drilling and explo- ration industry. It had embarked on a research and development drive prior to this decision. Ricardo Ribeiro, the company’s MD, explains that Rosond manu- factures all its underground drilling and pack support equip- ment, and has only partnered up on the exploration side. The drill rigs

are manufactured exclusively for Rosond, while the software has been developed and refined in-house. Following an initiative by Anglo American’s JSE- listed Kumba Iron Ore to modernise its geoscience operations and extend its life-of-mine at its Kolomela and Sishen iron ore mines, Rosond was awarded a R2-billion multi-year contract in 2019 to develop and implement 28 rigs featuring advanced technology. “While it is not yet proven, we expect efficiency to improve by up to 30%,” says Ribeiro. “This was the perfect time for Anglo American and Kumba to buy in to the technology. Few thought the tender would be awarded to a single contractor, but we hit the ball right out of the park.”

Ricardo Ribeiro, MD of Rosond.

The innovation behind the new rigs centres on software, telemetry and automation.

20  MODERN MINING  December 2020