Service: Production drilling and blasting

Sunrise Dam is located in Laverton, Western Australia and Barminco works with long-term client AngloGold Ashanti to provide underground production mining and development services. Sunrise Dam is Barminco’s largest Australian contract, with over 330 people working at the site and producing approximately 2.6Mt per year. It began as an open-pit mine but is now exclusively an underground operation.

The Ausdrill team was met with the need to mobilise, facilitate the on-site construction of four new Caterpillar MD6250 drills, and seamlessly take over drilling just before the height of COVID-19. Our dedicated project lead worked hand-in-hand with our client, OEM, and each sector manager to ensure that the drill delivery plan was created and commissioned in a timely manner. Despite global challenges and record-breaking floods, our competent team met each key milestone, did not lose a single day of production, and achieved an excellent safety record.

Huntly/ Myara mine is surrounded by developments, so sensitive drill and blast processes and tight QA/QC have been an essential service during Ausdrill’s 10+ year project delivery. We work with our client to monitor weather patterns and wind direction to control blast acoustics and mitigate any air over pressure issues; and adjusted our drilling diameters, depths and stemming to safely continue work when operating within 50m of major power lines and 20m of a main public road. Situated within a water catchment area, a wildlife breeding zone and flanked by dieback affected areas, the mine site has required tight environmental QA/QC and drainage control – both of which have been successfully provided for over a decade.