OREANDA-NEWS. November 16, 2007. This year in September, the Novobachatsky open-pit mine (which is incorporated in Belon Group) was fitted with a drill rig intended for rapid drilling of blast holes.

The Novobachatsky open-pit mine, which is now being operated in the exploring-and-producing mode, will be officially put into operation at the beginning of the next year. The Canadian drill rig DM-45 LP is to be used for drilling blast holes in the first and second sections of the mine under construction. This is the first mine-owned drill rig in the Company’s inventory. Previously, the builders used Russian-made machines of other companies.

The new equipment is known for its reliability and the high drilling rate. Its producing capacity reaches 20,000 running meters a month. The rig was produced by Atlas Copco, the most experienced producer of drilling equipment in the world. According to expert estimates, one such rig may substitute 3 domestically produced standard machines.

The cost of the new equipment is 1 million dollars. The machines were supplied under Belon Group’s investment program. In accordance with the results of the first nine months of this year, the total investments in the construction of the open-pit mine amounted to 502 million rubles (net of VAT), with another 90 million rubles to be invested by the end of the year.

The mine specialists to operate the Canadian machinery are now being trained by the supplier company—Mining Solutions, which is an authorized dealer for Atlas Copco.