Epiroc, a Swedish productivity and sustainability partner for the mining and construction industries, has won a large order from BHP for autonomous surface mining equipment to be used at an iron ore mine in Australia.
BHP, a global mining company, has ordered a fleet of Pit Viper 271 blasthole drill rigs that will be used at its Western Australia Iron Ore operations in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The highly advanced machines will allow BHP operators to supervise the autonomous, driverless operation from its integrated remote operations center in Perth located more than 1,100 kilometers away.
The equipment order is valued at around MUSD 18 (MSEK 200) and was booked in the fourth quarter 2024.
“Our Pit Viper rigs have become synonymous with mining productivity and reliability, an extended machine life, and low total cost of ownership. We are excited to continue supporting BHP’s important iron ore production.”
says Jose M Sanchez, President of Epiroc’s Surface division.
Delivery of the equipment is expected to occur in the fourth quarter 2025.
The order follows the recent renewal of a global frame agreement between Epiroc and BHP that involves Epiroc providing surface and underground equipment, parts and services to the mining company over several years.
As part of the framework renewal, BHP during the third quarter 2024 placed another large order, this one for its Escondida copper mine in Chile. This order, for a fleet of autonomous Pit Viper 351 and Pit Viper 271 rigs, was valued at more than MUSD 30 (MSEK 305). Delivery of the equipment to Escondida is expected to begin in the fourth quarter 2025 and continue through the first quarter 2026.
The autonomous Pit Viper 351 and Pit Viper 271 machines, manufactured in the United States, are built tough to boost productivity and efficiency over many years. The Pit Viper 271 rigs also come with Epiroc’s Automatic Bit Changer solution, which allows for drill bits to be changed with a single touch of a button, which saves time and strengthens safety.
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