Huge Qatar limestone operation employs state of the art Sandvik DX700 drill rig

Qatar National Cement Company (QNCC) has opted to use a Sandvik DX700 drill rig equipped with Sandvik drill bits for its latest limestone operation; the first time that the company has used Sandvik equipment. The top-hammer crawler drill rig is working at the site near Doha, using Sandvik drill bits, rods and shank adapters to bore to depths of 22 m. The rig, drill bits and other equipment have been supplied by Sandvik’s distributor in Qatar, Q-Fab, which also has a maintenance contract with QNCC to keep the machine in service and repair.QNCC was founded in 1965 and is today Qatar’s prime cement producing company. It is a major producer of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC), sulphate-resistant cement, hydrated lime, calcined lime and washed sand. The limestone is extracted from the Umm Bab region, on the west coast some 80 km from Doha, and this is also where QNCC’s manufacturing plants are located. The most recent quarry was opened seven years ago. (more…)