Lucapa Diamond to restart halted Merlin mine
The phased approach will begin with an 18-month initial phase focused on excavating and dredging five existing pits.
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — 4 October 2018 — The Groote Eylandt Mining Company (GEMCO) recently awarded a three-year drilling contract at the Groote Eylandt manganese mine to Boart LongyearTM Drilling Services. GEMCO is an open-cut mining operation, producing high-grade manganese ore that is shipped to GEMCO’s Tasmanian manganese alloy plant and around the world. Located on an island in the Gulf of Carpentaria off the Australian coast, it is currently the largest and one of the lowest-cost manganese ore producers in the world.
To continue to develop the mine, Boart Longyear is providing 16 employees including fitters and full-time drilling supervisors to operate two reverse circulation rigs. The crews will be responsible for drilling 4,800 holes, approximately 115,200 meters over the three-year contract.
“This contract was awarded based on Boart Longyear’s strong safety and productivity performance. We are very happy to start drilling at GEMCO and to start building on our relationship with the team on site in Australia,” said John Kirkwood, Regional Director, Drilling Services, APAC.
About Boart Longyear
Established in 1890, Boart Longyear is the world’s leading provider of productivity solutions for diamond coring exploration, reverse circulation, large diameter rotary, mine dewatering, oil sands exploration, production and sonic drilling services. The Company also manufactures, markets, and services reliable drill rigs, drill string products, innovative downhole instrumentation tools, and quality parts.
Boart Longyear is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, and listed on the Australian Securities Exchange in Sydney, Australia (ASX:BLY). More information about Boart Longyear can be found at www.boartlongyear.com. To get Boart Longyear news direct, follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.
