Atlas Copco has received significant orders valued at more than €13 million from Hindustan Zinc Ltd. (HZL) in the first quarter of 2012. This is one of the largest underground mining contracts for Atlas Copco India. Atlas Copco will deliver a total of 24 machines which includes face drilling rigs, long hole drilling rigs, bolting rig, loaders and trucks. The long hole drilling rigs Simba 1254 and Simba 1354, 15 ton loader Scooptram ST1530, 50 ton Minetruck MT5020, and the 60 ton Minetruck MT6020 mark their maiden entry into the underground mining market in India. The delivery of all these 24 equipment will be completed in 2012.
Hindustan Zinc, a Vedanta Group Co., is the world’s largest integrated producer of zinc and India’s largest producer of lead and silver. The company also operates the world’s largest zinc producing mine, Rampura Agucha in Rajasthan. HZL is also the world’s lowest cost producer of zinc. The Atlas Copco fleet will be used by HZL for two of its newest underground mining projects: Kayad Mines and Rampura Agucha Mines.
Atlas Copco and the Kayad Mines share a long history together where Atlas Copco had sold an investigation drill Diamec 262 for exploration for about 10 years ago. The Kayad mine is located 9 km from Ajmer in Rajasthan and will produce zinc and lead. Rampura Agucha mine, located 230 km north of Udaipur in Rajasthan, has an annual ore production capacity of 6 million metric tons from the open-pit where Atlas Copco hydraulic DTH rigs form the backbone of surface drilling operations. Atlas Copco India is now going to support the underground mining operations of the Rampura Agucha mine by supplying high capacity equipment there.
