By: Creamer media

During a presentation of the company's half-year results, Master Drilling director Koos Jordaan emphasized the company's strategic focus on developing new technologies centered on "continuous rock excavation." This concept was highlighted as a key objective for the company's operations in shaft sinking, tunnelling, and precise reef boring.

The presentation, which detailed a 399% increase in half-year after-tax profit to $18.1 million, repeatedly featured terms such as "automation, remote operation, robotics, digitisation, artificial intelligence (AI), and virtual reality." The company reported progress on multiple projects, many of which were described as "complete," indicating that the primary development phase was finished. This was supported with visuals of operational rigs, tunnel borers, and screen grabs from their systems.

Jordaan stated that the company is positioning itself for relevance and sustainability in a rapidly changing world. Its short-term strategy involves developing capabilities for quicker underground access through shaft sinking, tunnelling, and reef boring, as well as solutions for selective mining and rig automation. A significant portion of future operations is expected to be conducted autonomously and remotely to enhance safety and efficiency.

Key technological developments highlighted include:

• Raiseboring: Factory acceptance testing was completed for the Bluebot rig, and two of three new RD6 DC low-profile raise-bore rigs have been deployed.
• Slim Drilling: A surface robotic core drilling rig has completed validation and testing and is available for field trials.
• Shaft Boring System (SBS): Experimental sinking was completed, with design work and funding review underway for the next phase of testing in the first half of 2025.
• Tunnelling: A contract was secured for the Mobile Tunnel Borer (MTB), which is being commissioned for mobilization at the Bokoni platinum mine in Limpopo in the coming weeks. Work is scheduled for 2026.
• Digitisation & Safety: Subsidiary A&R's technology tracks approximately 75,000 people underground daily. New systems being tested include winch proximity systems, a long-range communication tool, an AI collision detection camera for locomotives, and a shift clearance system to reduce re-entry time.

Jordaan expressed particular confidence in the SBS and MTB projects. The MTB is designed for modular assembly without pre-launch excavation, offering a faster and safer solution for horizontal access. The company is also developing non-explosive reef boring technology for selective mining, aiming to improve ore grade and potentially halve mine development requirements.

The company, which operates in 28 countries, continues to monitor global technology trends to maintain its position in the drilling and mechanised rock excavation sector.