Australia's Byrnecut Orders 20 Sandvik Machines and 5 Raise Boring Rigs

en.Wedoany.com Reported - Byrnecut, one of the world's largest underground mining contractors, has ordered 20 underground mining machines and 5 raise boring rig systems from Sweden's Sandvik (STO:SAND). According to industry media estimates, the order is valued at over US$50 million. The order was signed in June 2026, with deliveries already underway and expected to continue until June 2028.

Founded in 1987 and headquartered in Perth, Australia, Byrnecut is a leading global mechanized underground mining contractor. The company operates across four continents, including Australia, Canada, West Africa, and Southern Africa, providing underground mining services to more than 100 mine projects worldwide. In recent years, Byrnecut has continued to expand its international footprint: in May 2026, the company secured a deep-level mining contract at Saudi Arabian Mining Company (Ma'aden)'s Mansourah Massarah gold mine, covering all underground works, including development, production mining, and infrastructure construction, with a contract term extending to 2031; in the same month, Byrnecut also won an underground mining contract valued at approximately US$152 million (US$110 million) at the Sanbrado gold mine in Burkina Faso, West Africa.

The equipment list in this order includes: 4 Sandvik DD422i development drills, 4 Toro® LH621i loaders equipped with the AutoMine automation system, 4 Toro® TH663i underground trucks, 2 Sandvik DL432i production drills, and 1 Sandvik DL422i production drill. The raise boring rig systems include 4 Rhino 100 mobile raise boring rigs and 1 Rhino up-reaming raise boring module. These machines will be deployed across multiple new and existing underground mine projects operated by Byrnecut in Australia, Canada, West Africa, and Southern Africa.

The LH621i loaders and TH663i trucks equipped with the AutoMine system enable semi-autonomous hauling and loading operations; the DD422i development drills support remote operation and real-time face mapping; the Rhino raise boring rigs will be used for rapid construction of ventilation shafts and ore passes. Analysts noted that this order reflects Byrnecut's continued investment in automated mining—most of Byrnecut's global operations already use AutoMine for loading operations—and also validates Sandvik's strategy of bundling automation modules with its core drills and loaders.

Pat Boniwell, Managing Director of Byrnecut Australia, stated that as the company's global operations continue to grow, it requires high-quality equipment that can meet customers' demands for productivity, reliability, and technical performance. Patrick Murphy, President of Sandvik Mining, described Byrnecut as one of the company's most valuable global underground mining partners. Sandvik will leverage its global service network to provide lifecycle maintenance support for the equipment.