Sandvik Mining is pleased to announce that it has entered into a supply contract with BHP Billiton for the supply of an undisclosed number of MF460 Borer Miners to be used at BHP Billiton’s Jansen Project. The intention is that the project, located near Saskatoon, Saskatchewan in Canada, will employ Sandvik MF460 Borer Miners for production of potash. The Sandvik Borer Miners will incorporate the latest technology available for enhancement of automation, production, life cycle costs and safety. Sandvik Borer Miners are used around the world for mining potash and trona and are well known for their high production rates and low life cycle costs.

The deal is the most significant Borer Miner contract since the 2008 deal with PotashCorp to supply a fleet of Sandvik MF420 Borer Miners to the Picadilly underground potash mine in New Brunswick, Canada. The expansion project at New Brunswick, a strategically important facility because of its logistical advantage to Latin America, includes the development of a new mine and wet mill. The project includes replacing the existing 800,000 t/y mine with a new 2 Mt/y operation by 2015. The photo shows one of these MF420 machines under test at Sandvik’s Zeltweg facility in Austria in 2010.