AN UPDATE ON OUR RAISE BORE & SHAFTLINING DIVISION
December 16, 2024With a fleet of 11 specialised raise bore rigs, a remote shaftlining machine, our team of experienced industry professionals at the helm, and now backed by the strength of the Thiess Group, PYBAR’s Raise Bore Division is well placed to meet the growing demand for raise bore services, worldwide.
Our People
Led by Raise Bore Manager, Phillip Viljoen, who has been with the business for over a decade, PYBAR’s Raise Bore and Shaftlining Division, boasts a depth of experience not often seen in the industry, enabling us to tackle complex challenges and achieve results for our clients.
Key personnel supporting our raise bore operations include Sybrand Smit – Raise Bore Superintendent with nine years’ service, Steve Wood – Maintenance Foreman with over eight years’ service, and PYBAR’s longest serving employee, Erinne Ostini – Raise Bore Site Administrator with an amazing 20 years’ service!
Adding further strength to the team, Adam Speechley was recently appointed as Raise Bore Safety and Training Superintendent. Adam brings extensive hands-on experience across all areas of underground mining, including seven years in raise bore safety and training at Olympic Dam. His expertise ensures that our teams operate to the highest standards of safety and efficiency.
PYBAR’s Raise Bore and Shaftlining Fleet
PYBAR’s raise bore fleet is designed to meet a wide range of operational needs, featuring everything from standard mobile boxhole rigs to one of the most powerful raise bore rigs available in the market. Our fleet includes track-mounted and skid-mounted rigs, as well as mobile rig carriers for independent relocation within mines and enhanced operator safety. This versatility allows us to efficiently handle diverse projects, with the capability to ream raises ranging from 0.75m to 7.0m in diameter.
Capabilities include:
- Ventilation Shafts: For optimising airflow and maintaining safe working conditions.
- Ore Passes: Facilitating the movement of ore through different mine levels.
- Escape Ways (including installation): Ensuring secure emergency exits for personnel.
- Up Hole Slots: Precision drilling for stope development and material flow.
- Down Hole Slots: Enabling efficient material extraction processes.
- Service Holes: Providing essential infrastructure for services.
- Paste Fill Holes: Supporting backfill operations for ground stability.
- Directional Drilling (RVDS): Advanced directional drilling technology.
PYBAR’s remote shaft lining system is the preferred choice for its emphasis on safety and efficiency. This advanced system offers a non-entry method for applying shotcrete or concrete products, providing reliable ground support for shafts in both the civil and mining industries with the capability to accommodate shaft diameters ranging from 1.5m to 10m and depths of up to 500m.
The Future
Our team of highly regarded industry professionals, strong safety culture and ongoing investment in advanced technology enable us to deliver reliable and efficient solutions in even the most challenging environments, positioning PYBAR as a leader in the raise bore industry.
PYBAR is ready to meet the increasing demand for raise bore services, worldwide. As ore bodies at shallower depths are becoming exhausted and the demand for metals and minerals increases, raise bore technology enables extraction from deeper deposits with safer and more accurate methods for creation of ventilation shafts, ore passes and accessways.
With opportunities to work with our new Thiess Group business partners, including CPB and MACA, both within Australia and internationally, as well as exploring opportunities to introduce our suite of raise bore and shaftlining services to Western Australia to meet an increasing demand for specialised drilling solutions, PYBAR’s Raise Bore team is looking forward to a busy year ahead in 2025.