Dumas adds the Sandvik DL331 to Las Chispas’ drilling fleet

Dumas Contracting, part of the STRACON Group, has announced the arrival of its latest production drilling equipment – ​​the Sandvik DL331 – at the Las Chispas project, owned by SilverCrest Metals, in Mexico.

The company said the Sandvik DL331 arrived in time for the new year.

The Las Chispas operation is located approximately 180 km northeast of Hermosillo, Sonora. An updated 2023 technical report outlined an eight-year process that generates average annual production of 57,000 ounces of gold and 5.5 million ounces of silver over the first full seven years. The updated production plan reaches just over 1,200 t/d in 2026 and is largely supported by long-distance drilling (77%).

The Sandvik DL331 is a long top hammer drill designed to work in underground mining operations with cross sections of 3 x 3 meters or larger. This one-man-operated excavator is capable of drilling vertical and inclined plane loops and single or parallel long holes. The drilling control system is equipped with feed-controlled percussion machines for optimal drilling performance and accuracy, Sandvik says.

The drill has a boom coverage of 7 metres, as well as a maximum hole length of 23 metres.