VIDEO – A DIGITAL DRILLING RIG, UNIQUE IN THE CIS, IS BEING COMMISSIONED AT KUMTOR

At the Kumtor mine, 13 operators and instructors are being trained to work on the state-of-the-art Sandvik DD322i self-propelled drilling rig. 

What makes this equipment unique is that, to date, such a digital drilling rig is used only at the Kumtor mine amongst mining enterprises in the Commonwealth of Independent States.

The new rig takes underground drilling operations to a whole new level of precision. The rig operates using electronic drilling logs and, thanks to its built-in navigation system, virtually eliminates deviations from the specified borehole trajectory. This directly impacts the quality of blasting operations and ensures the precise geometry of the mine workings is maintained.

Another key feature is the rig’s ability to identify sections of the rock mass with lower strength. This data is taken into account during blasting operations: less powerful charges are used in weaker zones. This approach helps to improve the safety and accuracy of underground operations. The system also automatically records all drilling parameters: depth, direction, volume of work completed and deviations from the set values.

Training and the subsequent use of the Sandvik self-propelled drilling rig are an important part of Kumtor Gold Company’s underground operations, where particular attention is paid to safety, the use of digital technologies, and the precision and efficiency of mining operations.

The training program for specialists will run until 2 June this year.

For reference: The underground gold mining project, launched in August 2025, is scheduled to run for 17 years; geological reserves of 147 tonnes of gold have already been recorded to the state’s balance sheet.