Santana Minerals has announced that build slots for the Bendigo-Ophir Gold Project mining fleet have been secured with Komatsu New Zealand Ltd, ensuring delivery of key mobile equipment for construction start, pending a Fast-Track Approval (FTA) decision due on 29 October 2026.
After a thorough evaluation of mining equipment which included electric and hybrid units, the core fleet from Komatsu has now been confirmed. It consists of conventional PC3400 and PC2000 primary excavators together with a fleet of 140 t class HD1500 haul trucks. The fleet has been selected as part of a leasing proposal underpinned by Komatsu OEM-finance. Equipment required for support and ancillary tasks, including dozers, loaders and graders, will also be supplied by Komatsu.
In addition to equipment supply, Komatsu has committed to a comprehensive long-term support partnership, providing operational, technical and financial backing to underpin fleet performance and reliability at the project. Key elements of the commitment include a Komatsu fleet of NZD$115 million consisting of excavators, haul trucks, dozers, loaders and graders; plus long-term (five-year) on-site technical support, including dedicated personnel and extended
product support over the life of the mining fleet.
It also covers integrated maintenance and parts support, including establishment of on-site parts capability and discount pricing arrangements; as well as technology and systems support, including fleet management, condition monitoring and performance systems. Productivity and simulator training initiatives will be included, supporting efficient ramp-up and sustained operational performance.
Santana said this level of support reflects Komatsu’s strong alignment with the project and its commitment to delivering a high-performance, low-cost mining operation. The mining company CEO, Damian Spring, commented: “Operating as an owner-miner removes the contractor margin typically embedded in mining costs, setting us up as a lower-cost operation. This is further supported by our residential workforce model, avoiding fly-in fly-out costs, and strong OEM support from Komatsu. Grid-connected processing infrastructure also provides stability across key cost drivers over the life of mine.”
The planned Rise and Shine (RAS) open pit lifespan is estimated at 14 years with concurrent underground mining expected to start in year 6. Total gold recovered will be 1.25 Moz with annual gold production of up to 120,000 oz. The pit dimensions are expected to be around 300 m deep at the highwall, 1 km long in a north-south direction and around 900 m wide in an east-west direction.
The process will use gravity gold recovery followed by CIL, adsorption, electrowinning and smelting of cathode bearing gold. Thickened tailings will be sent to a TSF allowing more recycling of water.
Source: im-mining.com
