Pre-split drilling and blasting at Aktogay

Pit wall stability is a key health and safety risk in any open pit mining operation. Pre-split drilling and blasting techniques have been employed at Aktogay since April 2018, utilising a D65 drill rig from Atlas Copco. The rig is capable of drilling angled pre-split holes for the optimum placement of explosives as well as regular production drill holes. Pre-split blasting preserves the stability of the highwalls in the pit by preventing blast damage.