The first Sandvik Pantera DP1510i top-hammer drill off the production line is headed for Western Australia’s Goldfields for operation by SRG Global.
SRG Global delivers specialist drill, blast and geotechnical services to Australia’s largest gold miners and recently secured the world’s first Sandvik Pantera DP1510i top-hammer drill for use on a gold project in the Western Australia. After its pre-delivery at Sandvik’s Perth workshop, the new rig will travel to the northern Goldfields, about 350 km north of Kalgoorlie where it will be commissioned onsite.
The delivery will mark yet another major drilling first for SRG Global, who in May took delivery of the world’s first Sandvik Leopard DI650i Gen 2 surface drill for use at another of the company’s West Australian Goldfields operations.
The new Pantera DP1510i rig will join over 20 other Sandvik Panteras in the SRG Global fleet, with one DP1500i rig having clocked up an astonishing 42,000 hours whilst achieving >90% mechanical availability.
“We’ve long understood that to get best results with drill-and-blast operations you need to be working with the best equipment,” says Nathan Steiner, Executive General Manager for Mining Services at SRG Global. “That explains our long association with Sandvik, and why we are excited to be putting the new DP1510i into service. When we’re looking for advanced surface rigs, Sandvik is very much our first port of call.”
Michael Forrest, Sales Manager for Surface Drills at Sandvik, adds: “SRG Global is one of those customers who is always eager to embrace new technologies and explore how to do things even better. We’re confident the advanced features of the Pantera DP1510i will help it to fit right into SRG Global’s drill and blast operations.”
Choosing the right equipment is just one of the ways that SRG Global is ensuring that it delivers for customers and remains profitable. The business’s PPH Rock Drill service agreement with Sandvik for its Sandvik drill rigs is calculated on a per-percussion-hour (PPH) basis, which means the rate SRG Global pays corresponds to the hours each rig is in active operation. This ensures maximum uptime and availability and is currently helping the business to lower operating costs related to rock drills.
“The PPH approach works for us because our monthly costs for each drill are predictable,” says SRG Global’s Nathan Steiner. “On top of that, we’re enjoying the benefits of prioritised repairs with genuine parts and quarterly audits to ensure the rigs are operating at optimum levels.”
SRG Global has a total of 20 Sandvik Pantera DP1500i’s in its fleet, including a 2008 model which has clocked up 42,000 hours. And in addition to the first Pantera DP1510i off the production line, the company has recently placed orders for another four DP1510i to support growth across other Western Australia Goldfields operations.
The new Pantera DP1510i had its first public outing at last year’s MINExpo International in Las Vegas and was officially launched at Bauma 2025. The successor to the Pantera DP1500i, it is an intelligent, hydraulic, diesel-powered, self-propelled top hammer drill rig that is designed for large hole drilling. It is particularly well suited to production drilling in large quarries or open pit mines.
Compared to the DP1500i, the Pantera DP1510i boasts a more powerful rock drill with 15% more efficient conversion of hydraulic power to percussion energy, translating directly either to lower fuel consumption or higher penetration rate.
The flushing head has also been redesigned to ensure easier maintenance and 50% faster shank changes.
“When every minute counts, quicker service routines can make a real difference,” says Michael Forrest. “The flushing head redesign means crews can keep the drill running at peak performance with minimal interruption. It’s a smart improvement that adds real value in high-production environments like open pit gold mining.”
A major option available for the new rock drill is the patented active stabiliser for autonomically adjusted damping control and perfect bit-to-rock contact. This solution ensures consistently optimal hammer strikes for easy collaring and predictable drilling behaviour.
Commissioning of the Pantera DP1510i in Perth will involve ensuring it fully meets Australian safety standards
