MINERAL EXPLORATION & MINING

Atlas Copco buys three equipment companies

Atlas Copco is acquiring South African drilling-consumables manufacturer Renegade Drilling Supplies Proprietary and rock drills specialist Rockdrill Services Australia, as well as the assets of its US-based distributor and service company Cate Drilling Solutions

Atlas Copco buys three equipment companies

Renegade Drilling is based in Johannesburg, South Africa, and sells its products throughout the Southern African region. The company manufactures and distributes exploration drilling consumables, such as drill rods, in-the-hole tools and diamond drill bits.

Helena Hedblom, president of Atlas Copco's Mining and Rock Excavation Technique business area, stated: "This acquisition will expand our product portfolio and establish a regional footprint for manufacturing of mining exploration consumables."

Rockdrill Services Australia is based in Melbourne and has service shops in Kalgoorlie and Townsville. The company develops, remanufactures, services and repairs rock drills used for mining and rock excavation.

Cate Drilling Solutions, in turn, is based in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is active in the US states of Utah, Nevada, Wyoming and Idaho. The company is an Atlas Copco full service distributor for surface drilling products, and also has a state-of-the-art remanufacturing shop that further serves customers' needs. 

The businesses will the part of different divisions (Rock Drilling Tools, and Mining and Rock Excavation Service) within Epiroc, the wholly owned subsidiary of Atlas Copco that will be listed on the stock exchange in 2018, providing shareholders' approval.