The drill is one of three that make up the intensive rescue effort underway to rescue the trapped men, who have been underground since the beginning of August when a main access tunnel collapsed.
It is expected that once the drill breaks through, a special pod named phoenix will travel down the shaft. Miners will enter the vehicle and be brought to the surface one by one.
Murray & Roberts’ Ed Jardim said he was confident the rescue operation will be a success. [Eyewitness News]
Murray & Roberts has been selected to participate in the rescue operation of the 33 miners who have been trapped underground, 688 metres below surface, in the San Jose Mine near the town Copiapo in the north of Chile. The miners have been trapped since 05 August 2010, after the main access tunnel to the mine collapsed.
Murray & Roberts has a controlling shareholding in two mining contracting companies in Chile; Terracem, which is a specialist raise drilling company, and the recently established Cementation Sudamerica, which is focused on major vertical shaft and underground mine infrastructure work. Its partner in Chile is a local company, Terraservice.