Mining, with its mix of tradition and challenge, is undergoing a silent transformation. Underground, where time seemed to run slower, the technology applied to mining It makes its way, transforming the paradigms of production, safety and future in the industry.
In this context, in the province of Santa Cruz, a model farm has become an example of how innovation is redefining the rules.
It is about Newmont Cerro Negro, which operates its field in the Deseado Massif, the main exploitation of gold and silver in Argentina. Although it is not common to associate mining with advanced automation, things are changing rapidly. Cerro Negro has just incorporated more technology, particularly the Sandvik DS422i equipment, a drilling rig that could mark a before and after for underground mining in Argentina. But beyond the brilliance of the technology, what is interesting is what this means for the people who work there, for their safety and for production standards.
Innovation and precision, the keys
The DS422i is not just any machine: it is designed for a crucial and delicate task in underground mining, sustainment. Basically, it reinforces gallery walls with surgical precision, using a mixture of water, cement and additives. This process, which used to be manual and require great physical effort, is now practically automatic.
consulted, Alexandre Heberle, interim deputy general manager of Newmont Cerro Negrohighlights what this change represents: “This equipment not only improves the safety of our workers by keeping people protected from critical risks and improving the ergonomics of the task, but also optimizes the quality of the process by automating critical stages”. Technology, in this case, not only speeds up processes, but also redefines the limits of what is safe and possible in such a demanding environment.
More than machines: people at the center
But according to what they say in the sector, the impact of this technology goes beyond machinery. Their arrival poses new challenges for workers: operating these tools requires specific training and skill updating. According to what the company says, Newmont has not been slow to respond, offering training programs so that its team can make the most of this innovation.
They point out that the result is a workforce that is better prepared and, above all, protected from risks that were previously inevitable. Heberle sums it up like this: “The development of our people is as important as any technological innovation that we implement”.
This approach is not accidental: the Cerro Negro mine, which directly employs 1,800 people and indirectly employs another thousand in the country, it seeks to balance innovation with well-being and human development, something that increasingly defines companies in the sector.
Although the DS422i rollout is in its early stages, expectations are high. From its base in Santa Cruz, the mine is already collecting data and training operators to evaluate the impact of this new technology. The expected results? More safety, more efficiency and a work standard that could be replicated in other mining operations.
Newmont Cerro Negro is just one example, but one that illustrates how mining in Argentina is changing its face. Today, technology promises a future where producing more does not mean putting more at stake. In this change of paradigm, in Cerro Negro they seem to open something more than galleries: they open a new way of understanding mining, where technology and people work, literally, side by side.
Source: Ambito
