Introducing Abergeldie Mining
Ardent Underground is now 100% owned and operated by the Abergeldie Group and has been renamed Abergeldie Mining.
In 2001 Abergeldie Civil diversified and bought a majority share in innovative shaft sinking company Ardent Underground.
Ardent Underground gained international attention after designing and developing their blind boring drill rigs which are most effective through difficult ground conditions including fractured strata, high pressure aquifers and deep hard rock. Shafts of up to 6.5metres in diameter and 700metres deep can be drilled and lined entirely by remote methods, meaning no personnel enter the shaft during any phase of the work. This provides the safest and fastest way to access underground mines without interruption to mine production which is a big advantage, particularly to new mine developments and tunnelling projects. Their composite steel and concrete liners were the first of their type used in Australia.
Early in 2007 the directors of Ardent Underground were approached by USA oil mining company Rockwell Petroleum to relocate operations to America. It forced an evaluation of the company’s direction. The Directors resolved to sell three drill rigs to Rockwell. Two were transported to the USA in 2007, with the third completing a job at Dendrobium Coal Mine, NSW before being shipped mid 2008.
The Abergeldie Group bought the remaining share of Ardent Underground with the aim to provide complex infrastructure to the mining and civil infrastructure industry in Australia
Abergeldie Mining can now offer clients the complete package of large diameter shaft boring, process engineering and civil infrastructure. Abergeldie Mining has a new drill rig under construction that will be operational in the third quarter of 2008.