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    Mesabi Metallics Pit Viper 351 E rigs: design and haulage notes for Iron Range mine

    February 9, 2026|

    Reviewed by Tom Sullivan

    Mesabi Metallics Pit Viper 351 E rigs: design and haulage notes for Iron Range mine

    First reported on International Mining – News

    30 Second Briefing

    Mesabi Metallics has purchased fully electric Epiroc Pit Viper 351 E rotary blasthole rigs via distributor Road Machinery & Supplies Co for its US$2.4 billion taconite iron ore mine and processing complex on Minnesota’s Iron Range. The large-capacity Pit Viper 351 platform, typically used for 270–311 mm production drilling, will be integrated into a greenfield operation designed around high-volume, bench-scale drilling and downstream concentrator throughput. Fully electric drilling reduces diesel use at the pit, simplifies highwall ventilation design and supports future integration with autonomous drilling and fleet electrification strategies.

    Technical Brief

    • Epiroc is supplying the rigs via Road Machinery & Supplies Co, Mesabi’s regional distributor partner.
    • The drills are being procured ahead of full ramp-up to support operational readiness of the greenfield complex.
    • Partnership with a Minnesota-based distributor should streamline local parts availability, field service and commissioning support.
    • For similar large open pits, early commitment to electric drills can de-risk later fleet electrification sequencing.

    Our Take

    Epiroc’s presence across multiple recent pieces in our database – from MT65 S truck deliveries in Chile to Deep Automation haulage at Agnico Eagle’s Odyssey mine – signals that Mesabi Metallics’ $2.4 billion iron ore development in Minnesota is plugging into a supplier already pushing hard on automation-ready fleets.

    Among the 112 iron ore–linked items in our coverage, relatively few involve such large greenfield-style capex in mature regions like Minnesota’s Iron Range, suggesting this project could become a regional anchor customer for advanced drill and blast technology in North American taconite.

    Given Epiroc’s current focus on automation and remote operation (as seen in the McArthur River and Odyssey mine articles), specifying Pit Viper 351 E rigs at Mesabi Metallics’ taconite facility likely positions the operation to adopt higher levels of autonomous drilling and data-driven blast optimisation over time.

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    Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.

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