Atlas Copco strikes gold at Boddington mine in Australia

Stockholm, Sweden, August 7, 2006: Atlas Copco has received a significant order for surface drilling equipment from the Boddington Gold Mine in Western Australia. The order has a value of approximately MSEK 275 (MEUR 30), including equipment sales and a five-year service, maintenance and parts supply contract. Delivery will commence in the third quarter of 2007.

Boddington is a joint venture between Newmont Mining Corporation and AngloGold Ashanti. The order comprises eight blast-hole rigs and a crawler rig, which will form Boddington’s production drilling fleet at its new gold mine, 130km south-east of Perth. To support the drilling fleet, up to 25 Atlas Copco people will be working on service, maintenance and parts management tasks at the Boddington mine site. The mine is due to commence production of more than one million ounces of gold per annum from the second half of 2008, making Boddington one of the world’s major gold producers for up to two decades. “We are very excited about our long-term relationship with the Newmont group at Boddington, one of the major new resource projects in Australia,” says Björn Rosengren, Business Area President, Atlas Copco Construction and Mining Technique. “This order is among the major deals for Atlas Copco in a strong period for mining and construction worldwide.” The order was won by Atlas Copco Construction and Mining Australia Pty Ltd.