Terelion will discontinue its operations in the Australia and New Zealand markets. This step is part of our strategic review and alignment of our global operations. We appreciate the support and collaboration we have received during our time at these markets. Our team will ensure a smooth transition for all stakeholders involved. The transition will be completed by the end of June 2024.
Cemented carbide is a key component in high-quality drill bits. One important ingredient in the manufacturing is tungsten, a rare mineral difficult to come by. Through Terelion’s Circularity program, it is now possible to recycle all cemented carbide inserts on a drill bit back to virgin material – pure tungsten – which can then be used in manufacturing new cemented carbide inserts. Tools from recycled solid carbide require 70% less energy which results in 40% less CO2 emissions.
“At Terelion, we are committed to working towards a more sustainable mining future. Doing so will benefit all: our planet, our customers, and our business. Our aim is 90% circularity by 2030. Key in achieving this is our Circularity Program. We are very happy that Rio Tinto Kennecott shares this ambition and has decided to join our program – a clear testament also to their commitment in this area. We look forward to a successful partnership that ultimately encourages others to join this exciting initiative”, said Graeme McKenzie, Operations Director at Terelion.
The process of separating cemented carbide inserts from the steel body of the drill bit is done through an elaborate heating process. The inserts are then gathered and shipped to Terelion’s recycling partner – saving more than 90% of shipping emissions in the process (compared to shipping the complete drill bits).
The used products are collected on site at Kennecott and transported to a partner where the dull tungsten carbide drill bits are separated from the steel. The used carbide inserts are then sent to a process plant in Austria where they are transformed back to its original powder form, and then made into new tungsten carbide inserts that are used as the raw material for making new drill bits.
The collection of the used bits on site at Kennecott
The Terelion Circularity program for tungsten carbide drill bits at the Rio Tinto Kennecott mine is estimated to reduce CO2 emissions related to carbide drill bits by 64%. The energy consumption will be reduced by 70%compared with sourcing tungsten carbide via conventional mining methods.
“We’re always looking for new and inventive ways to reduce our carbon footprint and cut waste,” said Rio Tinto Kennecott General Manager Minerals Brendan Murphy. “We are excited to support this innovative circularity program and look forward to seeing the difference it can make.”
From the left to the right: Ted Handler, President of Terelion, Brendan Murphy, General Manager Minerals of Rio Tinto Kennecott
A ceremony took place at the Rio Tinto Kennecott Mine on the 23rd of May 2023. It marked the start of the circularity program between the two companies.
As of 5 March 2023, Terelion (previously Varel Mining and Industrial) will change its business approach in Australia, where the company has been supplying the local market in partnership with V2 Mining Services for many years.
The contract between Terelion and V2 Mining Services will end on the abovementioned date, and going forward, Terelion will take on a new, more direct go-to-market approach in Australia. This is done to be able to offer increased service levels, deeper insights into customers’ drilling requirements, as well as quicker turnaround times on product development and applications.
Terelion remains committed to serving all customers in Australia, and any service, product-related and technical questions will be handled directly by Terelion sales representatives. All Terelion products are available for sale, with healthy stock levels in strategically located warehouses in Western Australia, New South Wales, and Queensland, and can be requested for a quote via the details below.
Over the upcoming weeks, Terelion will reach out directly to its Australian customers to discuss the new strategy and approach in detail.
Contact information
If you are a Terelion customer in Australia, please submit all purchase orders, questions or other business inquiries via e-mail at:
Robert Nel, Sales Director APAC, Terelion E-mail: rnel@terelion.com Mobile: +61 (0)400222774
Questions and Answers
I am an end user of Terelion products in Australia, how will this affect me?
Terelion`s legal entity is currently based in Perth, WA and will be marketing to you directly. Products remain stocked in similar locations as before, in NSW and QLD. New distribution networks are being setup to ensure continuity of supply to your operations. If you are in need of support regarding the supply of Terelion products or have further questions regarding our products, services, or technical matters, we kindly ask you to reach out directly to: Robert Nel: +61 (0)400222774, rnel@terelion.com
How will current orders and new orders be managed?
You will notice no changes on your end, as your Purchase orders have previously been handled directly by the local Terelion team. All orders, deliveries and invoicing continue as usual. You may continue to utilize our central email address for new purchase orders, logistics updates or invoicing related queries on, salesaustralia@terelion.com
MINEXCHANGE 2023 SME Annual Conference & Expo and CMA 125th National Western Mining Conference is the only conference dedicated to all disciplines of mining engineering. Featuring a wide variety of technical sessions and speakers combined with the expansive exhibit hall, MINEXCHANGE attracts thousands of mining professionals from around the world.
We, as Terelion, will take part in this exciting event showcasing our outstanding products. At our booth we display DTH (Down-the-Hole) hammer and bit, RPS (Rotary Percussion System) tool and roller cone bits.
We are looking forward to meeting you at the expo. Visit us and meet our experts to discuss how we can help you to increase your productivity and make your mining business more sustainable with our products and solutions. You can find us at Booth 1481.
Event location: Colorado Convention Center 700 14th St. Denver, CO 80202 Phone: (303) 228-8000
Terelion has a long history, having been in the mining industry since the late 1940’s. We are now taking new steps in one of the most important mining regions in the world, Southern Africa.
The countries in Southern Africa are key players in the mining industry, having a large mineral wealth, many of which are needed to make the transition to a more sustainable future. Terelion is now increasing its presence in the region – let’s hear more from Marc Thompson, Sales Director at Terelion.
Hi Marc, can you start with introducing yourself? I’m Marc Thompson, a UK native that has been working in the mining industry for more than 15 years, and in the Rock Tools industry for the past 10 years. I have significant experience from the global mining business, having worked in Africa, the USA, South America, Europe, and Australia.
What is your view of Southern Africa as a mining region? Several countries in Southern Africa, such as South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, and Zambia, are big mining markets thanks to their great abundance of natural resources. The industry is developed with many actors and companies operating in the region, and there is a strong need for premium suppliers that can offer value in regards to productivity, sustainability, and in the end, profitability. This is where Terelion comes in – and why we are now increasing our focus on this very important market.
What opportunities do you see in Southern Africa for Terelion customers?
Terelion products and expertise are a perfect fit with much of the Southern Africa market. With many years of learning, developing and, designing drilling consumables, Terelion can offer significant gains to the mining community. We believe in working closely together with our customers to offer a vastly improved Total Drilling Cost, saving mine operations money and time for optimal gains.
What are the benefits for customers that choose Terelion as a supplier?
Terelion has worked in the Mining industry since 1947. With such vast experience and by working closely together with the customers, we ensure that they get the best results possible from their drilling operations. Doing this is all about personal relationships. We want to know our customers, interact in person, learn about their operations and challenges, and together find the best solution for their specific needs.
Finally, sustainability is one of the most important topics in today’s mining industry globally. Can you describe Terelion’s sustainability work?
Terelion has set ambitious goals and targets for increased sustainability by 2030 across all areas of the business. This includes working with our circularity program, where we process bits for our customers in order to recycle the carbide buttons for use in future bit manufacturing. We also do many things to battle climate change, for example reducing our air freight, prioritizing virtual meetings where we can, and reducing air travel. And, perhaps most importantly, through constantly developing our offering. Ensuring that Terelion products are more widely used in key markets, such as Southern Africa, we can help our customers achieve more sustainable operations through lasting, productive, and fuel-efficient drilling. This is a true win-win-win, as our efforts in this area will foster better customer performance, and a better future but they also increase productivity and efficiency for the Terelion business.
Terelion (previously Varel Mining and Industrial) has up until now worked with a distributor, Drilling Project Services, in the Southern Africa region, handling supply and customer support in the local markets. This contract has now ended, and the process to find a new distributor is underway. This transition will result in a new approach to Terelion sales and support in the region, focusing on creating even closer collaboration with customers, with the aim of supporting them in making drilling operations even more efficient and productive.
Terelion remains committed to serving all customers in the Southern Africa region, and all service, product-related and technical questions will be handled directly by Terelion sales representatives until a new distributor is in place.
All Terelion products are available for sale for customers in the region, with healthy stock levels in main warehouses, and can be requested for a quote via the details below.
Contact information
Marc Thompson, Director, Terelion Email: mthompson@terelion.com Mobile: +44 (0)7407336069
Questions and Answers
I am a Terelion customer in Southern Africa, how will this affect me?
If you are in need of support regarding the supply of Terelion products or have questions regarding our products, services, or technical matters, we kindly ask you to reach out directly to Marc Thompson: +44 (0)7407336069, mthompson@terelion.com.
What countries are affected?
The countries that are affected are South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Mozambique, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
I am interested in your offering – where can I get more information about products and services?
Please reach out directly to Marc Thompson, +44 (0)7407336069, mthompson@terelion.com, or find more information on the product pages here on our website.
One of the biggest mining societies over 13000 global members, ’The Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (SME)’ has announced that ’MINEXCHANGE 2022 SME Annual Conference & Expo’ will take place on February 27 to March 2, 2022.
As Terelion, we will be exhibiting our latest innovations during the expo. When visiting you can see our latest innovation Warrior DTH hammer and bit, RPS – Rotary Percussion System tool, and the industry leading Terelion tricone – rotary drill bits.
We are looking forward to meeting you at the expo. Visit us and meet our experts to discuss how we can help you to increase your productivity. You can find us at Booth 705.
The National Mining Association (NMA), the sponsor of MINExpo International 2020, has announced that the 2020 show has been rescheduled to Sept. 13-15, 2021, at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
With our experts, we will be presenting our latest offering at MINExpo 2021.
We are now presenting Terelion on our social media channels. Follow us on our Facebook, Linkedin, Instagram and Youtube to find out our latest innovations at the same time that we release.
VAREL MINING AND INDUSTRIAL CHANGES NAME TO TERELION
With the recent sale of their oil and gas division, Terelion has developed a new business strategy allowing them to focus solely on the mining industry. While rotary drill bits and down-the-hole products for surface mining will be the core part of their business, drill bits for water well, construction, and other industrial applications will also be included in the Terelion portfolio. “Terelion will continue to build on the proud heritage of the Varel brand” says Terelion’s President David Harrington. “Refining our product line allows us to strengthen our R&D and marketing efforts, while continuing to supply world-classproducts and services for our mining customers” he explains. With an established presence in all the major surface mining markets around the world, the company is already well placed to serve its global customer base. They are looking forward to a phase of dynamic expansion, innovation and collaboration with stakeholders.
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