Epiroc ROC D7C Rotary Blast-Hole Drill Rig

The Epiroc ROC D7C is a mid-size rotary blast-hole drill rig designed for high-production open-pit mining and large quarry operations, drilling 152–229 mm diameter holes with a rotary head torque of 16,000 Nm and a pulldown force of 180 kN. Unlike top-hammer rigs that transmit percussion energy from surface down the drill string, rotary drilling applies continuous high-bit-load rotation to the drill bit, which is particularly effective in the soft to medium-hard sedimentary formations — limestone, phosphate, evaporite — that dominate much of Saudi Arabia's mineable geology. The ROC D7C is powered by a 373 kW diesel engine matched to a high-pressure compressor that delivers 26 m³/min of flushing air at 24 bar, capable of efficiently cleaning large-diameter holes in the fine dusty cuttings typical of phosphate and soft limestone formations.

At the Maaden phosphate operation in Wa'ad Al-Shamal, rotary blast-hole drilling is the production standard for bench preparation in the soft to medium-hard phosphate ore zone, where the ROC D7C's high pulldown force and large-diameter capability match the mine's designed blast pattern geometry. The mine's production schedule calls for tens of thousands of metres of blast-hole drilling annually, and the D7C's high penetration rates in phosphate rock — often exceeding 60 m/hour in soft zones — deliver the productivity required to meet ore supply targets for the downstream beneficiation plant. The rig's optional mist injection system allows water injection into the hole during drilling, suppressing the fine dust generated in dry phosphate formations and maintaining safe site air quality without requiring a separate dust suppression water truck.

ROC D7C rigs are also used across Saudi Arabia for civil blasting and overburden removal in infrastructure mega-projects. ARAMCO's ongoing facility expansions at Ras Tanura, Jubail, and Yanbu require periodic rock blasting for new tank farm foundations, jetty extensions, and pipeline routes through basalt and limestone outcrops. The ROC D7C's ability to be equipped with both tricone rotary bits and DTH hammers on the same mast — by changing the drill head configuration — gives contractors the flexibility to address both soft sedimentary and hard igneous formations encountered on the same project without mobilising a second rig type.

Razz Middle East represents Epiroc's ROC D7C in Saudi Arabia, providing technical specification support to mine operators and civil contractors during tendering, and full aftermarket support including OEM spare parts, service exchange drill heads, and field service engineers available for callout across the Kingdom.