Drilling and blasting contract in Suape, Brazil

27 October 2011 - Wicks has been awarded the contract for drilling and blasting of approximately 1 million m3 of rock in the access channel to the industrial port of Suape, located near Recife in north-east Brazil. The client is Suape Complexo Industrial Portuario Governador Eraldo Gueiros.

The work will involve removing 5 million m3 of material. Approximately 1 million m3 consists of rock, some of which will require drilling and blasting. Van Oord will remove the other 4 million m3 of material using a large trailing suction hopper dredger.

Deepening the access channel from -15 m to -20 m is a key objective in the port’s growth plans and part of a strategy to boost the economic development of Pernambuco.