Peterstow is an international company developing energy efficient, environmentally friendly drilling systems for global gold and platinum group metals mining markets. The company has a world-class high-precision production factory in Ngwenya, Swaziland, operational sites in South Africa and the UK, and a global distribution network.
What does Peterstow do?
Peterstow produces specialist deep mine drilling systems for the mining of gold and platinum group metals. The equipment uses patented closed‐loop water hydraulic technology.
The main application is in the 'drill and blast' mining industry, where holes are drilled into a rock‐face for the insertion of high explosive charges.
There are currently three products in the Peterstow range: the Peterstow Aquapower Rock Drill, the Peterstow Breaker for civil engineering applications and the Peterstow Powerpack.
What is so special about Peterstow technology?
The system increases profits in hostile environments because it greatly reduces the water and energy requirements for deep mine drilling. It offers reduced capital costs and greater profitability than rival technologies. Peterstow addresses the mining industry's biggest challenges by reducing costs and environmental impact, and improving safety.
The Peterstow closed-loop hydraulic design reduces water consumption and ensures a more efficient transfer of power to the drill steel, dramatically reducing energy consumption. It does not need large amounts of oil or chemicals, limiting its environmental impact.
Peterstow equipment reduces the need for much of the expensive and obstructive underground infrastructure currently essential to traditional hard rock drilling processes.
By improving energy efficiency and eliminating the need for inefficient infrastructure Peterstow drills can use less than 0.01% of the energy required by some existing drills. 500 Peterstow drills over a six hour period would use 22,500 kWh of energy, compared to rival pneumatic drills, which can use 3,000,000 kWh. Peterstow technology enables mine operators to substantially reduce energy consumption.
The water consumption of existing 'open‐loop' hydraulic technology is in the region of five tons of water per ton of ore extracted. The Peterstow 'closed‐loop' water drills perform within the region of two tons of water per ton of ore extracted. This reduces the water required by the mining industry by 20 million tons + per annum per 1,000 drills.
Peterstow technology eliminates the risk of oil leaks from drills and associated systems.
How does the closed-loop water hydraulic system and modular power pack differ from existing systems?
Traditionally power generators sit on the surface of the mine feeding energy down the mine shaft - sometimes over four kilometres down - to cool the operations and operate the machinery that goes into a modern underground operation. For every 100kW put into a compressor to create the pressure needed to compress the air for drills, as little as 1kW arrives at the intended source. The rest is lost along the way. A single large deep-level mine can easily run up electricity bills of well over $1million a month.
The Peterstow powerpack and closed loop system is a self-contained unit which allows a more efficient transfer of power to the drill steel does not require the pumping of water and air underground. The electric powerpack generates 100 bar of pressure for the Rock Drill, offering high performance from a very reliable and mobile power source.
This reduces the need for infrastructure such as compressed air reticulation columns and high strength water piping as everything needed is taken down the mine in a single unit – which cuts out most of the waste currently associated with deep level mining.
Who is behind Peterstow?
The company was formed by father and son Douglas and Alan Barrows based on a novel mine drilling technology.
Douglas Barrows is the Chairman of Peterstow. He has 40 years experience in engineering and construction equipment sales. He began development of Peterstow's novel drill technology in 1985.
Alan Barrows is Executive Director of Peterstow. He is responsible for day to day operations, including product development and manufacturing, and he oversees the Peterstow manufacturing facility at Ngwenya in Swaziland. Alan has a background in production engineering and has been active in developing Peterstow's closed loop water hydraulic technology since 1992.
Gerard Kisbey-Green is Chief Executive Officer in South Africa. He is responsible for sales and marketing, overseeing product development and production pilots of Peterstow’s hydraulic drilling technology in South African and international mines. He is also an executive director at group level.
Dilip Kalyan is Finance Director of Peterstow Aquapower (Pty) Ltd and Peterstow Aquapower Swaziland (Pty) Ltd.
Andrew McIntyre is a Director of Dudley Associates Ltd and Corinium Technical Support Services Ltd.
What is Peterstow's company and group ownership?
Peterstow's majority shareholder (91%) is the Barrows Trust, of which Alan Barrows is managing trustee. The remaining equity is held by three minority shareholders.
What is Peterstow's company and group structure?
Peterstow's parent company, Peterstow Holdings Limited is the sole shareholder in all Peterstow companies and is the contractual party to the Intellectual Licence Agreement with Glencross Limited (which owns the intellectual property rights including patent applications).
Peterstow Aquapower Swaziland (Pty) Limited is Peterstow's primary manufacturing business. It owns a freehold site at Ngwenya in Swaziland, 3km from the border with South Africa, where a world-class high-precision production factory has been developed.
Peterstow Aquapower (Pty) Limited provides finance, administrative, IT and logistical support to Peterstow Aquapower Swaziland from bases in Johannesburg and Durban.
Corinium Technical Support Services Limited is based in Cirencester in the UK and provides technology and research skills to Peterstow in South Africa and Swaziland.
Dudley Associates Limited, is a specialist manufacturer of plastic injection mould tooling and plastic mouldings based in Lutterworth in the UK. It was acquired by Peterstow in 2008 to aid the conversion of certain Peterstow product components from metal to plastic.
IP and Patent Rights
The Peterstow closed‐loop water hydraulic technology, and associated products and development, are protected by patent applications in key jurisdictions world‐wide. Peterstow products and innovations are further protected by the advanced technology which makes replication difficult. The Peterstow name and logo are registered trademarks.
Corporate responsibility
Peterstow invests in local college education for students in Swaziland and recruits local employees where possible.
Peterstow supports local HIV clinics by facilitating meetings between medical teams and the local community to promote awareness and the importance of testing and treatment.
Peterstow supports the UNESCO feeding programme by providing food for between 200-300 orphaned and vulnerable children in the local community.