The Shaft Sinking and Drilling Division at THYSSEN SCHACHTBAU GMBH is an important part of our globally based and internationally active corporation.
The Shaft Sinking and Drilling Division is one of the world’s largest and leading shaft construction companies with a portfolio of more than 200 km in depth. The division is the largest provider of and expert in shaft sinking and mining operations in Europe.
This division has specialised since 150 years in developing and accessing raw material deposits. Techniques vary from conventional methods, such as drilling and blasting, to newer and more advanced techniques, such as cementation, freezing, and fully mechanized boring over eight meters in diameter. We provide our clients turnkey projects, which encompass a wide range of services, including project planning, feasibility analyses, technical concepts, statistical analyses, and production drawings, as well as design and construction – all executed to the highest professional standard.
We also engage in specialised mining projects for German permanent waste repository operations and for national and international coal, potash, salt, and iron ore mining industries. In recent years, we have further expanded our portfolio in other areas, including civil engineering involving sophisticated prevention and percussion drilling, raise boring, tunneling, and power station operations.
This division has been heavily involved in projects throughout Germany and Eastern Europe, as well as Switzerland, Austria and the Balkans.
In Germany, where operations are mainly centered on three key clients, the division undertakes specialised mining work for the Kassel-based potash and salt producers K + S Kali GmbH and for DBE in Peine, the German service company responsible for the construction and operation of waste repositories, as well as for RAG Deutsche Steinkohle in Herne.
Various branch offices and sites have been established in Eastern Europe with a view to managing the shaft construction contracts that were acquired in 2007 and 2008. These technically challenging projects with their demanding delivery schedules involve sinking to depths of more than 2,000 m and shaft diameters up to 9 m.
Our subsidiary in Kazakhstan is developing driftings for the world largest ferrochromium producer.
In recent years, we have continued to push industry standards regarding workplace health and safety. Also the cautious work of the employees was again able to reduce notifiable incidents to a result never reached before. This result is strongly associated with the German Mining Industry Employer’s Association’s implementation of the System-Oriented Safety initiative, greatly reducing accidents, requiring inspection and accreditation for firms within the industry.
Shaft Sinking and Drilling holds the ISO 9001 accreditation.
The division is always eager to consult and perform contracts both locally and internationally. Our engineers are proven in facing new challenges and adapting to local and global economic conditions. We are accustomed to dealing with difficult and constantly changing situations and are always effective and efficient when developing solutions.
