Mariana and Sandvik to pioneer fully autonomous drill operations

Mariana Minerals, a software-first, vertically-integrated minerals company, and Sandvik, a global leader in mining equipment, automation, and digital solutions, recently announced a partnership to deploy autonomous drilling technology across operations at Copper One, Mariana's autonomy-first copper mine in southeastern Utah.

The partnership integrates the Sandvik AutoMine® Surface Drilling autonomous platform directly into MarianaOS, the company's proprietary software stack. Instead of operating as a standalone system, AutoMine® becomes part of a unified operating layer that connects drilling with the rest of the mine. Drill activity, machine telemetry, and geological data continuously flow into MarianaOS, where they are used to drive decisions across the operation. This integration is another step towards Mariana's vision of building a fully autonomous, technology-driven mining operation in the United States.

"The drill is where the mine begins"

Drilling sets the foundation for the entire mining process, defining how and where ore is accessed before any material is moved. With MarianaOS, drilling shifts from a standalone mechanical task to a continuous, data-generating system. 

AutoMine executes core drilling functions (such as full power drilling, positioning, collaring, pipe handling, hole finishing, and tramming), while MarianaOS uses the high-resolution operational and subsurface data to optimize downstream decisions across the mine. Drill performance, penetration rates, and geological signals feed directly into models that improve blast design, material routing, maintenance scheduling, and production planning. The result is a tightly coupled, closed-loop system where what happens at the drill continuously improves what happens next.

"The drill is where the mine begins. When you integrate it into your operating system, it doesn't just execute a plan – it informs and improves everything that follows. That's the shift from automation to autonomy. Sandvik gives us the platform, and MarianaOS turns it into a system that learns. That's what we're building at Copper One." — Turner Caldwell, CEO, Mariana Minerals.

The shift to fully autonomous drilling

The shift to fully autonomous drilling also changes how work gets done on site. Operators move from manually controlling individual machines to overseeing coordinated, software-driven fleets. New technical roles emerge to support system performance, data quality, and optimization, allowing teams to focus on higher-value decisions while maintaining operational oversight.

"Sandvik AutoMine® transforms the mining process, delivering safer, more productive and insightful drilling operations. Pairing AutoMine® with MarianaOS will unlock new levels of efficiency and safety for the Copper One mine and we're delighted to support Mariana Minerals as they develop this important site," — Mats Eriksson, President, Sandvik Mining.

The U.S. currently imports approximately 50% of its refined copper. With domestic demand projected to nearly double by 2035 – driven by AI infrastructure, electrification, energy storage, and grid modernization – the ability to restart and scale permitted domestic operations quickly, with technology that improves efficiency, sustainability and reliability, has become a national priority. Together, Mariana and Sandvik are working to address that gap.