Japanese Firm Inks $440 Million Contract to Supply Mining Equipment for Reko Diq

Japan’s Komatsu has signed a $440 million agreement with Barrick Gold to supply ultra-class mining equipment for Pakistan’s Reko Diq copper-gold project, the company confirmed Wednesday. According to Arab News, Komatsu will establish a local subsidiary Komatsu Pakistan Mining (SMC-Private) Limited, to provide on-site technical services and equipment support. This is Komatsu’s first major equipment deployment in Pakistan. The agreement follows a global framework signed with Barrick in October 2023 and builds on their cooperation at Barrick’s mines in Zambia and the U.S. The equipment, to be delivered over five years, includes Komatsu 980E-5 haul trucks from Illinois, P&H electric rope shovels from Wisconsin, PC7000-11 excavators from Germany, and WE2350-2 loaders from Texas. Reko Diq is located in Balochistan near the Iran-Afghanistan border. Barrick owns 50 percent, while the federal and Balochistan governments each hold 25 percent. Construction begins in 2025, with production expected in 2028.