Mariana Minerals and Sandvik Partner to Pioneer Fully Autonomous Drill Operations at U.S. Copper Mine

Scaling multi-bench, operator-free drilling powered by MarianaOS as part of the world's only autonomy-first mining operation

SAN JUAN COUNTY, Utah, April 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Mariana Minerals, the world's only software-first, vertically-integrated minerals company, and Sandvik, a global leader in mining equipment, automation, and digital solutions, today 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.

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 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.

About Mariana Minerals

Mariana engineers, builds, and operates mines and refineries it owns, using proprietary AI/ML tools to accelerate project execution and optimize production across critically needed metals. Copper One is Mariana's second active project, alongside Lithium One — the world's first GWh-scale lithium extraction facility from oil and gas produced water, currently under construction in East Texas. Mariana has raised $100 million in total capital, including a Series A led by Andreessen Horowitz with participation from Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Khosla Ventures, and strategic investors. For more information on Mariana, visit marianaminerals.com.

About Sandvik Mining

Sandvik is a global leading supplier of equipment and tools, parts, services, digital solutions and sustainability-driving technologies for the mining and construction industries. Application areas include rock drilling, rock cutting, loading and hauling, tunneling, ground support, and quarrying. In 2025, sales were approximately 69 billion SEK with about 18,000 employees. For further information, visit mining.sandvik.

SOURCE Mariana Minerals