Ritchie Bros. to sell unused Sandvik roof bolter for BHP Billiton in Toronto
unreserved public auction

TORONTO, Nov. 9 /CNW/ - Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (NYSE andTSX: RBA), the world's largest industrial auctioneer, will be conducting a multi-million dollar auction at the Company's permanent auction site in Toronto (Bolton) on Tuesday, December 7. More than 600 equipment items and trucks are already featured in the auction, including an unused Sandvik DS510-C roof bolter—items continue to be added daily. More information about equipment, including equipment photos and details, is available at www.rbauction.com

The Sandvik DS510-C is a fully mechanized, one-man operated, electro-hydraulic bolting jumbo used for reinforcing rock in underground mines, tunnels and large cross sections. Roof bolting is also commonly carried out in coal mines to secure mine roofs to be self-supportive.

The roof bolter was consigned by BHP Billiton Canada—part of BHP International, one of the largest mining companies in the world. The DS510-C was to be used in the company's underground mining operations at the Ekati Diamond Mine in Canada's Northwest Territories; however, due to size restrictions it was never put to use. It will be sold dissembled on auction day (for ease of transport).

"This is an exciting opportunity for Ritchie Bros. to get involved in selling highly specialized equipment from the underground mining world," said Brian Dykstra, Regional Manager, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers. "BHP Billiton has sold their mining equipment through us before at auctions in Edmonton and Grande Prairie. We provide equipment owners with a seamless and transparent way to sell their equipment to the world and they can be confident we will attract the right buyers on auction day—even for high value, mining equipment like this roof bolter."

Roof bolting equipment works by drilling directly into the rock strata and installing bolts. By adjusting the bolt magazine to a desired length, the Sandvik DS510-C has the capacity to install bolts with lengths of four to five meters (13 - 16 ft) without any other hydraulic or mechanical modifications. The DS510-C is also mounted on a jumbo carrier for high mobility and features electrical controls.

Other items being sold in the December 7 Toronto (Bolton) auction include wheel loaders, forklifts, late model Volvo articulated dump trucks, crawler tractors, hydraulic excavators, pickup trucks, several late model Kenworth T800 triple-axle truck tractors, numerous trailer types (e.g. end, lowboy, highboy, jeep) and many more items. All items will be sold to the highest bidders on auction day—regardless of price—with no minimum bids or reserve prices.

For more information on roof bolting and the Ekati Diamond Mine, visit RitchieWiki:

• Ekati Diamond Mine: http://www.ritchiewiki.com/wiki/index.php/EKATI_Diamond_Mine
• Roof Bolters: http://www.ritchiewiki.com/wiki/index.php/Roof_Bolter

Auction details:

• Location: 3 Manchester Court, Bolton ON, L7E 2Y1
• Toronto (Bolton) auction site tel: [phone]
• Time and date: Tuesday, December 7, 2010 at 8:00 a.m. (local time)
• Auction is open to the public; registration to bid is free; a refundable bid deposit may be required
• How to register and bid:
• In person at the auction site - first-time bidders from Canada and the U.S. must place a refundable $1,000 bid deposit when they register on-site
• Online at rbauction.com - register in advance and bid online in real time on auction day; a refundable bid deposit may be required; first-time bidders should register several days in advance of the auction
• By proxy - phone the auction site to place a proxy bid
• Interested buyers can come to the auction site to inspect, test and compare items

About Ritchie Bros.
Established in 1958, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers (NYSE andTSX: RBA) is the world's largest industrial auctioneer, selling more equipment to on-site and online bidders than any other company in the world. The Company has over 110 locations in more than 25 countries, including 42 auction sites worldwide. Ritchie Bros. sells, through unreserved public auctions, a broad range of used and unused industrial assets, including equipment, trucks and other assets utilized in the construction, transportation, agricultural, material handling, mining, forestry, petroleum and marine industries. The Company maintains a web site at www.rbauction.com and sponsors an equipment wiki at www.RitchieWiki.com.

ATTENTION MEDIA: Photos and other media resources are available for use at http://www.rbauction.com/media. 
Members of the public and the media can follow Ritchie Bros. on Twitter @RitchieBros

For further information:

Brian Dykstra, Regional Manager, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers
Toronto (Bolton) auction site phone: [phone]
Or
Blake Shultis, Territory Manager, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers
Phone: [phone] or email [email protected]
Or
Tess Zevenbergen, Corporate Communications Specialist, Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers
Phone: [phone] or email [email protected]