This presentation is to outline the current practice of mechanised stoping a one-metre wide, gold bearing ore body to optimise fragmentation, minimise dilution and reduce stoping costs.
Coolgardie underground operations have historically been mined using traditional shrink stope methods, but in this recent economic environment (with falling gold prices and high costs of traditional methods) it was necessary to look for alternative methods in order to reduce costs and increase productivity.
Although still in a learning and refinement phase, CGNL is satisfied that it is feasible, practical and more economic to use mechanised long up-hole stope and long-hole rising methods to significantly reduce the mining cost, reduce dilution, increase safety and increase productivity three-fold compared to traditional airleg methods used throughout the Fasten Goldfields.