Vertical crater retreat mining is being used at Zinc Corporation, Limited and New Broken Hill Consolidated, Limited for pillar recovery between previously mined and filled stopes. In order to increase productivity in the older lead lode areas of the mine, particularly in the lower grade sections around the keel of the orebody, score form of longhole stoping was considered necessary._x000D_
Due to poor ground conditions in the country rock surrounding the ore and the requirement to provide sane wall support during mining, primary VCR mining has been utilised in these areas._x000D_
At Zinc Corporation, several stopes have thus far been mined by a hybrid longhole stripping - VCR method.