OzMinerals Carrapateena Advanced Exploration Project, SA

WT was engaged in 2013 to assist OZMinerals in setting of budgets and cost control for a pre-feasibility and feasibility study including an exploratory decline at their Carrapateena Mine located 160 km North of Port Augusta.

The Carrapateena Mine is expected to be developed as an underground dual lift block cave mine with a predicted production rate of 12.4Mtpa for 20 to 25 years producing copper and gold.

The exploratory decline will be constructed using a reconditioned Robbins Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM), the first time a TBM has been used for such a purpose. The decline itself will be a 53.8 m diameter, 6,500 m long segmentally lined tunnel.

It is expected that the tunnel will cease at the first production level of the two level block cave mine. From this point drill and blast methods will be utilised to continue excavation.

To support the exploratory decline and the ongoing mining operations a camp has been established on site. During mining operations it is expected that staff will work on a fly in fly out basis.