MINE EXCURSION
Blasted material with the wash plant in the distance.
The Loza radar runs over a known point of reference, in AST’s case, the
drill holes, in order to calibrate the radar image. The contact between
the sandstone and quartzite can then be continuously tracked on the
radar profiles allowing for a wider, and hence more cost-effective, drill
grid. The blasting was designed as a box cut, planned on the information
delivered by the radar, to access the quartzite in the most cost-effective
and optimal way. Loza’s average daily production in non-cleared terrain
is between 2.5km and 4km per day, allowing for large areas to be
surveyed in a short timeframe.
22
African Mining September 2019
A challenging environment
But it has not all been plain sailing for AST, as they entered the market
at a time when the South African economy was contrained, and the
construction market entering into a recession.
A big challenge in the area is the illegal mining of sand, for which
the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR) is actively working to
prevent. Blackmore says that the company has lost quite a bit of
revenue because of these illegal operations. The company believes
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