SHAFT SINKING
Seismic sensors installed at every level of the shaft at Victoria provide continuous visibility into rock mass behaviour, DMC says
bulk sample collection and completing engineering for the future full mine phase.
This advanced exploration phase is seeing DMC and KGHMI not only sink a 6.7-m diameter shaft – to act as the mine’ s ventilation shaft in the future – but carry out concurrent exploration with a diamond drill rig at stations approximately every 200 m down from the 1200 level. The ventilation shaft is planned to go to 1,860 m and, over that advanced exploration phase, just under 60,000 m of drilling is expected to be carried out to expand the resource as well as convert inferred tonnes to indicated and measured categories.
At the 1800 level, KGHMI also plans to take a bulk sample that it can send to a thirdparty mill for processing, getting an early read on the concentrate quality.
The advanced exploration phase KGHMI is currently carrying out with DMC Mining Services is expected to continue until approximately mid-2028, with the shaft at a depth of 1,484.2 m below surface as of July 6.
It also integrates EPCM and EPC designbuild models, which DMC says, minimises coordination issues between multiple contractors, optimises scheduling and costs, improves safety and quality, and provides flexibility to adapt to evolving project requirements.
The ability to leverage such models, plus combine it with deep conventional expertise and a proven mechanised capability, is one of DMC’ s unique selling points, according to Michal Jezioro, President and Managing Director.
“ Few contractors can match the breadth of DMC’ s experience across both conventional and mechanised sinking, including its pioneering role in deploying Herrenknecht’ s SBR at scale,” he told IM.“ This technical foundation is strengthened by a disciplined EPC approach that brings constructability-driven front-end planning, early procurement and unified project controls together under one structure.