SHAFT SINKING
DMC Mining Services designed and installed the exploration shaft headframe at the Victoria project
boring technology , given it sunk two 8-11 m diameter blind shafts using SBRs at the BHPowned Jansen potash project , in Saskatchewan .
Michal Jezioro , President and Managing Director of DMC , believes additional advancements in mechanised sinking technology are crucial to increasing sinking process efficiency , lowering capital costs and , most importantly , further ensuring the safety of shaft sinking crews .
DMC has been contracted to engineer , design , procure , fabricate , complete and commission the works associated with the execution of the Advanced Exploration Phase of the Victoria project .
“ That entails the early works construction , sinking of the exploration shaft , lateral development , definition drilling and bulk sample collection ,” Jezioro explained .
The cutting diameter of the exploration shaft is 7.3 m , with the finished diameter of the fullylined shaft being 6.7 m .
The Victoria project is based on the construction of an underground copper and nickel mine . Based on analytical work carried out in 2017 , the baseline scenario assumes two phases of development of the Victoria project , including the sinking of the first shaft , with additional exploration work and , later , the sinking of the production shaft .
While DMC is very much focused on shaft infrastructure currently , the team has implemented a phased construction approach at the project that enables it to execute shaft activities while preparing for the subsequent phases of exploration , ramp up and mine production .
“ This has allowed for site-wide services and permanent infrastructure to be constructed in advance , minimising rework and downtime during change over ,” Jezioro explained .
The company has also used the existing decline at Victoria to separate headframe erection from the galloway fit-out for an “ optimised schedule ” and significant cost savings , Jezioro said .
“ Based on lessons learned from past projects and industry best practices , completing the shaft areas as a priority minimises hoisting downtime when transitioning to production and installation of the loading pockets and skipping systems ,” Jezioro added . “ In DMC ’ s experience , thorough planning and risk assessment conducted by a multidisciplinary team of design and field engineers is critical to the success of the transition from exploration to mine development of the Victoria project .”
To ensure the project can benefit from the latest technologies the industry has to offer , DMC has been applying instrumentation to enable rock mass characterisation during sinking and evaluate the in-situ stress field .
“ All the geotechnical data collected during the shaft sinking process will be continuously evaluated and applied to the mine design to improve its safety and efficiency of mining production ,” Jezioro said .
To improve shaft safety at the project , the team has applied two single drum sinking hoists to allow for fewer hoisting restrictions than a conventional clutched double drum hoist , while providing a constant secondary egress . “ Our statistics have proven that this approach drastically reduces the time spent at the shaft bench , minimising exposure to highest risk area ,” Jezioro said .
He says the Victoria project is a prime example of the depth of its capabilities and experience in shaft sinking .
“ Our experience with this strength of rock
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30 International Mining | SEPTEMBER 2023