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SHAFT SINKING
mass led us to choose conventional drill and blast sinking ,” Jezioro said . “ By choosing this proven method , we have eliminated the unexpected schedule impacts that often accompany new and unproven technologies .”
This surety of schedule has also provided the company with the opportunity to install the support infrastructure for both the sinking and production phases of mine development . “ The design of the sinking stage was a pivotal point where our experience and lessons learned came together , allowing us to maximise the opportunity to conduct simultaneous activities supporting the shaft sinking process , leading to significant schedule gains and cost savings ,” Jezioro said .
Sinking the ventilation shaft first will also provide valuable data and mine development access prior to the completion of the production shaft , according to DMC , meaning the production mine surface and underground infrastructure can be built off the critical path of the production shaft itself .
“ While oftentimes twin shafts are sunk simultaneously , the advantage of sequential shaft sinking is that lessons learned from one shaft can be applied to the other shaft investment ,” Jezioro concluded .
UMS out for project wins
In the specialised field of shaft sinking , United Mining Services Group says it continues to stand out with an offering that spans the entire mining value chain and a willingness to invest on behalf of its clients to streamline project delivery .
UMS calls itself a single-source provider with the expertise to undertake all concept , design , engineering , construction , commissioning and refurbishment projects for its mining and processing clients .
“ We ensure that the construction teams who execute a project are already involved upfront during the design , engineering and procurement phases of a project ,” it says . “ This reduces time , cost and risk to the client in getting their projects delivered as effectively and safely as possible .”
Through the acquisition of UMS METS ( Mining Engineering Technical Services ) and UMS Shaft Sinkers , it has a library of knowledge and expertise that spans six decades .
Looking to speed up schedules in shaft sinking projects today , the company has recently undertaken a significant investment in the purchasing of equipment , including many winders / hoists , from various sources such as heritage shaft sinking businesses and local mining houses in the regions it operates in .
The equipment , which often has decades of life left in it , will be refurbished with the latest electrical technology to make them fit for the specific application , according to Murray Macnab , Group Executive Technical Director for UMS .
“ We ’ re finding that it is taking almost two years to make a winder at the moment ,” he told IM . “ This means clients have to procure these units early ; sometimes even before they have contracted us .”
Looking to be proactive , UMS has acquired over 30 winders to be refurbished and used by potential clients , alleviating some of the supply chain issues that could hold back projects from progressing at pace .
This is not the only way UMS is trying to speed up project delivery in the shaft sinking environment .
Like most of its peers , UMS long ago dispensed of the dangerous activities shaft sinking companies employed to achieve the world-record sinks of the 1970s and 1980s – records that often came with fatalities . This had negative consequences on project schedules , with development rates falling by up to 30 metres a month in some cases across the industry , according to Macnab .
UMS ’ openness to innovation and a re-evaluation of technologies and equipment in today ’ s more mechanised environment is allowing it to accelerate development rates once again .
“ We are constantly exploring innovative ways to improve productivity
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