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SHAFT SINKING
Earlier this year , RUC Mining announced a contract award for the design and construction of two ventilation shafts for a major global mining company in New South Wales , Australia .
The shafts will be blind sinks to a depth of approximately 600 m , with diameters of 5.5 m and 7.5 m , respectively .
This represented the third major sinking project currently in progress for RUC in Australia , which it says “ is unprecedented in recent history and helps to consolidate our strong standing in the market ”.
RUC says it brings a wide range of experience and expertise to the discipline , gained from sinking and equipping some of the largest shafts in the world , often in the harshest conditions .
“ From the remote highlands of Papua to the technically challenging urban landscapes of Hong King , our turnkey solution for shaft projects delivers a final constructed solution that gets your high-risk projects done with a minimum of fuss ,” it said . “ Utilising all our core skills , our extensive fleet of equipment and unmatched experience , we take all the headaches out of your biggest shaft sinking challenges .”
Recent shaft related projects in Australia include design of the permanent Western Areas Odysseus Shaft ( also known as Cosmos ) infrastructure , design , fabrication and supply of all temporary
infrastructure and the provision of plant , resources and services for the equipping of the Cosmos Shaft in Western Australia . The Tanami Shaft Lining & Equipping Project in the Northern Territory , meanwhile , saw the company deliver a new 5.5-m diameter concrete lined vertical production shaft equipped with fixed steel guides to a depth of 1,460 m below surface for Newmont . This came with the associated shaft and surface infrastructure .
In the shaft sinking space , it is focused on the Shaft Boring System ( SBS ), a machine initially billed as able to sink 7.5-11.5-m diameter shafts in hard rock down to depths of 1,500 m . The SBS was developed as a 45-m long , 450-t machine to progress through rocks with UCS of 200-400 MPa and carry out cutting , mucking and shaft reinforcement concurrently .
In 2021 , the company reconfigured its plans with the SBS , focusing on a smaller scope system that would display the sinking capabilities of the SBS but at smaller diameters . Earlier this year , Jordaan said the company would soon start a 50-m-deep “ experimental sink ” to highlight the SBS ’ capabilities .
“ We are doing this at a reduced scope to alleviate the cost considerations …[ but ], in the future , we will collaborate with mining clients and suppliers … and do some study work on larger-scope projects ,” he said .
The company has options for this trial – it could be at a mine or an industrial site – but Master Drilling confirmed the letter of intent for the SBS it previously had in place with Royal Bafokeng Platinum at its Styldrift mine in South Africa had not been converted . IM
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