Underground mining contractor Pybar Mining Services has been awarded the production contract to mine Black Rock Cave at Mount Isa Mines.
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Following the successful completion of the two-year project starting in 2018 to develop the underground decline and establish the mining levels including primary development, drive stripping and shotcreting for the Black Rock Cave, Pybar will now carry on with production of the orebody.
Glencore's Queensland Metals General Manager Isa Mining Simon Pope says Pybar had developed intrinsic knowledge and experience working with the orebody.
"Through building the development levels and mine infrastructure, I'm sure they've learned many important lessons firsthand about the how the ground is responding to mining which will help guide them moving forward," Mr Pope said.
"Black Rock is using sub-level caving methods to extract ore which helps us to understand how we can use this mining method in other orebodies with similar ground conditions."
The unique characteristics of the ore body allows for innovative drill and blast solutions to be used and work is progressing well.
Since first production in mid-2020, two sub-levels are in full production with the third started in May 2021. .
Pybar Mining Services Project Manager Bill Walls said they would employ up to 60 personnel onsite at peak production and use one jumbo, a production drill, two loaders and two trucks to mine the area.
Mr Pope said production commencement at Black Rock Cave has also required changes on the surface.
"We've needed to clear some surface areas around the old Black Rock Open Cut pit to allow a subsidence zone for the sub-level caving method being used," he said.
"A multi-disciplined team has been working on the demolition of some redundant structures and several Mount Isa Mines work groups have been relocated to other parts of the lease."
The Black Rock Cave first production ore came online in September 2020, and will provide additional ore into the Mount Isa Copper operations to 2023.
READ ALSO: Mount Isa City Council hands down its budget
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