Open pit mining at the Çöpler project is carried out by a mining contractor and managed by Anagold. The mining method is a conventional open pit method with drill and blast and utilising excavators and trucks operating on bench heights of 5 m. The mining contractor provides operators, line supervisors, equipment, and ancillary facilities required for the mining operation. SSR provides management, technical, mine planning, engineering, and grade control functions for the operation. SSR currently operates a sulfide process plant and an oxide heap leach facility.
New pit designs were created in 2021 based on updated metal prices and costs.
The key aims of the optimised pit designs are:
• Minimise mining costs and maximise economic return by exposing the highest value ore with minimum waste mining.
• Address operational requirements for loading, hauling, slope stability, and rockfall, as follows:
- Loading – the phases were designed with a minimum operational width of 15–30 m between phases (depending on bench configuration) to allow efficient mining for the equipment scale.
- Hauling – generally, two exit haul roads per phase were included: the west bound exit to the crusher, low-grade stockpile, and west dump; and the east bound exit to the potentially acid forming (PAF) and non-acid forming (NAF) dumps. Haul roads are generally 15 m wide at a 10% gradient. Single-lane haulage traffic is allowed in the lower benches of the mine and is ........
