The Onaping Depth project will be equipped with digital technologies such as real-time remote management, monitoring, and control from surface. Innovative safety systems will be integrated into the operation in addition to mine-wide Wi-Fi communication between employees and from underground to surface.
The battery electric vehicles (EV) to be used at the project will be a more effective system to save energy compared to a diesel-fueled operation. The EVs are expected to minimize the power used for ventilation and refrigeration at the project.
The battery vehicles to be used are the R1700 XE, Caterpillar’s first commercial battery electric load-haul-dump (LHD) vehicle. The LHD is a result of the extensive research and testing conducted on the proof-of-concept R1300 at Sudbury INO underground operation.
Underground mining with bottom-up mining approach supported by a single shaft development will be conducted at the Onaping Depth project.
The project will have a 7.2m diameter production shaft, which will be sunk from the 4025 Level of Craig Mine. The shaft will be approximately1.5km horizontal from the existing Craig shaft.
A fleet of 40t, 14t, and OEM 14T/18T LHD trucks will be used for underground mining operations at Onaping.
The Onaping Depth mine will have a rock production capacity of 1.74 Mt/y which is waste and ore combined, of which some 1.4 Mt/y will be ore, constrained by the hoist capacity of 248 t/h, ........
