The proposed Diablillos Project consists of open pit mining at the Oculto deposit, which has 18 months pre-stripping and sixteen years of production at a strip ratio of 3.6. Total material moved will be 17 Mtpa during initial stripping decreasing to 3 Mtpa at the end of the mine life. The open pit is designed to feed the processing plant at 7,000 tpd.
The Oculto deposit is considered for open pit mining to be carried out by contractor as a conventional truck and shovel operation. Contract mining was considered over owner operations to accommodate variable annual material movement quantities and flexibility in mobile mining equipment fleet sizes. This option also reduces up-front capital expenditures associated with mobile mining equipment purchases.
It is contemplated that the mining contractor would undertake the following activities:
• Drilling performed by conventional hydraulic production drills.
• Blasting using a downhole delay initiation system.
• Loading and hauling performed with trucks and shovels.
• Production support using bulldozers, graders, and water trucks.
AbraSilver would supervise mining operations with its own employees including mining engineers, geologists, surveyors, and support staff. The rock mass at Oculto has been considered to require drilling and blasting. It should however be noted that unconsolidated scree will represent a material amount of early stripping material. As this will not require d ........
