The Rajapalot gold and cobalt project comprises five orebodies (Palokas, Raja, Joki, The Hut and Rumaj) within an area of approximately 3 km from west to east and 2 km from south to north, which commence from outcrops to 100 m below the surface, to a maximum depth of around 600 m.
The primary mining method selected for the Project is retreat longhole open stoping (LHOS) with 20 m level spacing and applied to the Palokas, Raja, The Hut and Rumaj deposits. Paste backfill is used to maximize mining extraction and reduce the tailings storage requirements on surface. The mining method selected for the Joki deposit is overhand Cut and Fill (C&F) due to its shallower dip angle with Cemented Rock Fill (CRF).
Longhole Open Stoping (LHOS)
The mining method selected for the Palokas, Raja, The Hut and Rumaj deposit, is overhand LHOS which requires ore development along or across the orebody strike (longitudinal or transverse respectively) for a level spacing of 20 m. Level waste development is required to provide a means of access from the decline access (typically in the footwall) for mining mineralized areas identified as economically mineable.
Using the LHOS approach, the orebody is developed to the strike extent on each working level and following this, each stope along strike is mined and paste filled on retreat. In general, stope production is overhand LHOS, working on top of or next to filled stopes and between 20 m high sill pillars (spaced e ........
