The most recent mining at Kalana was underground, however to achieve the scale of mining required by the proposed processing plant the mining method going forward for the Kalana Gold Project is intended to be conventional open pit mining using a drill, blast, load, haul and tip mining cycle. Endeavour plans to contract out the mining to a suitable mining contractor whilst maintaining operation oversight.
The saprolite is anticipated to be primarily free-dig, potentially requiring ripping or only some very light drill and blast. Production drilling will be undertaken by top hammer drills drilling 127 mm diameter holes. As rock strengths increase, blasting will be utilised more regularly in the saprock with powder factors estimated at 0.38 kg/bcm. All the fresh rock will be blasted with powder factors estimated at 0.86 kg/bcm.
The underground voids are present and were surveyed, however despite the voids being typically narrow (<3 m) and flat dipping, drilling should be used to confirm their locations.
Ore will be tipped on:
- Strategic long-term (LT) stockpiles to increase the plant feed grade and for rehandle during later stage pre-strip.
- Run-of-mine (ROM) stockpiles for short-term rehandle to the crusher.
Waste will be tipped on:
- External waste dumps.
- Bund and road construction.
- Tails dam wall construction.
Within the deposit, mine-scale structural features affecting slope stability are l ........
