The mining operation is assumed to be a conventional open pit mine, with drill and blast rock breakage and truck and loader materials handling.
The mine production schedule was based on an average of 5,000 tons / day delivered to the crusher and then placed on the heap leach pad as crushed mineralized material. The pits will be mined sequentially beginning at the Spurr pit near the crusher and progressing easterly to the Varga, Sphinx and East Ridge pits. The production schedule was constrained to produce a constant feed of mineralized material to the crusher and conveyor (or truck) loading onto the heap leach pad. Some stockpiling of higher grade material may be required to balance the crusher feed rate.
Pit haulage ramps are designed to optimize fleet schedules and minimize waste mining. Haulage ramp design parameters:
- Ramp Width - Two Way Traffic - 70 ft;
- Ramp Grade - Two Way Traffic - 12 percent;
- Ramp Width - Single Lane Traffic - 30 ft;
- Ramp Grade - Single Lane Traffic - 12 to 14 percent.
Mining Schedule
A mining schedule was generated based on resources within the conceptual designed pit phases using the following parameters and guidelines:
• Contract mining operations, 5 days per week, one shift per day;
• Crushing operations 5 days per week, two shifts per day; one weekend maintenance shift
• Average total annual mineralized material production of approximately 1.5 million tons. Hydra ........
