The Co-O Mine is a shaft access, underground track mine, utilising battery powered locomotives and mine cars. Air-leg mining is used to extract the ore and waste is hauled to surface via the main L8 Production Shaft, two 60- degree inclined shafts; Baguio and Agsao, and through the original portals.
By the end of FY 2022, five primary winzes (internal inclined shafts) were in operation, hoisting to Level 8. The 12E and 29E winzes service Level 9 while the 12E and 48E winzes service both Level 9 and 10. The 35E winze is currently servicing Levels 11 and 12. The 43E internal shaft is currently in development down to L12. It is projected to provide additional support to future development and production at Levels 11 and below.
E15 Shaft, a man and materials shaft, was completed in November 2018. The shaft is used for transporting people and materials underground enabling increased utilisation of the L8 Shaft for hoisting of ore.
As Ore Reserves are diminished from the upper levels, the utilisations of the Portals, Agsao and Baguio shafts for hoisting of ore will reduce partially offsetting the increased skipping expected from L8 Shaft.
Two mining methods are currently utilised at the Co-O Mine:
Shrink stope mining is predominantly used on steeply dipping veins with a minimum mining width of 1.25 metres. Mining commences from the bottom and progresses upwards and the broken ore is left in the stope to provide ground support. ........
