The Baptiste Deposit will be mined via bulk open pit mining operations that will be developed in two phases. Phase 1 includes the first 9 years of operation (plus the preceding 2 years of mine pre-stripping) with a nominal ore processing rate of 108 kt/d. Phase 2 begins in Operating Year 10, is 19 years in duration, and coincides with a plant expansion to a nominal ore processing rate of 162 kt/d.
The Baptiste Deposit will be mined as a conventional large-scale truck and shovel operation with up to 60 Mt of material mined per annum during Phase 1, and up to 120 Mt of material mined per annum during Phase 2. The mining operation will feature 250 mm blast hole electric drills, 42 m3 electric excavators, and 300 t class haul trucks working on nominal 10-m high benches. A flexible combination of dozers, graders, wheel loaders, and excavators will form the core of the support equipment fleet.
Key mine design criteria established for the Project;
- Ramp Width - 40m;
- Maximum ramp grade - 10%;
- Minimum mining width - 100m;
- Bench face angle - Varies between 70° to 65° by design sector;
- Inter-ramp angle - Varies between 42° to 44° by design sector;
- Bench height - 10m, (double bench 20m);
- Berm width - Varies between 8.6m to 9m by design sector;
- Inter-ramp slope height - 150m;
- Geotechnical berm width - 30m.
Mine Phase 1 for Baptiste is the starter pit of the Project. No final pit walls are achiev ........