The Ulysses Underground describes the potential underground mine associated with the Ulysses Mineral Resource, located directly beneath the Ulysses and Ulysses West open pits. The designed mine plan considers two declines from separate portals – one located in each open pit. Two declines are required given the strike length of the ore body.
Estimated Life-of-Mine production based on the Mineral Resources from the Ulysses Underground is approximately 3.02Mt @ 4.13g/t gold for 0.4Moz.
The mine has been designed using a typical long hole open stope technique in a top down sequence for the Ulysses ore body.
Mine design parameters:
Decline gradient - 1 in 7
Decline profile - 5.2m (W) x 5.5m (H)
Stope Strike Length - 45m - 85m (HR 6.5)
Stoping minimum mining width - 1.5m
Level spacing – floor to floor - 10m
Ore drive development profile - 4.0m(W) m x 5.0/3.0m (H) Shanty Back
HW Length - 13m - 18m
Stope dilution - unplanned + planned - 10% + 20% (Varying from 5% - 33%)
Average stope width - 4m (Varying from 1.5 – 12m)
Mining recovery - 95%
Rib pillars - 1:1 Ratio
Haulage - 45t trucks.
The two proposed declines are to be positioned in the hanging wall to the potential underground mine and it is anticipated that the decline will advance at a rate of +100m vertical metres per annum. The position of the declines in the hanging wall to the Resource will allow diamond drilling for gra ........
