Kemess underground: project update, production simulation and quadrant crusher layout

Authors: Fitzgerald, J; Clark, CJ; Labrecque, PO; Kalviainen, AM Download Paper Open access courtesy of:

This paper is hosted with the kind permission of the Universidad de Chile, Eighth International Conference & Exhibition on Mass Mining, 2020.

DOI https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2063_45

Cite As:
Fitzgerald, J, Clark, CJ, Labrecque, PO & Kalviainen, AM 2020, 'Kemess underground: project update, production simulation and quadrant crusher layout', in R Castro, F Báez & K Suzuki (eds), MassMin 2020: Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference & Exhibition on Mass Mining, University of Chile, Santiago, pp. 668-679, https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2063_45



Abstract:
Pre-construction activities at the Kemess Underground Project (located in Northern British Columbia, Canada) started in 2018. Activities to date include: purchase of the first lateral development fleet, preliminary earthworks, construction of a water discharge system to dewater the future tailings storage facility, and construction of a water treatment plant. The project has also undergone an economic update throughout 2019-2020 to advance engineering and improve economics ahead of a construction decision. A conceptual study was undertaken to determine the mine design changes required to increase the mining production rate to 35,000 tonnes per day versus the base case NI 43-101 Feasibility Study assumption of 25,000 tonnes per day. SRK’s Sudbury Branch was contracted to conduct an extraction level simulation to evaluate the potential productivity of the mine design and production plan. The simulation concluded that larger production LHDs (17.3t payload) and a modified primary crusher layout is required to achieve 35,000 tonnes per day.