Northparkes operations infrastructure and ore source options

Authors: Webster, S; Garcia, O; Escuro, J Download Paper

Cite As:
Webster, S, Garcia, O & Escuro, J 2024, 'Northparkes operations infrastructure and ore source options', in Daniel Johansson & Håkan Schunnesson (eds), MassMin 2024: Proceedings of the International Conference & Exhibition on Mass Mining, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, pp. 1276-1286.



Abstract:
This paper offers an account of the infrastructure and ore sources considered in the Northparkes. It outlines the risks, opportunities and tools used to support a long mine life for Northparkes. Northparkes Operations is a copper-gold mine, characterised by large tonnage and low-grade porphyry mineralisation, operating since 1993 in Eastern Australia. The mine is now producing from its fourth block cave, E26 Lift 1 North. Alongside the primary block caves, Northparkes has successfully mined sub level and block cave extensions to continue to extract further value from the orebodies. A Pre-feasibility Project in 2012 (Wylie, 2012) looked to expand processing and extend Northparkes operations through additional exploration drilling aiming for five new caves. Significant upside potential was realised through the increase of resources. . In the ten years since this study, Northparkes has incrementally implemented many of the recommendations of the original expansion project through smaller infrastructure capital projects to achieve a material increase in processing capacity, from 2013 to 2023. The consumption of Reserves through production has continually been replaced by exploration and new studies. The current life of mine sequence is based on mining block cave footprints in succession, rather than multiple caves in parallel, facilitating the spread of capital.