Northparkes copper-gold mine is a finalist in the 5th Annual Australian Mining Prospect Awards for its development of the world first block caving method.
Located at Goonumbla, 27 kilometres north/north west of the town of Parkes in the Central West of New South Wales, Australia, the operation comprises two open pits and an underground mine.
The mine employed a unique block caving method that helped achieve increased production in a limited amount of time.
The block caving process works by collapsing ore due to its own weight and can be employed when the rock mass contains natural fracturing that will cave on its own when undercut.
The collapsed ore then flows down into chutes or drawpoints where it is collected for processing.
Although usually used to mine large ore bodies that have consistent, disseminated grade throughout, Rio Tinto’s Northparkes mine was the first in the world to use block caving on a relatively small ore body.
Rio’s technology partner at Northparkes, global mining software supplier Gemcom, implemented its unique block caving specific PCBC system in 1996, and 12 years later there is a better understanding of how block caving applies to smaller ore bodies.
Gemcom PCBC is now used in 80% of the world’s block caving mines and is set to revolutionise the way mining is done.