UNDERGROUND ZINC MINE

MINING FEASIBILITY STUDY IN ARIZONA

Feasibility Study (FS) - Underground Zinc Mine - Arizona

Arizona Mountains

Roughstock was a sub-contractor for a major mine consulting firm to complete a Feasibility Study (FS) for a major zinc discovery in the Southwestern United States. Roughstock’s portion of the study included primary and secondary development of underground mine design, stope design, and infrastructure design for a planned 10,000 ton/day mine. Design work was completed in Vulcan Software, and Life-of-Mine scheduling was completed in Deswik Scheduling Software. Primary development included twin declines from surface, and multiple ramp systems connected to a production shaft. Mining methods included transverse long-hole stopes, longitudinal long-hole stopes, and cut and fill stopes.

SUMMARY

SERVICE(S)Feasibility & QP, Mine Management

TYPEUnderground zinc mine

SIZE10,000 tons per day

LOCATIONArizona

SOFTWARE USEDVulcan Mine Design and Deswik Scheduling

A third-party consultant provided an updated resource block model. Working with the prime and the client, NSR cut-off grades were determined and stopes were designed around this cut-off. Vertical infrastructure which included raise-bored and Alimak raises designed for ore and waste pass systems, and ventilation raises.

CHALLENGES

Feasibility hinged on a number of unknown factors that — as is common in the real of mine feasibility studies — can’t easily be proofed before boring has begun. We invented a number of innovative methodologies to mitigate risk.