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In order to access the stopes, secondary ramps are developed from the main ramp at a gradient ranging between -15% and +15% depending on the elevation required to access the stope. Once the stope is accessed, a flat drift is driven in the ore.
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The cut-and-fill stope access is a 3-compartment timbered raise of 5.5 m x 3 m (18 ft x 10 ft).
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Crosscuts are driven through the vein system at 20 m (65 ft) vertical intervals and drifts are driven along the ore to test continuity.
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Levels are developed vertically every 145 m (475 ft) from various shafts.
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The declines are connected to the orebodies every 12 m to 15 m (39 ft to 49 ft) vertically via crosscuts which also provide stockpile and truck loading areas. From the end of these crosscuts, small drives are developed along the strike of the orebodies to their economic extremities. The ore drives provide access to the stopes which are worked in a retreating manner from the extremities towards the crosscut.
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The stopes are accessed by trackless drifts and ramps. From a main ramp, the stopes are accessed with crosscuts. These crosscuts are driven at -20% and are backslashed up to + 20% as the mining progresses. Generally, 3 to 5 lifts are mined from an access. The number of lifts, usually 3, mined from one crosscut, depends on its length. The length of the crosscut is regulated by the thickness of the shear zone. In order to limit ground control problems, the development has to be kept inside the shear zone. Where possible, 5 lifts are taken from the same crosscut.
Attached Documents
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The stope is accessed by a ramp with a gradient up to 18 % more or less. The access pattern is not systematic but depends entirely on the geospatial arrangement of the stope.
The access by the centre of the stope allows to develop two working faces per section. If the stope size allows it, the stope can be accessed by the centre while maintaining an acceptable dilution rate.
For stopes of smaller dimensions, they are accessed by the extremities in order to reduce dilution caused by the required over-excavation for equipment displacement.
Attached Documents
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A crosscut reaches and passes through the zone in order to clear the upper contact. Then, a drift is excavated following the geological contacts.
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From the main decline, sublevels are developed at 15-m (49 ft) intervals increasing to 20 m (66 ft) in the lower northern levels. All sublevels are accessed with a crosscut to the orebodies with a stockpile for 5 cubic metres (175 cu ft) LHD equipment.
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Sub-levels are accessible from internal declines.
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Drifts are developed from the main ramp to access the stope. The dimensions of these drifts are smaller than the main ramp.
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The stopes are all accessed by drifts developed from the main ramp. To this day, 8 levels were mined attaining a depth of 160 m (525 ft).
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The access to future stopes will be done from the North ramp. A drift parallel to the zone will be developed in the footwall at a distance of 15 m (49 ft) from the deposit. The stopes will be accessed from drawpoints.
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Each production sub-level is accessible through a cross-cut starting in the main ramp. These cross-cuts are developed at an angle of 90 degrees with the mineralized zone.
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The ore is accessed by a perpendicular drift. The distance from the level access drive to the end of the first stope block to be mined on a retreat basis does not exceed 125 m (410 ft).
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A cross-cut enables an access to the stope from the main decline (ramp). All access developments will be in the basalt footwall. Each crosscut is planned to have an independent ore stockpile.