Kidd Creek Mine Case Study
Geography
Geopolitical Setting
Glencore Strategic Direction
Strategic Direction
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$48 billion USD on electric cars by 2023
Regional Geology & Mine Design
Regional Geology & Mine Design
GEOLOGY TYPE
- Archaean Abitibi greenstone belt
- 2 major orebodies, with associated smaller lenses
- ore is hosted in felsic rocks of the Kidd Volcanic Complex and is cut by mafic sills and dykes
MINERAL TYPE
- Volcanogenic base-metal sulphides
Kidd Mine ore-bodies looking east from surface to 10,200 ft
Mine Design
Mine Design
- Blasthole stoping with cemented backfill
- World’s 2nd largest user of cemented backfill (after Mt Isa in Australia)
Mining Method & Key Physicals
Mining Method:
- 1966-1977 Open Pit Mining
30Mt ore total
- 3 vertical shafts to access 3100 m depth
- Underground operations started in 1972
Key Physicals:
- 48 kt Copper, 124 kt Zinc, 2.2 M oz Silver
- ~$M 800 revenue/year
Ingersoll Rand
Blasthole rig
Sandvik- Tamrock Hauler 80t
Challenges faced by Kidd Creek operations
- Hanging wall failure, 1997
- Seismic risk
- Paste fill
- Deformation of ground support
- Higher stresses at depth
- Environmental challenges (ventilation)
- Toxic Substances
Key Risks
Solutions for ultra deep mine ventilation
Due to the increased depth of mining, the surface exhaust fans are unable to create enough pressure to exhaust from the bottom of Mine D. For that reason, two booster fans were placed in the exhaust route at the 6000 level to ensure the mine is able to be ventilated through to the bottom of Stage 2.
- Ventilation-on-demand
- Cold stope
References
- https://www.mining-technology.com/projects/kidd_creek/
- http://www.tailings.info/casestudies/kiddmet.htm
- https://secure.kaiserresearch.com/i/jk/tr16/TRLSG20120329.pdf
- http://www.redpathmining.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Digging-a-little-deeper-MM-May-2014.pdf
- http://www.womp-int.com/story/2008vol7/story024.htm
- Diekmeyer, Peter. "A supersized combo". CIM Magazine. Montreal: Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum. 4 (2): 54–57.
- On Geology and Ore Deposits of the Timmins District, Ontario. Geological Survey Of Canada (open file 2161, field trip 6)
- Smith, S. V. L., 2017. Retrospective Analysis of Mine Seismicity: Glencore, Kidd Mine. Ontario: s.n.
References