Tag: Carrapateena

Polymathian Pushing Innovation Boundaries At Carrapateena

Polymathian Pushing Innovation Boundaries At Carrapateena

Polymathian has updated details on its collaborative industry project to automate OZ Minerals’ Carrapateena Mine, a sub-level cave operation in South Australia. Polymathian has been applying ground-breaking technology through a METS Ignited Industry Growth Centre Collaborative Project. The $2 million industry-led collaborative project leveraging government funding was awarded to Polymathian to deploy ORB, its mine optimisation software, at OZ Minerals’ underground Carrapateena mine. Representing industry's continued investment in innovation, ORB is the world's first and most advanced Short Interval Control system for near real-time optimisation of mine planning and scheduling activities. ORB is currently being used for block cave mining in Australia and around the world, where it has demonstrated an improvement to mining productivity. Industry investment has enabled Polymathian...

Carrapateena: Copping it sweet

Carrapateena: Copping it sweet

Carrapateena: Copping it sweet PRODUCTION at one of Australia's biggest copper mines is set for a solid rise. The OZ Minerals-owned Carrapateena already has the potential to produce 65,000t of copper and 67,000oz of gold a year over its expected 20-year lifetime. The iron-oxide–copper–gold (IOCG) underground mine, located about 160km north of Port Augusta in South Australia, produced its first concentrate at the end of December 2019, targeting 4.25Mtpa throughput rates by end 2020 and 4.7-5Mpta from 2023. OZ Minerals chief executive Andrew Cole said the company remained confident in the long-term demand for copper from traditional sources as well as from the rapidly expanding focus on carbon reduction. “The company is planning to continue its investment in growing Carrapateena,”...

Aeris Resources: Path to Growth

Aeris Resources: Path to Growth

Aeris Resources hopes to extend the Tritton copper operations. Image: Aeris Resources. BY AMY BLOM COPPER Aeris Resources has shown no signs of slowing down as it sets its sights on continued growth at Tritton, exploration at its Torrens project, and opportunities presented by mergers and acquisitions. Aeris Resources is in its best position in six years and looking to expand in 2019 following a strong year, according to its executive chairman André Labuschagne. It was a far cry from when Mr Labuschagne took the helm at Aeris in 2013, at a time when the company had a $US136 million debt and two operating mines, Mt Muro gold mine in Indonesia and Tritton copper mine in NSW, which were...

South Australia: Bridging the Gap

South Australia: Bridging the Gap

The Carrapateena mine will enter production in 2019. Image: OZ Minerals. BY ELIZABETH FABRI THE South Australian resources sector has had a strong year. But dwindling exploration points to a far greater issue for the State, as it looks to ramp up production and continue the search for the next Olympic Dam-style deposit. More exploration is needed in South Australia: that is the message Association of Mining and Exploration Companies (AMEC) chief executive Warren Pearce had for delegates at the recent South Australia Resources and Energy Investment conference (SAREIC) in Adelaide. “Greenfields mineral exploration, the heartbeat of mining, is flat lining in South Australia,” Mr Pearce said. “Nationally mineral exploration has been rebounding since 2016, but the...

Carrapateena: Countdown to Production

Carrapateena: Countdown to Production

All images: OZ Minerals. BY ELIZABETH FABRI THE final stage of construction has now kicked off at OZ Minerals Carrapateena copper mine, with just over a year left on the clock before commissioning begins. We chat with OZ Minerals managing director and chief executive Andrew Cole about Phase 2 of the construction campaign, power plans for the mine, and exploration potential further afield. Q. Can you describe the work undertaken at Carrapateena to date? Phase 1 construction at Carrapateena is on schedule and in early April, we received approval from the South Australian and Commonwealth Governments for the Carrapateena project, which cleared the way for mobilisation of Phase 2 of construction from mid-April as scheduled....

Unlocking value

Unlocking value

The 20-metre deep box cut being constructed at Carrapateena. By Elizabeth Fabri MOMENTUM is building across the OZ Minerals portfolio as works advance on the second decline at Prominent Hill, and construction begins at the highly anticipated Carrapateena project. In September, OZ Minerals began works on the Carrapateena decline, pushing the miner another step closer to delivering first concentrate in late 2019. On 30 September a host of industry officials, including South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill, visited the site to celebrate the discovery of one of the country's largest undeveloped copper deposits. “Carrapateena has compelling project economics and by starting the decline now, we are further de-risking the project and creating more shareholder value,” OZ Minerals managing director and chief executive Andrew...