Overview
A global mining client with significant underground operations in North America supplies base metals essential to the green energy transition and AI infrastructure development.
Background
Advances in battery-electric mining equipment, combined with rising commodity prices for base metals used in green energy infrastructure and AI-related development, created the financial and operational case to expand development drilling and blasting at an existing nickel mine.
Action taken and solution
To help the client access deeper sections of the ore body within a strict timeframe, the Business Improvement team received project management and execution support across targeted improvement initiatives designed to accelerate development rates and meet planned production ore and stope blasting milestones.
The work focused on practical operational improvements, including streamlining underground material logistics, reducing ore and waste haulage cycle times to surface stockpiles, shortening bolting cycle times, and improving the availability of battery-powered mining equipment, including jumbos and bolters.
Results achieved and takeaways
- Nine improvement projects directly and indirectly supporting a target development rate of 24 metres per day were initiated, managed, and completed.
- The engagement also strengthened the Business Improvement team's diagnostic and problem-solving capability while helping establish internal governance structures for future business improvement project management.