Mine planning

With the geological models from drilling and sampling, we create the Kunwarara mine plan. This plan identifies the most suitable, quality magnesite available in sufficient quantities to feed the beneficiation plant. Once identified, these areas are broken up into pits that are generally around 300,000--500,000 tonnes of magnesite in size.

With this plan in hand, we can ‘drill down’ into creating detailed designs of each pit and build a schedule that balances mining costs and equipment capacity with the needs of the process plant in Parkhurst and the current sales plan. Very few pits at Kunwarara can provide a feed that meets the quality requirements of all the products made at Parkhurst. This means that we typically mine in two or three locations simultaneously, blending the ore sources to meet required quality targets.

Once the schedule is accepted for execution, the next stage can commence, with our mining team, surveyors and environmental specialists beginning the process of preparing a pit for mining.