State-of-art shaft system as applied to Palabora underground mining project

As the world continues to face the turmoil of the economic environment, leg islative prerequisites and physical conditions the intervention of technolo gical development is vital for the continuation of the ancient source of re venue: mining. The Palabora underground mining project is a state-of-the-art shaft mining system that will prove to be a benchmark in its field for years to come. An Integration of modern technology-both in application and development-has r esulted in a shaft system that is intrinsically holistic. Every aspect of t he mining and production process has undergone thorough investigation, simu lation and Innovation to ensure that every component is selected by design and not simply conforming to past practice or trends. The process philosoph y includes proven technology such as to promote the lowest operating cost a nd process time with the highest yield. The underground mining system is In the final stages of commissioning and will shortly be producing a nominal 30 000 tons per day with a predominantly automated system. This paper discusses the complete state-of-art shaft system developed for t he Palabora underground mine, and refers particularly to the headgear, the winders, the conveyances and the shaft guide system, as well, as the loadin g system developed specifically for the high performance requirements of th e mine.