Perilya is a leading Australian base metals mining and exploration company based in Perth, Western Australia. Perilya owns and operates the iconic Broken Hill South zinc, lead and silver mine in New South Wales, the Potosi zinc and lead mine 5km’s North of the City of Broken Hill, the Maimón Copper, Gold and Silver mine in the Dominican Republic.
In addition to its current operations, Perilya is developing the historic North Mine zinc, lead and silver deposit on the line of lode in Broken Hill and is currently in the final stages of a study into extending its open-pit Maimón copper, gold and silver mine underground, ultimately to link up with the recently discovered Cerro de Maimón Sur deposit, which sits just south of its existing open pit operation.
The Scope
Review all aspects of the shotcrete used on the Perilya site including mix design, materials handling and storage to ensure optimum performance.
The Problem
Falling ore prices has placed an increase focus on operational aspects of mine operations including cost and performance of underground spraying operations.
A seasonal variation in shotcrete performance was a key issue.
Our Solution
The ReoCo team conducted a detailed analysis of all aspects of the shotcrete used in the Perilya operation including storage and handling of aggregates, sand and cement, the method of spraying and equipment used, to highlight opportunities for improvement.
Working together with Perilya and BASF a detailed CIP report was completed and presented to the mine operations identifying improvements required in the storage and handling of aggregates and sands, adjustments in mix design taking into account seasonal factors and the importance of applicator training and equipment used.
The Results
The CIP report presented to the Perilya operations led to adjustments in the storage and handling of key raw materials helping to better manage water content. Adjustments to mix design were made to improve shotcrete performance from summer to winter.
The CIP process helped to reduce reinforcing costs by over 25% within a 3-year period.