WESTERN TURNER SYNCLINE MINING

PROJECT DESCRIPTION

NRW and Eastern Guruma Pty Ltd, who represent the traditional landowners of the area for mining, established a 50/50 joint venture to undertake works at Rio Tinto’s Western Turner Syncline Mine.

There were approximately 450 personnel employed at the mine on a 2:1 roster and for the last two years of the project, the indigenous employment was maintained at greater then 26%.

The project scope included design and setting up of three areas of the mine using contour mining methods to allow the client to have an immediate start at the contract end. Work included establishment of new haul roads and separated light vehicles roads, construction of ROM pads and backfilling civil infrastructure that is adjacent to the mine.

The project involved mining of ore which is hauled to the Western Turner ROM pad with a fleet of 785 and 777 dump trucks. The ore was then hauled to the Tom Price mine via a 15 kilometre purpose built road by a fleet of five 350T pit hauler off-highway road trains.

NRW mined approximately 500,000 BCM per month to achieve the nine million tonne per annum target. NRW’s sister company Action Drill & Blast was also engaged on this project to undertake drill and blasting – as a result interface between the drill and blast and load and haul was significantly more efficient and productive than when with non-related contractors.