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Saracen Mineral Holdings’ Thunderbox Gold Mine, located in Western Australia, faced the challenge of upgrading its ventilation system within a constrained space. The mine required a solution that could integrate with its existing bulkhead infrastructure to minimise downtime during installation. Additionally, the ventilation system needed to be adaptable to match the mine’s varying production profiles.
Industry – Minería
Mine type – Bajo tierra
Mineral – Gold
Location – Leinster, Western Australia, Australia
Product/Scope – 2 x HO Primary 375kW fans at 1320mm and Dual 375KW fan MCC, 250KW containerised fan starter with soft starters and automation
Minetek’s innovative ventilation technology provided the perfect fit for Thunderbox’s needs. The compact design of Minetek’s fans allowed for seamless integration with the existing infrastructure, dramatically reducing downtime during the change-out process. The installation was completed safely and efficiently, ensuring minimal disruption to mining operations. Furthermore, Minetek’s pressure-on-demand system enabled Thunderbox to scale ventilation flow according to their production requirements, optimising both performance and efficiency.
Brief
Located in the Agnew-Wiluna and Yandal Belts of the North Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia, the Leinster gold mine is a mesothermal lode gold deposit. Minetek was commissioned to develop temporary Primary Fans for the gold mine. The full scope included both the fans and electrical supply.
Solution
Minetek provided 2 x HO series 375kW fans at 1320mm. The two fans are mounted in a single bulkhead as temporary Primary Fans. Due to the fans' performance, this solution enabled the mine to not only meet production targets but also defer further capital expenditure for permanent Primary Fans by 18 months. Once the permanent Primary Fans were installed, the two temporary units were transitioned for use as decline servicing Secondary Fans.
Resultados
After the initial installation of temporary fans, Minetek continued to work with Thunderbox mine, supplying all required ventilation from development to Primary Fans. The optimisation of LOM (life of mine) fans across Primary and Secondary saved the site approximately $1.2 million (AUD) in capital. Minetek displayed energy efficiencies across the projects at all stages of development. The Leinster mine saw tremendous production increases through faster re-entry times enabled by Minetek's underground ventilation systems.