AngloGold Ashanti was continuing research to establish whether it could extract ore from as deep as 5km below the surface by 2015, the company said yesterday.
The JSE and New York Stock Exchange said they were aware of the gold resource at those depths, but they were unsure whether it could be mined.
As a result AngloGold had last year brought together 30 companies and 80 participants in its “open innovation” platform to research alternative methods of mining.
AngloGold said it was making progress on a feasibility study at its Mponeng mine in the North West, the deepest gold operation at 3.8km.
It had commissioned the study on extracting ore from the Carbon Leader Reef below the Ventersdorp Contact Reef (VCR), where production at Mponeng was sourced.
AngloGold was focusing on mining deeper than the current depths at the VCR through the VCR Below 120 project.
Safety was a big concern when sinking the shaft, the company said during a presentation to the media at the mine.
“The deeper we go, the warmer it is. The technology and machines must be compatible with the depths. No one has done this before, we are leaders,” AngloGold section manager Gert Jacobs said.
“The trouble is to generate enough electricity and ventilation for the shafts.”
The company had allocated R339 million towards the VCR Below 120 project in its previous financial year, and it had spent R330m towards the development of ore reserves.
Mponeng employs about 5 500 workers, of whom 70 percent work in the underground operations, where seismic activities are common.
Risks of rock falls and the humidity were of particular concern as temperatures could reach 67°C virgin rock (the temperature before cooling).
The company had already introduced a pilot project for ensuring safety.
Measures for the improvement of safety, including installing netting on the rocks to protect workers from rock falls, had been introduced.
AngloGold said it was installing a sensor system on vehicles as well, with which it could identify approaching workers to avoid accidents inside the mine. - Business Report
