During 12 years of operation, the Kennecott Barneys Canyon Melco pit provided several major challenges for mining down to a narrow, 30-m- (100- ft-) wide pit bottom with more than 400 m (1,300 ft) of exposed highwall above. Due to the significant gold grades at depth, safely mining down to the targeted bottom was critical to maximizing the overall value of the deposit. As a result of the successful management practices used to promote uncompromising highwall integrity that assured the safe operations for both personnel and equipment, the mine not only mined to its original designed depth, but it also was able to advance in depth an additional 6 m (20 ft) in one portion of the pit. This article discusses the issues and operating practices used by Kennecott management in the mining of the Melco pit to achieve this accomplishment.
