Technology enables penetration of mineral zone discovered 40 years ago
A mining company says it has found a way to access a mineral lode discovered under Broken Hill more than 40 years ago, but once deemed too difficult to reach.
Broken Hill mining company has created a novel method to access a mineral deposit discovered 40 years ago, which could secure the company's future. The Centenary Zone, named for its alignment with the city's 100th anniversary, was initially inaccessible due to a rock deformation called the Glove-Vauxhall Shear. Patrick Walta, executive chair of Broken Hill Mines, reported drilling approximately 13 holes over a kilometer deep into the deposit, uncovering a resource estimated at 5 million tonnes, comprising 8-9% zinc equivalent.
The challenge lay in penetrating the shear zone, which crushed and pulverized the surrounding rocks, making it extremely difficult to drill. The company's geologists devised an innovative solution: installing a wide-diameter hole and casing it, enabling smaller "daughter" holes to pass through without interruption. This breakthrough suggests the deposit is five times thicker and nearly double the predicted zinc purity than previously estimated.
If successful, this could significantly impact the company's long-term mining operations and secure a stable feed supply for their existing plant.
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