Newmont’s Tanami mine is an underground gold mine situated in the remote Tanami Desert of Northern Territory, Australia, on the Aboriginal freehold land of the Warlpiri people. The mine is a significant economic contributor, including paying $94 million of royalty-related taxes to the Northern Territory government in 2022.
The project involved enhancing the structural integrity and operational longevity within the challenging weathered zones of the mine, requiring precise geotechnical analysis and a design for ground stability that would ensure safety while maintaining the mine’s valuable production output.
The mine faced a geotechnical conundrum; a weathered zone extended down to 50 metres from the surface, compromising the structural integrity of future excavations. The challenge was to achieve a minimum unsupported diameter of 5.7 metres, which was critical for the safety and functionality of the shaft and fan. The project also required the construction of a concrete collar cap to support the shaft during excavation and ensure that shaft tolerances met the strict specifications.
MDA’s execution of the project demonstrated our capability to deliver superior solutions to meet and overcome engineering challenges. Through close collaboration with partners and principals, we successfully implemented the EPC model, completed the construction of secant piles and collar cap to stringent design and safety standards and achieved drilling accuracy of 0.25% or below.
This precision and quality in complex geotechnical environments showed our commitment to ensuring safety and structural integrity in one of Australia’s most isolated mining operations.
