First Quantum Minerals Ltd (FQM) final week hosted a media tour to its Trident and Kansanshi copper operations in Zambia which included some updates on expertise and mining plans at these websites. With respect to Trident, the foremost mine is Sentinel, with Enterprise a a lot smaller nickel targeted pit that entered manufacturing in June 2024.
Operator FQM Trident Ltd stated that the present Sentinel mine fleet contains 48 ultra-class vehicles – that is made up of three truck sorts – Komatsu 860E (255 t), Komatsu 960E (327 t) and Liebherr T 284 (363 t) fashions.
These are loaded by an intensive shovel fleet together with three Caterpillar 7495HR rope shovels, a Komatsu PC8000 (800 t class), plus two Komatsu PC5500 (550 t class) hydraulic shovels, and two giant Komatsu LeTourneau L-2350 wheel loaders. The PC8000-11E is notable as it’s electrical (cable powered). One of many Cat shovels has undergone a serious overhaul this yr.
The entire truck fashions function on the mine’s trolley line which on the tour was cited at comprising 8% of the whole haulage routes, with the corporate actively concentrating on trolley enlargement. The trolley line permits a totally loaded truck velocity of 20 km/h with time on the ramp of three minutes in comparison with 11 km/h and 5.5 minutes not on the road. Diesel use on trolley is 50 l/h equal in comparison with 650 l/h if not related.
The drill fleet is comprised of seven giant manufacturing drill rigs (270 mm holes – Caterpillar MD6640), three medium manufacturing drill rigs (230 mm holes – Epiroc PV271), 4 small drill rigs (165 mm holes – Epiroc D65) and two Epiroc DML drill rigs.
Mining capability will finally improve to round 60 million bcm of ore and waste mined every year. The mining fleet was expanded throughout 2022 and 2023 to help the mining capability improve. The pit will attain 5.7 km lengthy, 1.5 km extensive and 390 m and is being mined in levels, with ore crushed in-pit and conveyed overland to the Sentinel course of plant. In 2024, Sentinel noticed virtually 110 Mt of waste mined and over 51 Mt of copper ore.
Sentinel adopted in-pit crushing as a part of the preliminary design idea in 2012 primarily to cut back haulage prices with ore being crushed in-pit. Three in pit crushers (IPCs) had been put in in Stage 1, one IPC in Stage 2 and one in Stage 3 with a complete nominal throughput of 25 Mt/y. The present three IPCs are being upgraded to an identical annual productiveness price. These are thyssenkrupp (FLSmidth) 63-89 gyratory crushers.
The floor conveyors prolong throughout to the plant crushed ore stockpile through a floor switch bin. Throughout 2022, pit enlargement continued eastward and northward within the second pit stage, whereas vertical
growth of each energetic pit levels continued. In August 2023, the primary tonnage from the West Cutback was mined, enhancing mining effectivity and manufacturing.
Waste dumps on the northern and southern perimeters of the pit have been established and a variety of water management and administration dams have been constructed across the web site. Floor energy strains prolong across the southern, western and northern pit perimeters, connecting to a variety of substations powering drills and shovels, and offering energy to pit dewatering bores, in-pit sumps and trolley help strains. A heavy automobile workshop, incorporating refuelling and wash down amenities, is situated on the south facet of the pit, adjoining and to the east of the processing plant.
Sentinel’s copper manufacturing of 230,792 t for the yr ended December 31, 2024 was 8% larger than 2023 resulting from larger throughput and grades, partially offset by decrease restoration. Grades had been 4% larger than 2023 as mining exercise was targeted on the backside of the high-grade Stage 1 pit, which was inaccessible for a good portion of 2023 because of the accumulation of water, with 2024 benefiting from an elevated concentrate on strategic planning and administration of site-wide water steadiness and discount of contact water era.
Throughput was 4% larger than 2023 with the event of Stage 3 (Western Minimize-back) that elevated availability of the softer materials, improved availability of the first crushers and improved fragmentation of the ore. Ex-pit mining volumes had been a document in 2024 reflecting larger productivities from the load and haul fleet.
In 2025, the main target at Sentinel is on growing mill throughput with varied ongoing initiatives in place to optimise blast fragmentation, sustaining full stockpiles, improved milling charges and flotation restoration. Grades are anticipated to be decrease than 2024, in keeping with the pit growth sequence. Stage 3 will provide a majority of the ore with decrease volumes from Stage 1 and Stage 2 in comparison with prior years. The relocation of in-pit crusher 2 has been deliberate for the 2025 yr, ‘together with set up of an revolutionary rail-driven conveyor system that’s anticipated to lead to diminished electrical energy and upkeep prices.’
That is understood to be the Rail Working Conveyor (RRC) from FLSmidth, the place between the top and tail, the belt rests on wheeled carts, that are carried alongside by their interface with the belt. This lowers friction and thus belt pressure, permitting for lighter weight belts and smaller drives. That is notable globally as it is going to be the primary mining-scale RRC reference and can deliver 5,000 t/h of copper ore from the talked about in-pit crusher. Structure for this RRC conveyor has developed with the mine plan, requiring an extension to a 3.5 km size that features two horizontal curves with radii of about 1,500m. The curves each get rid of a switch level and function a take a look at mattress for the proprietor’s future lengthy overland conveyor haulages.
The Quantum Electra-Haul™ trolley help community will probably be expanded in Stage 2 and Stage 3. Stripping will proceed in Stage 4, with ore anticipated to be obtainable in 2026. Bringing ahead manufacturing from Levels 3 and 4, together with a balanced and accountable improve in waste stripping, is predicted to de-risk future ore provide to realize an optimum and sustainable steadiness of grades and volumes through the lifetime of the mine.
