For massive open-pit gold deposits, high-tonnage open pit mining is the best fit — costly upfront, but with high production rates and low per-tonne extraction cost. At our Astarakan and Andarian sites, ore is moved by heavy fleet from the pit to the heap leach pads.
For massive open-pit gold deposits, extraction is carried out at high tonnages. The best approach is the open-pit method, where mining proceeds bench by bench down to the depth at which operation remains economically viable. Compared with other extraction methods, open pit has higher upfront costs but delivers high production, high output per worker, and low extraction cost per tonne — its main advantages.
Open-pit mining relies on loading and haulage equipment with high capacity and power, well suited to large deposits like the Kharvana mine, which has challenging mountainous topography. The method is especially appropriate for large, low-grade reserves and for massive bodies — thick veins or thick layers extending horizontally, on gentle or steep slopes, from surface down to depth.
The internal haul road from the extraction face to the heap pads runs roughly 6 km from the Astarakan mine and 5 km from the Andarian mine. The road is 6 to 10 metres wide with a maximum grade of 8%. Extracted material is transported to the heap leach site by heavy equipment.
