Case study · Mining & Metals
Underground gold mine cuts cost per ounce 19% and raises production 22%
A narrow-vein underground gold mine kept missing its production plan. USC built a closed-loop management operating system for its long-hole mining that turned data into decisions.
Results
19%
reduction in cost per ounce
22%
increase in production
36%
reduction in paste fill cost per ton
Cost per ton fell 3.6% and attainment to budget rose 13%.
The situation
The mine had fallen 60,000 tons short, averaging 85% attainment to plan over two years.
What the assessment found
- An operating system whose data wasn't turned into information for decisions
- Supervisors' routines heavy in non-value-added work
How the work was done
Planning: set realistic volumes
Upgraded short-term planning for every major mining activity and built zero-based capacity planning from unit cycle times.
25%
improvement in attainment to the mucking plan
Supervisors: free time to lead
Revised supervisors' roles and daily routines to cut non-value-added work and give them more time to lead their teams.
Data: decide faster
Turned operating data into timely information, reducing surprises at the face that had led to unsafe shortcuts.
60%
increase in paste fill throughput an hour
“USC identified and helped us fill the gaps and disconnects in our operating system that were contributing to sub-optimal performance. Without them we would have continued to struggle despite our best efforts.”
Lasting impact
Mine team members were trained to run the management operating system for year-over-year gains, and post-project audits showed the improvements held over the long term.
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