Photography: Hoist room at Mine D

This remarkable photograph by Graeme Oxby, taken in March 2002, captures one of many milestones in the $650-million deepening project at Falconbridge, Kidd Mining Divisions’ Mine D, that will take the operation to a depth of 3,200 m below surface. Completion of the No.4 shaft service hoist room excavation, a chamber measuring 40 m long, 16.5 m wide and 15.5 m high and totalling 29,000 tonnes of excavated rock, moves this part of the project from mining to construction activities. Excavated at a depth of 1,340 m, this chamber will accommodate a 5.5-m-diameter double drum service hoist for No.4 shaft, an internal winze running from 1,340 to 3,200 m, totalling 1,860 m. The people in this photo are employees of JS Redpath Ltd., the mining contractor that excavated the chamber. As of the end of June 2002, there were over 11,000 m of drift, ramp, raise and shaft excavations completed within the Mine D project. – Edward Pieterse

Edward Pieterse, P.Eng., is process owner, mine services logistics, Falconbridge Ltd., Kidd Mining Division in Timmins, Ont. He was formerly the control engineer, development, Mine D project.