CHUKAR

SMD started the portals at Newmont’s Chukar Mine in January 2002. The job was originally a three-month development with a small amount of long-hole open stoping. Seven years later, we are still mining at Chukar. The Chukar mine is located within the Gold Quarry Pit, at Newmont’s South Area near Carlin, Nevada.

Chukar is a safe, high productivity mine. The main mining method is transverse long-hole open stoping with a lot of remote mucking. Primary stopes are filled with cemented rock fill. Secondary or tertiary stopes may be filled with gob. A two-boom jumbo, Sandvik Robolt, Sandvik and JCI 6 cubic yard muckers, and Caterpillar 30-ton trucks keep the muck on the move.

As of June 2009, 2,300,000 tons of ore and 48,000 feet of drift advance have been mined. Over 1,000,000 tons of fill have been placed.