Applied Rock Mechanics for Blasthole Stoping at Kidd Creek Mines

At Kidd Creek, the annual production of 4.5 million tonnes of ore has been achieved primarily with sublevel blasthole stoping. This mining method has allowed underground operations to meet the designed production capacity while maintaining an outstanding safety record. To achieve this goal, rock mechanics principles have been integrated into each facet of mining in the planning stage, in the production stage, and in various stages of ground support. This paper evaluates the two adopted mining sequences based on ground stress patterns, blasting control, ground reinforcement, backfill support, and numerical modelling for stope stability at the mines.