PART of the Cadia Valley East underground mine has been shut down after a rock fall on Wednesday morning.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Five miners working nearby escaped injury.
However, Cadia Valley Operations told the Central Western Daily some equipment had been damaged in the incident.
Health, Safety Environment and Social Responsibility manager Nedra Burns said yesterday a seismic event at the Cadia East gold mine caused localised damage to a small area of the development level of panel cave two.
“Mining-induced seismic activity is an expected part of the block caving method used at Cadia and the Cadia East mine is designed to withstand the continual breaking and movement of rock above it,” Ms Burns said.
Block cave mining is a mass mining method that allows for the bulk mining of large, relatively lower grade ore bodies. The method is increasingly being used on deposits worldwide.
Ms Burns said the incident was immediately reported to NSW Trade and Investment Mine Safety.
Inspectors from the Division of Resources and Energy were on site at the mine yesterday investigating the cause of the rock fall.
A Division of Resources and Energy spokesman said 35 workers who would usually work in the affected area had been deployed to work in other parts of the mine while investigations continued.
When the Cadia Valley East mine is fully operational, which is expected in 2017, it will be the largest rock underground mine in Australia, and one of the largest in the world.