Cayeli underground Cu-Zn mine

Cayeli Bakir I Isletmeleri AS (CBI) is a joint venture between Inmet Mining of Canada (49%) and two Turkish partners, Eti Holding AS (45%) and Gama Endustri AS (6%). During construction and through the first Five years of production, the operator, Inmet Mining, has successfully brought a 2880-ton-per-day underground Cu-Zn mine into production. The Cayeli underground mine is located at Madenkoy, about eight kilometers south of the coastal town of (Cayeli on the northeast Black Sea coast of Turkey. In 1994, CBI began development and production from a massive sulfide ore body dipping to the northwest at about 70 degrees. A retreat transverse/longitudinal long hole stoping method with post backfill was developed utilizing trackless mining equipment. CBI has been able to achieve low mining costs and high productivity using this mining system. This paper will briefly review the Cayeli mine in general. Specifically, a brief history of the mine, the geology of the deposit, the mining method, backfilling, ground support, ventilation and dewatering, ore haulage, hoisting and finally staffing will be outlined.