Byrnecut has been involved at OZ Minerals’ Prominent Hill underground mine since cutting the portal in 2010. We have now been awarded the contract to construct the Wira Haulage Shaft.

Byrnecut has completed in excess of 80 kilometres of development and produced over 20 million tonnes of copper-gold ore. The project successfully transitioned to an Alliance style contract in 2020. 

Byrnecut undertakes all underground activities at Prominent Hill including development, longhole drilling and charging, paste fill, stope bogging and fibrecrete batching & application. The Wira Haulage Shaft is designed to handle 6Mtpa from 1290m below surface. Byrnecut is introducing the Herrenknecht VSM shaft sinking system to Australia at Prominent Hill. This mechanised, non-entry system will allow the shaft pre-sink to a depth of 93m. 

Following the pre-sink, a pilot hole will be constructed from surface to mid-shaft, then from mid-shaft to shaft bottom. The shaft will then be constructed using a strip and line methodology.

Prominent Hill is located in the remote arid northern Woomera region of South Australia, and is accessed by gravel all weather road and air transport. Byrnecut operate the mine 365 days per year, 24 hours per day on a fly-in, fly-out basis from Adelaide. The company employs over 400 people with the majority residing in SA.