Thabazimbi Iron Ore Mine

The problem: The mine was producing 700,000 tonnes of iron ore a year in 2013. For 2014, it had to raise production to 1 million tonnes while reducing cost.

 

The Intervention: We implemented the Production Flow intervention and enabled the mine to reach the required production rates within four months. 

 

Results:  Ore production for 2014 increased by 57 per cent to 1.1 million tonnes, and total tonnes mined rose by 20 per cent (from 27.5 to 33 million tonnes). At the contracted $85 per tonne, this added $10.4 million to the bottom line. At the end of that year, the mine outperformed its larger sister mines and won the awards for best grade and process control, best production improvement and best safety performance.