Construction of the +10 m level at the Kirovsky mine
The second phase of construction of the new level was completed in October 2023, when the first apatite-nepheline ore from the project was also mined at the Yukspor deposit.
The level’s maximum output will be 9.4 million tonnes by 2028, based on the planned development of the mine under the programme for development of the ore and raw material base at the Kirovsky branch of Apatit JSC.
Operations at the +10 m level of the Kirovsky mine commenced in March 2024.
ANOF-2
From 2019 to 2023, apatite-nepheline processing plant No. 2 (ANOF-2) underwent modernisation of its apatite concentrate filtration process, with the installation of new process equipment — ceramic filters — in section No. 15. The aim of the project is to reduce cake moisture content, increase drying capacity, and reduce operating costs for fuel oil and electricity.
In
In February 2022, the first stage of the investment project to develop the +10 m level of the Kirovsky mine was completed, and testing of crushing and delivery system No. 1 and the locomotive haulage system was carried out in the Kukisvumchorr wing of the new level.
The project’s main objective is to improve mining capacities and optimise transport systems at the Kirovsky mine.
Development of the +10 m level at the Kirovsky mine continued with the installation of equipment and preparation for the start-up of the crushing and delivery system and an additional ore extraction path at the Yukspor deposit.
At the Rasvumchorrsky mine, construction was completed, and loading and delivery system No. 4 was commissioned. The commissioning of loading and delivery system No. 4 will enable the western and central parts of the Rasvumchorr Plateau deposit to be mined.
Despite the pandemic, the Kirovsk Branch of Apatit continued the implementation of investment projects to expand mining and beneficiation capacities, the key ones being aimed at developing the plant’s ore and raw material base. In 2021, extensive preparations took place at the Kirovsky mine to launch the new +10 m level, which was commissioned in 1Q 2022.
At the Vostochny mine, transport infrastructure development was a priority in 2021. In particular, the Rudnaya railway station was reconstructed, its throughput going up by 20%, and three newly acquired Caterpillar mining dump trucks were deployed, each with a capacity of 180 tonnes. The development of the Rasvumchorr mine continued in 2021, reaching a milestone of 250 mt in ore output.
At the Kirovsky mine, main shaft No. 1 was re-equipped and commissioned, resulting in a 63% output increase from 1.9 to 3 mtpa. Furthermore, the Kirovsky mine output is expected to reach 25 mtpa in five years.
At the Rasvumchorr mine, a maintenance and repair centre for self-propelled machinery was opened. A special room was set up underground at the +310 m level, which enabled maintenance and repairs without the need to surface the machinery.
To increase the supply of fresh air to the lower horizons of underground mines, in 2017 we launched main ventilation fans in the western service shaft of Kirovsky Mine and the VS-1 and VS-2 shafts of Rasvumchorrsky Mine. The air supplied to the mine is heated using gas-powered heating units.
Investment in the project stands at RUB 1.5 billion.
The main shaft No. 2 (GS-2) equipped with two skips (self-unloaders) with a capacity of 45 t was put into operation after an overhaul at the Kirovsk mine in August 2015. From the engineering perspective, it is a highly complex underground crusher and above-ground mining facility designed to deliver ore from the underground facility to the surface from a depth of about 350 m. The launch of GS-2 enabled us to replace retired capacities and boost the mine’s production from 14 to 22 mtpa.
Total investment in the project exceeded RUB 12 billion.
