Burgundy Diamonds has released an updated Life of Mine Plan for its Fox project in Canada’s Northwest Territories, introducing a significant shift in its approach to material haulage. The company has opted to use Railveyor®, a technology that promises to enhance the project’s value by improving efficiency and reducing operational costs. This decision underscores the growing importance of advanced technologies in the mining sector, as operators seek to build more resilient and sustainable operations.
The updated pre-feasibility study (PFS) re-evaluates the underground resource at Fox, incorporating the Railveyor technology. This system offers several advantages over traditional haulage methods, including lower operating costs and reduced infrastructure requirements. Notably, Railveyor can handle run-of-mine material, eliminating the need for an underground crusher. The light rail track can be easily extended as the mine deepens, making it suitable for sublevel retreat (SLR) mining, which the PFS has identified as the preferred method over the original incline caving approach.
Tas Mohamed, CEO of Railveyor, based in Canada’s mining hub of Sudbury, Ontario, emphasized the role of innovative systems in improving feasibility outcomes. “In today’s mining landscape, the ability to operate efficiently and responsibly is more important than ever,” she said. “We are proud to support operators like Burgundy Diamonds in exploring solutions that make deeper ore zones more accessible, significantly improving the overall economic viability of the operation.”
This focus on innovation comes at a critical time for the mining industry. Charles Nyabeze, VP of Business Development and Commercialisation at the Mining Innovation Commercialisation Accelerator (MICA), noted that the sector is increasingly reflecting on its practices. “We need to collectively start thinking differently about how we develop and operate mines; it is time to support technology development and adoption in mining,” he said. “This is how we get to a low carbon economy, how we make mining sustainable, and how we save jobs.”
As a MICA partner, Railveyor continues to collaborate with mining companies globally to achieve these goals. At Agnico Eagle’s Goldex Mine, the Railveyor system has already demonstrated its potential. By enabling access to previously unreachable ore due to ventilation and geometry constraints, the technology has extended the mine’s life by seven years. Fully electric, autonomous, and operating on demand, Railveyor reduces energy usage and ventilation requirements while lowering overall emissions. These benefits align with the industry’s push toward net zero carbon emissions and cost-effective production.
The integration of such advanced technologies into feasibility studies offers a path toward safer, cleaner, and more economically sustainable operations. As Burgundy Diamonds looks to the future, the adoption of forward-looking technologies like Railveyor could play a pivotal role in extending the life of its Fox project and setting a new standard for the mining industry.