Exploration while mining at the Bagh-e Ghareh manganese mine
Author: Moein Kansaran Toos —
4,500 m of exploration drilling to 130 m depth raised the Bagh-e Ghareh manganese reserve to 300,000 t at an average grade of 23%.
Reserve growth from drilling
An exploration-while-mining programme at the Bagh-e Ghareh manganese mine near Torbat-e Heydarieh completed 4,500 m of drilling to a depth of 130 m. As a result, the mine's reserve has risen to 300,000 t at an average grade of 23% manganese.
Deposit geology
Manganese mineralisation here is oxide and carbonate. The orebodies are lens-shaped, about 2 km long, and hosted in Cretaceous limestone and dolomite.
Mining method
The open pit is mined in benches, while underground ore is extracted by sublevel caving. The company plans to fully mechanise underground mining.