System for the Reduction in Applied Energy, Improved Efficiencies and Reduced Costs in Open Pit Mining

摘要

The present invention relates to an open pit mining system. The system includes a material lifting machine configured to both: (1) excavate and remove overburden from an open pit of a mine; and (2) excavate and remove valuable material from the open pit. Advantageously, the machine removes the overburden waste material as well as the mined valuable material which would otherwise be conventionally removed by trucks in the pit, out of the pit up the ramps and thence onto the processing plant. Accordingly, the use of trucks for transporting valuable material both along and up out of the pit is at least to some extent reduced thereby resulting in improved cost and energy efficiency.