| Welcome to AngloGold Ashanti's Mponeng Mine | ||
| Bringing mined rock to the surface | ||
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After blasting underground, the blasted rock is then scraped away from the stope into a hole. This hole, which is equipped with a chute and door to control the flow of rock, is known as a box hole. From these box holes, the rock is drawn off onto underground railroad carts called hoppers and hauled by locomotives to the shaft area. The rock is dropped down large openings known as orepasses, and falls to the lowest level of the mine. At this point, the rock is transferred into skips and raised to the surface.
Pictured here: An orepass on one of the levels at Mponeng. | ||