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Mines Performance Overview

New Milestones New Horizons

Sindesar Khurd Mine Performance Overview

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This world-class silver-rich mine has progressively expanded since commencement of its operations in 2006 with a capacity of 0.3 Mtpa. Having grown its capacity manifold since then, SKM is today one of India’s largest underground mines, and one of the lowest cost producers. It is equipped with state-of‑the‑art infrastructure facilities and best-in-class mechanisation. The mine’s deposit has a main lens and multiple standalone auxiliary lenses, creating multiple standalone production centres.

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During FY 2022-23, SKM achieved the highest ever mine development of 25.1 km, surpassing the milestone of 2.4 km monthly mine development in January 2023.
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Expansion, Upgradation & Infrastructure Development
  • Debottlenecking of paste-fill plant-2 with installation of positive development pump (PDP) for backfilling into underground voids in auxiliary lenses
  • Commissioning of ore production from E-block, situated at a depth of more than 900 metres
  • Commissioning of longest borehole, 617 metres in length, for shotcrete transfer from surface to underground
  • Commissioning of major dewatering pump of 700 metres head for direct dewatering to surface, which boosts development in lower blocks
Efficiency & Productivity Enhancements
  • APC streamlined in beneficiation plant-2 and 3, along with commissioning of APC in beneficiation plant-1
  • Created new global benchmark with 1,000+ hours of paste-filling for nine consecutive months (October 2021 to June 2022)
  • Implementation of short interval control (SIC) for improvement in stope turnaround time
  • Field trials completed for usage of granulated ground blast furnace slag (GGBFS) in paste-fill plant for partial replacement of cement in binder
Making Manpower Digital-Ready

With modernisation and automation of equipment, the need for skilled operators has emerged as an opportunity for improvement. Skill improvement of local operators is being conducted through AR/VR based simulators on advanced state-of-the-art machinery, which will result in mine development improvement from 25 km to 30 km, along with overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) improvement.

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For details on digital and automation initiatives of FY 2022-23, click here. Also read about the new safety initiatives click here
Creating a More Sustainable Environment

The existing method of wet tailings disposal makes expansion of tailings dam a challenge due to the increased requirement of land area and the resulting environmental hazards. Through dry stack tailings disposal, we aim to eliminate wet tailings disposal. We believe that this project – currently in the pipeline – will deliver benefits of safe and sustainable tailings storage and will prove to be a more environmental-friendly solution providing advantages of water conservation too.

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For sustainability initiative undertaken during FY 2022-23, click here
Chasing New Horizons for a Better Future

In a first-of-its-kind initiative in the Indian mining sector, SKM has commissioned Normet Agitator SmartDrive EV in its underground mining operations. The battery-powered service equipment will help decarbonise and improve environmental sustainability in the mining industry. Further, two more BEVs – Normet SmartDrive Spraymec EV and Normet SmartDrive Charmec EV – are queued for commissioning at SKM after due approval from DGMS.

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Case Study
Enabling Real-time Monitoring of UG Geotechnical Instruments

The manual monitoring of instruments installed underground was a complex process. Readings could not be taken in critical times (stress meter) due to blasting in nearby zones. Further, taking reading in every shift (earth pressure cells) in front of the filling barricade was an extremely critical manual activity. In this system, processing of the data was also a time-consuming process as the meter had to be taken to the surface for analysis. We decided to move to a system of monitoring live readings of the stress meter installed in the lower section of the mine.

Intervention

In the initial stage, we installed the system in three stress meters, with key features covering:

  • Deployment of 32 channel data loggers compatible for connecting sensors like earth pressure cell, stress meters and digital multipoint borehole extensometers
  • Installation of media converter to read and convert the readings
  • Digital recording of all the readings in the system, providing archiving and analysing trends
  • Real-time monitoring in control room, with provision of monitoring by geotechnical engineers on their computers in a remote location
Outcome
  • Real-time readings have helped geotechnical engineers to predict unsafe ground conditions underground and to activate the trigger action-response-plan (TARP) to prevent unforeseen incidents

TARP is a unique initiative of SKM to define the minimum set of corrective actions that are required by site personnel in response to unpredicted impacts or deviation from normal mine conditions.

Case Study
Improving Silver Recovery in Lead Concentrate

Lower silver recovery had adversely impacted the total silver (Ag) MIC produced, thus lowering revenue generation. To address this problem, we initiated several steps to boost the recovery of silver from lead concentrate.

Intervention

Our initiatives to enhance Ag recovery included:

  • Addition of silver promoter, a chemical used to promote Ag to affect minerals flotation, thereby improving the Ag recovery in Pb concentrate
  • Regularisation of grinding media charging of ball mill
  • Development of APC to minimise process variations; APC has been implemented in stream-01, stream-02 and stream-03
Outcome
  • Improvement in Ag recovery will yield an annual financial benefit
  • It will increase the measurable quantity of Ag MIC, enabling higher revenue generation
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The introduction of automation drilling has helped SKM reduce the time taken in drilling. The initiative has led to a reduction in the shift changeover idling time by running the machine in automatic mode through interventions like pan, tilt and zoom cameras, laser protection, voice/video calling facility, etc.
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For details on the initiative, refer to the digitalisation and automation section of this Report click here
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SKM on a Winning Spree

Awarded ‘5-Star’ rating under Sustainable Development Framework from Indian Bureau of Mines for FY 2021-22 assessment

Awarded one Platinum and three Silver medals in 43rd CII National Kaizen Competition – 2022 organised by CII IQ, TPM Club India

Won the Rajasthan Energy Conservation Award – 2022 from Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corporation Limited (RRECL)

Won the first prize in Systematic and Scientific Development during Mines Environment & Mineral Conservation (MEMC) Week – 2021, held in August 2022

Won two Gold and one Silver in Kaizen category, as well as one Gold and one Silver in Quality Circle category in 21st Chapter Rajsamand, CCQC-QCFI

Hindustan Zinc’s rescue team of ZM, RDM and SKM bagged first prize in All India Mine Rescue Competition (AIMRC) – 2022

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