Geomechanics.io

  • Free Tools
Sign UpLog In

Geomechanics.io

Geomechanics, Streamlined.

© 2026 Geomechanics.io. All rights reserved.

Geomechanics.io

CMRR-ioGEODB-ioHYDROGEO-ioQCDB-ioFree Tools & CalculatorsBlogLatest Industry News

Industries

MiningConstructionTunnelling

Company

Terms of UsePrivacy PolicyLinkedIn
    AllGeotechnicalMiningInfrastructureMaterialsHazardsEnvironmentalSoftwarePolicy
    Projects
    Contract Award

    Cementation Africa–Tharisa underground shift: design and cost notes for mine engineers

    April 9, 2026|

    Reviewed by Joe Ashwell

    First reported on International Mining – News

    30 Second Briefing

    Tharisa Minerals has fired the inaugural underground blast at its Bushveld Complex chrome and PGM operation, initiating the transition from open pit to underground mining scheduled from 31 March 2026. Cementation Africa, the contracting partner, will be central to developing the new underground infrastructure, including access declines and associated services, to extend mine life and access deeper ore. The shift will alter geotechnical design demands, ventilation and ground support requirements, and could change the mine’s stripping ratio and cost profile over the medium term.

    Technical Brief

    • Tharisa’s underground phase is located within the western limb of South Africa’s Bushveld Complex.

    Our Take

    Cementation Africa’s new underground work for Tharisa Minerals in South Africa’s Bushveld Complex follows its Mindola shaft upgrade for Mopani Copper Mines in Zambia (copper), signalling that the contractor is consolidating a regional portfolio of deep-level base and precious metal projects rather than specialising in a single commodity.

    With chrome and platinum group metals appearing in only a handful of keyword-matched pieces in our database, this Tharisa Minerals underground start stands out against a gold- and battery-metals-heavy project pipeline, suggesting PGMs/chrome underground expansions are comparatively scarce in current African project news.

    The recent coverage of Cementation Africa’s strategic fleet management for raiseborers and LHDs implies that the Tharisa underground project is likely to benefit from a pre-optimised, shared equipment pool, which can materially reduce schedule risk on complex Bushveld shaft and development work.

    Geotechnical Software for Modern Teams

    Centralise site data, logs, and lab results with GEODB-io, CMRR-io, and HYDROGEO-io.

    No credit card required.

    • Save and export unlimited calculations
    • Advanced data visualisation
    • Generate professional PDF reports
    • Cloud storage for all your projects

    Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.

    Related Articles

    Mining
    about 6 hours ago

    GR Engineering’s Northparkes CPF EPC: integration and retrofit notes for process engineers

    GR Engineering has secured an EPC contract from Northparkes Mining Services, a subsidiary of Evolution Mining, to deliver a Coarse Particle Flotation (CPF) project at the Northparkes copper-gold operation, 300 km west of Sydney, New South Wales. The project will retrofit CPF into the existing concentrator, targeting recovery of coarser sulphide particles that currently bypass conventional flotation circuits. For process engineers, the key change is integration of new CPF cells and associated regrind, pumping and classification modifications into a brownfield plant while maintaining throughput.

    Saturn’s Apollo Hill and Ausenco study: design and pit optimisation notes for engineers
    Mining
    about 12 hours ago

    Saturn’s Apollo Hill and Ausenco study: design and pit optimisation notes for engineers

    Saturn Metals has reported new high-grade gold intercepts at its Apollo Hill project in Western Australia and appointed Ausenco to complete a scoping study for a standalone gold operation. The work will assess processing options for the large, low-grade Apollo Hill resource using Ausenco’s gold plant design expertise, including trade-offs around throughput, recoveries and capital intensity. For mine planners and geotechs, the study outcome will shape pit shell optimisation, cut-off grade strategy and geotechnical design parameters for a potential new open pit development in the Eastern Goldfields.

    Wildcat’s Bolt Cutter lithium system: scale, pit shells and drilling notes for engineers
    Mining
    about 13 hours ago

    Wildcat’s Bolt Cutter lithium system: scale, pit shells and drilling notes for engineers

    Wildcat Resources has extended the Bolt Cutter Central lithium system in the Pilbara, with new reverse circulation and diamond drilling stepping out from the discovery holes to grow the mineralised footprint. Recent holes have intersected additional spodumene-bearing pegmatites at shallow depths, confirming continuity of the lithium-bearing corridor along strike and down dip. The results point to a larger-scale hard-rock lithium target, with implications for future resource definition drilling, pit shell optimisation and potential integration with regional Pilbara lithium infrastructure.

    Related Industries & Products

    Mining

    Geotechnical software solutions for mining operations including CMRR analysis, hydrogeological testing, and data management.

    Construction

    Quality control software for construction companies with material testing, batch tracking, and compliance management.

    CMRR-io

    Streamline coal mine roof stability assessments with our cloud-based CMRR software featuring automated calculations, multi-scenario analysis, and collaborative workflows.

    HYDROGEO-io

    Comprehensive hydrogeological testing platform for managing, analysing, and reporting on packer tests, lugeon values, and hydraulic conductivity assessments.

    GEODB-io

    Centralised geotechnical data management solution for storing, accessing, and analysing all your site investigation and material testing data.