Cluster mining model promising steady-state advantage for Copper 360

Conventional mining typically focuses on a single large operation. In contrast, what is unfolding on South Africa’s Northern Cape Copper Belt is the deployment of a cluster mining model, which embraces 12 opencast and underground mines that are being developed in a manner akin to artisanal mining. The dozen mines – and in time there will likely be many more as the cluster area hosts another 50 exploration sites  – will all make use of the same copper processing infrastructure. (Also see attached infographic.)