SILVER
Thompson Afari, Open Pit Projects Manager, Chirano
Thompson, who has been working at Chirano since 2013, is always looking for a way to improve efficiency and reduce costs at the site.
He has tackled two major operational projects that have drastically increased savings: moving to a self-perform model for open pit operations and a new self-perform tailings initiative.
In his first few months of work, Thompson began mapping out a plan to begin moving to a self-perform model for open pit operations, one of the single biggest projects at the site and one that has drastically reduced costs at the pit. In 2015, this helped to yield $6.2 million in savings.
Thompson also led the self-perform tailings construction initiative, which was rolled out in late 2013 and has helped the site achieve significant cost savings and increased production. Prior to the transition, tailings construction was outsourced to contractors, which was more costly.
He identified and managed the construction of a new and more efficient haulage route from the pit to the tailings storage facility. He decreased the route by almost a kilometre, saving time and money.
In addition to having led these projects, Thompson manages the day-to-day operations of the open pit department at Chirano. In this role, he is responsible for helping advance Continuous Improvement (CI) initiatives that help reduce unit costs in the open pit. Under Thompson’s leadership, the site has undertaken many projects that have resulted in savings. For example, Thompson and his team found savings in explosives costs by increasing the initial stemming height from 3 metres to 3.5 metres, covering more ground at one time.
Thompson has created an environment in the department where new ideas are welcomed and encouraged, complementing the robust CI team at Chirano. As a result, Thompson’s team has helped decrease the unit cost of operating the pit from $3.34/t to $2.88/t at the end of 2015, a 14% cost reduction.
