The final stope of ore was extracted and hauled to the surface at our DeGrussa Copper Operations in Western Australia on Wednesday the 5th of October, which marked the completion of underground mining operations.
The completion of mining at DeGrussa is a significant milestone for Sandfire and our DeGrussa team, who have now capped more than 10 years of highly successful production at one of Australia’s premier copper-gold mines.
DeGrussa’s History
The Journery at DeGrussa began in April of 2009 when 25-year-old geologist Margaret Hawke, lead the discovery of the DeGrussa Deposits, unearthing massive sulphide mineralisation in a region better known for its gold discoveries.
This discovery, which was one of the highest-grade copper discoveries ever seen in Australia, would propel Sandfire from a junior explorer to a successful mid-tier copper producer in less than three and half years.
Over a decade later, from the first bucket of open pit direct shipping ore to extraction of the final underground stope, DeGrussa has been a phenomenal success which has created a great deal of value and changed the lives of many people.
There are five key areas which we believe underpin the success of DeGrussa and the project:
Targets always hit
From mining to processing, and to port, DeGrussa has never missed a key production target. We have excelled in our Performance, which has helped Sandfire achieve 10 straight
years of market guidance.
Our People
Our values driven people have been our number one resource and fundamental to our success. Our team have led this incredible value-creation that has flowed to creating jobs, developing careers and awarding significant
contracts to our partners.
Don't walk past
We have always looked out for each other, acting with Honesty and Accountability by putting the health and safety of our mates first, and living our ‘Don’t Walk Past’ philosophy.
Environment & Community Care
Through DeGrussa, we have been able to help numerous
businesses grow and support the flow-on benefits to the
broader economy and local communities.
A Global Miner
It has been the remarkable cash-flow generated by
DeGrussa and the Collaboration and Performance from our
people that has allowed us to grow and diversify from a single-mine company into a multi-asset, international copper miner.
Safeguarding the Environment and Supporting our local communities
Throughout the life of the DeGrussa Copper project, Sandfire has focused heavily on safeguarding the environment and we have remained committed to supporting our local communities.
Hear from Sandfire’s Acting CEO, Jason Grace, and Environment and Communities Superintendent, Elissa Tomich, on the DeGrussa Solar Facility and our community partnerships
Life after DeGrussa
Sandfire’s ‘Life After DeGrussa’ initiative provided resources to improve financial literacy and resilience, equipping employees with skills that will benefit them beyond their time with the organisation.
Sandfire’s Human Resources team worked closely with the Chamber of Minerals and Energy to identify opportunities within the mining industry for DeGrussa employees.
