DSI Rock Bolts stabilize Excavation in historic Mine: Rehabilitation of the Rayas Shaft

The historic town of Guanajuato is a four hours’ drive north-west of Mexico City in an area in which silver and gold have been extracted from underground mines for more than four centuries. This is also where the Guanajuato mine complex, operated by Minera Mexicana el Rosario, is located. Here, more than 1 million ounces of silver and 10,350 ounces of gold were mined in 2012 alone.

The precious metal deposits are located at a depth of up to 400m in a complex that forms part of the world’s deepest mines.

At the Rayas Mine, which is also part of the Guanajuato complex, an octagonal, 11.31m Ø main shaft that was established in 1833 leads to the excavation galleries.

Recently, the Rayas Shaft was comprehensively rehabilitated in order to substantially improve safety and efficiency. The rehabilitation measures will enhance the transportation of miners underground and shorten transport times, which will, in turn, improve overall operational efficiency.

Work at the vertical, 300m long shaft had to be executed from a platform. To stabilize the shaft walls, DSI Mexico supplied threadbar Rock Bolts that were installed together with resin cartridges. All test anchors successfully passed the pull test carried out by DSI experts in advance. Thanks to the comprehensive repair, the shaft will ensure a continuing safe extraction of gold and silver for many years to come.