RUDNIK 21/8/07 2:02 pm Page 3

OPERATION FOCUS

Rudnik – the mine

Rudnik will raise production to 240,000 t of

ore next year, from 200,000 t this year, by
making improvements to the rail haulage of
ore out of the mine, including the purchase
of two new Clayton locos.

Serbia’s pioneer in privatized mining is a small mine producing zinc, lead, copper
and silver. John Chadwick walked into Rudnik Mountain to see the operation

T
he Serbian word rudnik means ‘mine’ Serbian businessman, Darko Vukobratovic, interest in buying Serbian mines – he expects
so, Rudnik rudnik – is it so good they through his company Contango, owns the the other four former Trepca Mines’ operations
named it twice? Whatever, this is an mine. He was Glencore’s representative in the in Serbia to sell for higher prices as there is
area with a mining tradition that goes back region for many years. He says he bought much more foreign interest today.
centuries – the small mountain in which the Rudnik (acquisition date September 24, 2004) Contango’s investment in Rudnik has
mine has been developed is called Rudnik, as is at an opportune time when there was little resulted in the recently stated ore reserve of 2 Mt
the village and the mine itself. It is located
south of Belgrade, about 75 km away, roughly
in the centre of the country.
Today’s mine was opened in 1952. Current
reserves are some 2 Mt, equally split into 1Mt
each of lead/zinc ore and copper ore. The
mineralization, worked since Roman times,
includes argentiferous galena and some
chalcopyrite, malachite and blende.
The operation is the first Serbian mine to
have been privatised and has used Atlas Copco
equipment for more than 40 years. From Atlas
Copco Airpower compressors for the extensive
compressed air system in the mine through
Craelius Diamec exploration drills, handheld
drills, small Boomer drill jumbos, Scooptrams
and Mine Trucks, this is a very ‘yellow’
operation. There has been no change in this Rudnik’s new Atlas Copco Boomer 281
approach with the change of ownership. in one of the ‘rooms’.

16 International Mining SEPTEMBER 2007

RUDNIK 21/8/07 2:09 pm Page 4

OPERATION FOCUS

– enough for about ten years of materials connects these 50-m

operation at current production vertical interval main levels.
levels. Exploration continues, both An Atlas Copco ST-2D Exploration is a major exercise
within the mine and its immediate working in a narrow, in the mine. Rudnik crews
vicinity and further out over an but high stope. undertake some 12,000 m of
area of 100 km2 under licence to core drilling each year with a
the company, which Vukobratovic fleet of six Atlas Copco Craelius
considers to have “good Diamec rigs – mainly 252 and
potential.” 262 machines. Rudnik has
The ores of Rudnik are purchased three new machines
replacement-type ores and skarn in the last six to seven years.
deposits related to Tertiary Each one drills 100 m every
volcano-plutonic events, with week of 86-mm core. Diamec
many irregular ore lenses. They 252 is an all-hydraulic, skid-
are found on a number of based drill weighing less than
different horizons with the skarns 1,000 kg with a maximum drill
in the centre surrounded by veins, depth of 350 m. It is ideally
over a plan area of 3 km by 1 km. suited for drilling in the narrow
One of the main accesses to drifts and small underground
the mine is an adit on what the spaces found at Rudnik. The
mine designates as 0 level. There newest unit is a crawler-
are ore horizons above and below mounted 262, which is an all-
this in Rudnik Mountain. There hydraulic drill, ideally suited for
are main levels on –50, –100 and underground, drilling wireline
-150. The 0 to –50 horizon has hole sizes A-N and conventional
been worked out so it is the hole sizes of 46-131 mm. It is
horizon between -50 and –150 capable of 450 m of NQ
(the main transport level) where Drilling. Thus far, nothing has
mining is currently focused. An been found to be predictable in
internal hoist system for men and this mine, so these Diamecs are

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18 International Mining SEPTEMBER 2007

RUDNIK 21/8/07 2:09 pm Page 5

09/07

very important machines. Among the current
plans are drilling and investigating old
workings, which may contain valuable
mineralization and some 500-600 m holes
from surface.
The geological control provided by the
Diamecs is essential as the orebodies are very
irregular. Room and pillar mining provides
80% of the ore. The maximum room height is
40 m and the biggest room mined thus far is
120 m long by 50 m wide by 40 m high. As
much development as possible is down in ore.
Cores are sampled and analysed on site
using Rudnik’s Perkin Elmer spectrometer. This
versatile unit is used for both analyses of core
samples and to test concentrate grades.
Another geological area of interest involves
polymetallic W-Pb-Bi ores that have
been found in the Nova Jama ore zone. They
are situated on the contact of quartzite dykes
and breccias; mostly occur in a stockwork-type
form. In this ore zone three mineralization
phases can be distinguished: pyrometasomatic
(skarn), pyrometasomatic-hydrothermal and
hydrothermal. The pyrometasomatic-
hydrothermal phase is the most
significant mineralization
phase because it is
represented by massive
orebodies.
Technical Director Zlatko Belic stresses the
complex geology of the mine, but hopes to be
able to come to understand the wolfram
mineralization, containing up to 7% WO3. It is
found in both separate and the existing
base metal orebodies. Tungsten could
be another important revenue
stream for the mine.
Compressed air
A significant amount of Rudnik’s
ore (some 20%) still comes
from narrow vein workings that
are mined with compressed
air powered

Exploration is a major exercise in order to follow the

ore at Rudnik. Crews undertake some 12,000 m of
core drilling each year with a fleet of six Atlas Copco
Craelius Diamec rigs – mainly 252 and 262 machines.
Rudnik has purchased three new machines in the last
six to seven years. Each one drills 100 m every week
of 86-mm core. The newest unit is a crawler- equipment. Atlas Copco handheld
mounted
/ 262, like this one. / / g drills have been used since the mine was first

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SEPTEMBER 2007 International Mining 19