Gold mine developer Artemis Gold has placed a C$134-million order with Finning (Canada), a division of TSX-listed Finning International, for the primary and ancillary mining fleet required for the initial Phase 1 of operations of its Blackwater mine, in British Columbia.

The primary load and haul fleet covered by the purchase order consists of Cat 6040 hydraulic excavators, a Cat 6060 hydraulic excavator and a fleet of Cat 793NG 250 t haul trucks. The fleet will provide the load and haul capacity for the initial years of operations, Artemis says, noting that it will be expanded as needed.

Supporting the primary mining fleet will be an ancillary fleet consisting of Cat 992 front-end loaders, Cat 785 haul trucks, Cat D10 dozers, Cat D9 dozers and 18M graders. The 992 front-end loaders and Cat 785 haul trucks will be used in a support loading role including ore rehandle on the run-of-mine pad and from the low-grade stockpile, while also providing flexibility to the operation for events such as tailings storage facility raises.

Further, Artemis has elected to configure the Cat 6040 hydraulic excavators in a backhoe configuration to provide optimal ore selectivity.

Equipment deliveries should start late in the fourth quarter and continue throughout the first half of 2024, in preparation for the pre-strip-mining phase.

Initial deliveries will include the Cat 6040 hydraulic excavators and the Cat 793NG haul trucks. The delivery of the ancillary fleet will be arranged around the primary mining fleet to ensure schedule commitments are met and workforce and craneage requirements are optimised throughout the assembly period.

The entire fleet is expected be “shovel ready” during the second half of 2024, to meet Artemis’ operational-readiness objectives.

As part of the envisaged future fleet expansion, the company has the option to purchase zero-emission haul trucks currently under development for shipments beginning in 2029. The transition to a zero-emission haulage fleet will substantially reduce the mine’s carbon footprint. That combined with the mine’s electrified processing facility and infrastructure will create the potential to achieve net-zero carbon emissions.

The company is targeting an initial gold pour from the 530 000 oz/y Blackwater mine in the second half of 2024.