Estimates of rock joint shear strength in part of the Fimiston open pit operation in Western Australia

The city of Kalgoorlie-Boulder is situated approximately 600 km to the east of Perth in Western Australia. The Fimiston open pit (or ‘super pit’) is located on the eastern boundary of the city and is mining an area traditionally known as the Golden Mile. The area has been continuously worked since 1893, predominantly by underground mining methods and more recently through open cut development. Various small-scale open pits were developed in the early to mid-1980s and the amalgamation of these pits was realised in May 1989 with the formation of Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines Pty Ltd. (KCGM), a joint venture between Normandy Mining Ltd. (now Newmont Mining Corporation) and Homestake Gold of Australia Ltd.