Moab Khotsong Main Shaft

 mine, mine shaft

Access to Moab underground workings is via a single shaft that is 3,106 m deep with a diameter of 10.5 m which reduces to 6.8 m to accommodate the man and material conveyances, which travel from surface to 102 Level at 3,102 m below surface. A concrete brattice wall partitions the shaft from surface to below 77 level with downcast fresh air in the winding compartments, and upcast return air behind the brattice wall. It is equipped with a three deck man and material conveyance cage with a 58 person capacity per deck, two 4-deck service conveyance compartments with capacity for 18 persons per deck, and two rock conveyance compartments with capacity for 18 tonne payload. The surface double drum rock winder operates at a maximum speed of 16 m/s and has a design hoisting capacity of 5,760 t per day or approximately 150 ktpm.

There is a sub vertical shaft that starts at 73 level referred to as the Rock-Ventilation shaft, or RV Shaft. It has a diameter of 8.5 m and is the same depth as the main shaft and is used primarily to hoist ore and waste. It is bratticed with an unequipped upcast ventilation section and a downcast section equipped with two 13 t capacity rock conveyance compartments and one 2-deck service conveyance with capacity for 50 persons per deck. The RV Shaft double drum rock winder operates at a maximum speed of 15 m/s and has a design hoisting capacity of 6,552 tpd or approximately 170 ktpm.

There is also a shaft that was raise-bored between 64 and 76 levels which has a diameter of 2.4 m and is a dedicated backfill shaft. It has ten 80 mm diameter backfill ranges, with space for 18 more ranges, and a maintenance conveyance. An emergency egress route is via internal access up to 76 Level and then via 76 level and 70 Level to Great Noligwa Mine Main Shaft. A secondary alternative is via 70 Level from Great Noligwa to Kopanang Mine.