After nearly three years of hard work, precision drilling, and teamwork across the mine site, New Afton officially completed the undercut level in C-Zone. This major step forward isn’t just a technical milestone, but a symbol of the future of our operation taking shape.
The undercut involves excavating material beneath the ore body to allow for block cave mining to take place. This advanced mining method used at New Afton allows ore to break and flow downward so it can be safely and efficiently collected. Completing this phase lays the foundation for safe and efficient ore recovery in the years to come.
Crews began drilling the first slot in August 2023 and completed the final blast on June 14, 2025. Over the course of the project, teams:
- Drilled over 85,000 metres—that’s more than the distance from Kamloops to Kelowna and back!
- Safely used over 830 tonnes of explosives to blast undercut rings—a key part of building the mine and preparing for future production.
This work was a true team effort, involving skilled contributions from the construction, development, technical services, and support teams across the site.
As New Afton moves into the next phase of C-Zone, this achievement helps secure the mine’s long-term viability, supports local jobs, and strengthens New Gold’s role as a responsible and innovative mining operation in the region.
