Scalable, Flexible Voice and Data

Lafayette Mining Limited has been developing the Rapu Rapu copper/gold polymetallic project gold mine since 1999. Construction of all facilities is completed and is in the final stages of commissioning. Production is planned to commence in Q2 2005 with the first gold pour, while concentrate production will commence in Q3 2005

Rapu Rapu will produce copper, gold, zinc and silver to the forecast value of US$300 million over the initial six-year life of the mine. The current mine plan supports annual production of approximately 10,000 tonnes of copper in concentrates, 14,000 tonnes of zinc in concentrates, 50,000 ounces of gold and 600,000 ounces of silver.

Mining operations are predominantly remote and harsh, sometimes hundreds of kilometers from the nearest town. In recent years business pressures have required exploration and mining companies to increase efficiency through use of I.T. systems.

Imaginet was chosen by Lafayette Mining Limited due to Imaginet’s expertise in the setting up and maintenance of scalable, flexible network infrastructure in hazardous and isolated locations.

Imaginet’s scalable and flexible solutions are able to adapt over the life of the project from the surveying and exploration of the mine, when the emphasis is on communication and data transfer to headquarters, through to the construction and operation of the mine, when the emphasis changes to on site networking and data processing. This adaptable framework allowed Lafayette Mining to optimize the type and amount of I.T. equipment on site dependent on the phase of the project.

Imaginet’s combination of an on site Intrinsically Safe Wireless network and VSAT technology services, all backed by Imaginet’s Managed Network Services, gives Lafayette Mining a secure VPN system. This allows employees at the mining site to have real time voice and data communication with both the Philippine and Australian administrative centers.

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