Northern Star Resources has started to welcome the first of its 39 new Caterpillar 793F haul trucks to its KCGM Operations in Western Australia.

The first of these haul trucks arrived in September, with the remaining trucks to arrive at site between now and April 2022, Northern Star said. They will be transported from Perth to Kalgoorlie-Boulder on the Great Eastern Highway.

Part of an open-pit fleet replacement program, the trucks will offer “improved visibility and comfort” to Northern Star’s 200-plus local operators working in the Super Pit, while supporting KCGM’s life of mine plans to 2034, the company said.

The trucks are fitted with Schlam’s Hercules dump bodies, which have been custom designed to suit the hard-rock mining environment of the Super Pit and KCGM’s mining plan, Schlam said.

At KCGM, open-pit mining rates continued to ramp-up in the September quarter, with an increased production rate of 72 Mt/y achieved at quarter end.