VOL. 09 | ISSUE 3 | Fall 2026
A North Star
Success of Henderson’s North Panel
Ramp-up Reflects 50 Years of Mining
Experience and Points the Way Forward
As the country celebrated 250 years of independence in July, Henderson, North America’s largest producer of molybdenum, prepared to mark 50 years of mining deep beneath Colorado’s Continental Divide.
A recent accomplishment reflects the extensive planning and technical work behind that legacy.
Earlier this year, Henderson completed the final cave shot on the 7210 North Panel, capping nearly a decade of planning, development and caving work to prepare the section for long-term ore extraction as the operation achieved its fastest ramp up to date.
The significance of North Panel is not the achievement itself, but the direction it points toward, said David Loring, Mine Manager-Henderson.
“North Panel’s success embodies how all our groups came together and really is the culmination of 50 years of mining experience at Henderson.”
DAVID LORING | MINE MANAGER-HENDERSON
True north
Work on North Panel began in 2018 with drifting and the excavation of tunnels needed to access and prepare the ore seam for future development. The first cave shot was fired in 2023, followed by two and a half years of caving before the final shot in early 2026.
“I’ve been here for 20 years, and this has been our most successful caving effort to date,” Loring said. “It isn’t any one innovation that got us here, but continuous improvement to drilling, blasting, monitoring and everything else. North Panel’s success embodies how all our groups came together and really is the culmination of 50 years of mining experience at Henderson.”
A lot has changed in those 50 years, including how the work is carried out. North Panel marked Henderson’s first use of emulsion in the production blasting. Paired with a new loading unit, the approach reduced exposure to ammonium nitrate fuel oil, the undercut brow and other hazards. It also improved efficiency, with far fewer blasts requiring redrilling or reshooting.
But the advances weren’t limited to drilling and blasting.
Many of the challenges facing modern cave mining always have been there. What has changed, said Juan Monsalve, Geomechanical Engineer II-Henderson, is the ability to track, predict and even prevent some of those challenges.
Although the technologies used at North Panel were not all new, the project represented a step forward in how data streams were brought together – and the insight they offered.
By integrating information from microseismic monitoring, smart markers and other sources, the team created a “digital twin” that provided a clearer picture of cave growth. The model helped the team monitor the seismogenic zone, convergence and ground support needs while reducing risks such as air blasts.
For the first time, engineering, operations and geomechanics could align around a shared understanding of cave performance and growth.
“By integrating all that data into a single platform, we could identify emerging conditions early and see the impact of operational decisions, supporting both safety and productivity,” Monsalve said. “Instead of relying on isolated observations, we could see how those conditions related to one another. That deeper understanding doesn’t end with North Panel and is something we’ll continue building on in the caves that follow.”
Charting a course
For Monsalve, Loring and the leadership at Henderson, the success of North Panel extends beyond this single project and into what comes next.
Leaders believe the lessons learned on North Panel will help guide Henderson’s future development. The technologies and practices developed there can continue shaping how the site approaches future development.
“By integrating all that data into a single platform, we could identify emerging conditions early and see the impact of operational decisions, supporting both safety and productivity.”
JUAN MONSALVE | GEOMECHANICAL ENGINEER II-HENDERSON
“Mining is ultimately about unlocking value from a finite resource.”
NEIL SHEA | CHIEF MINE ENGINEER-HENDERSON
With North Panel fully established, attention already has shifted to the 7700 Northwest Panel, now in development and expected to become the next major phase of production. Henderson also continues to evaluate opportunities such as the Lower Resource, a deeper portion of the deposit that could help moderately extend the mine’s life if deemed economically viable.
“Mining is ultimately about unlocking value from a finite resource,” said Neil Shea, Chief Mine Engineer-Henderson. “We are continually looking for new opportunities, without losing sight of the fact that our greatest responsibility is to safely and efficiently develop the resources we already have. The North Panel is a perfect example of the teamwork and innovation mindset that will help us succeed now and going forward.”
