Shaft #1 was the first shaft to be completed at Oyu Tolgoi. It started in 2006 and reached bottom in Jan 2008, to a total depth of 1,385m. Shaft #1 has 5 shaft stations with a primary function of providing man and materials to the underground operations to support all existing projects and lateral development to progress the project toward production.

In any given 12 hour shift, the shaft facilitates travel of up to 700 personnel and 2,000 tonnes of rock. This 6.7m diameter shaft is the most critical artery for this project, and will continue to be vital to the success of the underground until the commissioning of Shaft #2.