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By N Redwood, N Fowkes, A Bassom, S Durkin

"It is well known that from time-to-time a vehicle will interact with a bund or windrow and often the barrier is insufficient to safely arrest that vehicle. The result of such an incident is often catastrophic. Regulations around the requirement for edge protection near pit edges vary between jurisdictions. Generally in Australia regulations tend to be around placing the responsibility on the mine operator to provide ‘adequate’ or ‘appropriate’ edge protection. Guidelines often place a minimum height of bund at between half and two-thirds the diameter of the largest tyre on-site.Safescape has identified the opportunity to improve safety in open pit edge protection and is currently developing the Edge Protector (EP) product. The EP is designed to create a vertical front face to a conventional broken rock safety bund. The fundamental premise of the product is that by creating a vertical front face to the bund, trucks cannot easily drive up over the bund and instead have to push through the rock to get to the other side.In addition to providing a safer system for arresting vehicles, the vertical front face also means that extra space is made available in the haul road. This can either be used to facilitate larger trucks or when designing a new mine, with an increase in overall pit slope.This paper outlines the research and development of a new edge protection product. Discussion will include project objectives, economic incentive for mines to apply the system, mathematical analysis of the truck/bund interaction and physical testing of the product.Citation:Durkin, S, Fowkes, N, Redwood, N and Bassom, A, 2016. Innovative Approach to Open Pit Edge Protection, in Proceedings Ninth AusIMM Open Pit Operators' Conference 2016, pp 138–149 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne)."

Nov 15, 2016

By G R. Ballantyne, A N. Mainza, M S. Powell, M Evertsson

Quantifying the performance of a comminution circuit relative to the potential that can be achieved is a standard requirement in justifying operating practice (the stick) and seeking operational upside (the carrot). Historic measures tend to focus on performance relative to laboratory design tests that provide a direct measure of specific grinding energy, such as the Bond Work index; or use dropweight breakage tests calibrated to a substantial database of operating sites, such as the SMC methodology. Although of value, such approaches are flawed in significant aspects. The assumption is that the laboratory prediction is correct and the single sample it is based on is representative. The database benchmarking methods are, by definition, locked into current average operating practice. These approaches do not illuminate upside; can ‘punish’ operations that are actually more efficient, such as grinding finer than standard operation; and reward poor operation that may comfortably produce a coarser grind than optimal for recovery or excess slimes that reduce recovery and increase water consumption and tailings volume. The authors present a set of established and easily applied measures, that draw together daily operation, highlight areas of opportunity and inefficiency, use simple samples and data, and can be used to provide the ‘size of the prize’ in pursuing specific areas of process improvement. These tools include size specific energy (SSE), overall operating effectiveness (OEE) which includes product quality, theory of constraints, and links this to the end objective – maximising the efficient production of valuable metals. Feeds into objective function driven by economics – financial return, energy, environment.

Aug 24, 2022

By R Neivandt, Kane, M O&apos, D Browne

Newmont Australia is the operator of the Mt Leyshon mine near Charters Towers, Queensland. Mt Leyshon is an open cut gold mine, which processed on average 5.0 Mt of ore and produced up to 250 000 ounces of gold per year. Mining was completed in early-2001, followed by treatment of low-grade ore stockpiles for a further 12 months. Approximately 250 ha of waste rock dumps have been rehabilitated. Rehabilitation of two of the three tailings storage facilities (TSF) has been completed and the third is in progress. A field performance monitoring system that includes an automated meteorological station, large-scale lysimeters (measurement of net percolation), and in situ moisture content sensors (measurement of moisture storage changes in the cover material) were installed to monitoring performance of the cover systems placed on the waste storage facilities. This paper focuses on the installation and calibration of the in situ moisture monitoring system. The moisture monitoring system provides automated detailed in situ volumetric water content data above and within the large-scale lysimeters. A portable unit that provides spatial in situ moisture content measurements at additional locations on the cover system is also utilised. The paper will focus on installation and calibration of the in situ water content monitoring instrument in the waste rock, coarse cover material, and fine textured cover materials of the tailings facility and waste rock dump cover systems.

Jan 1, 2003

By D Piason

Newstan Mine commenced mining operations in 1887 and has since undertaken extensive mining within the Young Wallsend, Great Northern, Fassifern, Borehole and West Borehole coal seams using a range of mining methods including board and pillar mining and longwall mining.Newstan Mine is planning to extend the existing mine workings using longwall and miniwall mining methods to produce up to 4.5 Mt/a of run-of-mine (ROM) coal for at least 25 years. The planned extension in the Main East and South West sections will involve developing new longwall panels and related mains headings. The new area contains higher specific gas emissions (SGE) than previously experienced at Newstan Mine. To achieve the optimum ventilation requirements for the longwall operation in this new area, a new ventilation shaft was designed to be constructed using the blind boring method in the South West Headings section.This paper presents the shaft design parameters and selection criteria for the construction of the new ventilation shaft, including the construction phase and the holing process to connect the shaft to the underground workings. The paper also discusses future ventilation requirements for Newstan Mine.CITATION:Piason, D, 2015. South-west ventilation shaft project at Newstan Mine, in Proceedings The Australian Mine Ventilation Conference, pp 229–238 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Aug 31, 2015

By P Jones

Fosterville Gold Mine is an underground operation located approximately 20 km northeast of Bendigo and 170 km north of Melbourne. Fosterville is the most productive gold mine in Victoria, producing over 100 000 ounces of gold annually. Access to the underground is via two portals cut into previously mined open pits. Fosterville is 100 per cent owned and operated by Northgate Minerals, a gold and copper producer with mining operations, development projects and exploration properties in Canada and Australia. (Northgate Minerals Corporation, 2010).Underground operations commenced in 2006 with ore production focused on three orebodies – Phoenix, Ellesmere and Falcon. Primary ventilation to the existing operation is provided by wall mounted exhaust fans located underground. This system provides approximately 220 m3/s of primary ventilation to the operations with intake achieved through the portals. Exploration drilling during recent times has uncovered another lode, the Harrier orebody, located 2.2 km to the south of the existing workings. Due to the location of the new Harrier orebody, vent analysis revealed the requirement for a separate source of primary ventilation to service Harrier. Figure 1 shows a current underground long section and the location of Harrier in relation to the existing workings. A number of options were considered, including a parallel decline from one of the existing two portals, however, a 4 m diameter, 350 m deep surface ventilation shaft was selected as the most suitable and feasible option for the mine.In December 2009, geotechnical drilling commenced to determine the most suitable location for the shaft. Site locations were constrained by a number of factors including interaction with current and planned surface infrastructure as well as proximity to nearby community members at the southern end of the mining lease. Results from the geotechnical drilling indicated that the majority of the proposed shaft would be suitable for a 4 m raise bored shaft. However, the top 40 m of the proposed shaft were deemed unsuitable for raiseboring due to zones of weakness that would likely influence the stability of a 4 m diameter shaft (Robinson, 2010). Following independent geotechnical advice and input from experienced raiseboring contractors, it was decided to construct a 40 m presink prior to raiseboring activities.A crane mounted auger was chosen as the preferred method to construct the presink. This method differs substantially from traditional blind sinking methods which are highly labour intensive. The auger, or drill, is designed and built to be attached to a crane base using engineered pivoting cradles. The auger is suspended from the crane jib by pennant ropes attached to hydraulic rams. The auger applies rotation and axial loads to the drilling tools via a telescopic steel bar (Kelly Bar). Drill tools are attached to the bottom of the Kelly Bar and comprise an assortment of drilling buckets and reaming barrels. Drilling buckets cut in situ material and collect the spoil for removal and are used for the excavation of the ‘pilot hole’. Reaming barrels are used to expand the diameter of the excavation by directing cuttings into the pilot hole which are then removed by the drilling bucket. In June 2010, the presink was constructed utilising a crane mounted auger with support to the shaft walls applied via a remote fibrecrete unit. The excavation method involved cutting a series of smaller diameter holes (2.4 m wide) before reaming out to the final diameter (4.7 m wide) in 4 - 5 m vertical increments. Fibrecreting activities were carried out on the backshifts, to ensure the stability of the excavation and minimise interaction between the two units. The presink was completed on time and offered many advantages compared to traditional blind sinking methods, including safety, costs and timing. This paper will examine the benefits of this method as well as lessons learnt and future applications in the mining industry.

Mar 21, 2011

By R F. G Phelps

The former Gwynfynydd gold mine is located within the heart of the Snowdonia National Park, North Wales, United Kingdom. The black shale-hosted quartz reefs have intermittently produced more than 50 000 ounces of gold since 1863. Its most recent period of operation by Welsh Gold PLC was between 1992 and 1999 when it extracted 10 000 tonnes annually from a total resource base of 180 000 tonnes. A historical mining grade of 15 grammes/tonne was recovered from the Chidlaw Reef on which all production was based. Erratically distributed gold pockets hosted in the footwall zone of a 3 - 6 m wide quartz reef characterise the mineralisation. The gold exhibits a high-nugget effect and as a consequence the accurate determination of tonnage and grade was difficult. Production was undertaken by overhand shrinkage stoping. Due to its location within a National Park certain environmental constraints were placed on the operators. The principal requirement of planning permission was that processing should take place above ground and not involve chemicals. As a result, an underground mill based on physical separation methods was constructed in response to these environmental constraints. Much of the mine discharge is related to the flow of rainwater through the workings from surface openings on the reefs. Discharge from the underground milling facility was enhanced in various metals, particularly zinc, though was reduced to legally acceptable levels using liming tanks prior to discharge into the River Mawddach. The company was required to monitor and treat all water discharged from the mine before it reached the river. The mine closed in 1999, since which time a tip re-processing has continued as part of an environmental remediation and gold supply program.

Jan 1, 2002

Leaving the relatively simple life on a uni student and venturing off in to the outside working world is a big step. There are two paths to follow, the æContikiÆ style graduate program where you pick up your new lease vehicle and set forth on two to three years of planned activities, or can pack everything into one bag, stick a copy of æthe rough guideÆ in your pocket, and set off on your own graduate adventure. I took the path less travelled.The less followed method of developing yourself isnÆt for everybody. Parts of the journey are difficult and sometimes it feels hopeless, but itÆs all a learning experience. Along the way you might not get to all the graduate ætourist stopsÆ like dragline, truck-shovel, or drill and blast. But youÆll see most of them and pick up a lot more of the local culture such as people management, operational knowledge, quality control, and the black arts of project financial management.

Jan 1, 2004

By J Seppelt, B Akerstrom, A Rice, J Bubnich, T Waters

The Concentrator 1 plant at Cadia transitioned from Cadia Hill open pit to the Cadia East block cave ore body in 2013. As a result of this change, major plant upgrades were required to achieve the desired throughput while treating more competent ore. The 40-foot (40’) SAG mill now receives a feed of predominantly high pressure grinding rolls (HPGR) product with a minor component of secondary crushed ore at a combined F80 of 17 mm. The significant reduction in feed size to the SAG mill has markedly changed the operating characteristics of the mill, which has been extensively studied since commissioning in 1998.This paper examines the operation of the 40’ SAG mill in its new configuration in the Concentrator 1 circuit. Operational stability is highlighted as a significant factor in delivering mill performance, which has been achieved through several key improvement projects utilising a theory of constraints framework. Five years of successful project implementation has progressively lifted the maximum processing rate of Concentrator 1 from the design estimate of 2455 t/h to above 3000 t/h. CITATION:Waters, T, Rice, A, Seppelt, J, Bubnich, J and Akerstrom, B, 2018. The evolution of the Cadia 40-foot SAG mill to treat the Cadia East orebody: a case study of incremental change leading to operational stability, in Proceedings 14th AusIMM Mill Operators' Conference 2018, pp 217–232 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Aug 29, 2018

By H Esterhuizen, W Hartman

Rockfalls or significant deterioration of mine openings can have significant safety and financial impacts for mining operations. The failure of drives in underground mines sometimes highlight deficiencies in the mine risk management systems in detecting geotechnical hazards and to prevent events that can have significant impact. Consequences from these failures includes fatalities, injuries, loss of revenue, additional cost, and potentially a loss in Ore Reserves. Where the impacts are severe, it also affects families and communities linked to the operation. The assessment of underground excavations requires consideration of the full range and spectrum of geotechnical hazards, design aspects, ground support, layouts and sequences. Where the assessment of these are insufficient or incorrect, it can result in drive failures. Care must be taken that meeting production targets and personnel pressures do not result in a situation where production take preference over a proper risk-based assessment of the drives to be mined. The risk management approach is now widely accepted in the mining industry for the control and management of risks in underground mines. Codes of Practices (COP’s), Ground Control Management Plans (GCMP), Principal Hazard Management Plans (PHMP’s) and technical guidance documents has become the norm for describing the mines main hazards, risk levels and intimating controls for safe passage of vehicles and mine personnel. However, where there is a disconnect between these documents and what is actually being done at the mine site, the COP’s and/or Management Plans become ineffective (or vice versa). This disconnect may occur due to the actual content of these documents, a lack of resources, or a lack of understanding about the implementation. There is therefore a need for sites to have a documented and implemented risk-based approach for assessing underground mine development. This approach or system needs to identify all hazards and other factors affecting mine development stability early on in the design process, and outline the risk classification and controls required. This paper presents an amalgamation and modification of previous processes for a Geotechnical Risk Management System for Underground Mine Development. CITATION:Hartman, W and Esterhuizen, H, 2018. A geotechnical risk assessment tool for underground mine drives, in Proceedings The Fourth Australasian Ground Control in Mining Conference (AusRock), pp 235–253 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Nov 30, 2018

By D Kilkenny, D Nardini, P Kline

This paper is a case study highlighting learnings and success in two areas challenging underground miners: change management and collaboration. It examines the implementation process of a new automated loading system in the bulk stoping area of Telfer Mine in Western Australia, controlling multiple load haul dump machines. Here, the new technology has brought together different functions and different companies to deliver a well performing automation system in a changing and challenging mining environment. The introduction of a new and different technology on site has driven collaboration between all stakeholders to break down the traditional barriers to achieve the sustained performance required. Historically, different teams have operated within silos and not always aligned to deliver a ‘best for project’ solution. Technical teams focus on the mine design, maintenance teams focus on reliability and operations execute the plan. Mining contractors focus on productivity and cost. Manufacturers focus on supply of goods and service. Optimising each silo individually is not guaranteed to provide an optimal mining solution. Involving elements from each team as seen at Telfer, has resulted in an optimal mining solution for the automated loading system. A change of focus from the technical teams to include automation parameters in the mine design; operability and maintainability built into the system design allowing for collective ownership and responsibility resulting in a more resilient solution. The implementation of the new technology was not only a technical change but more importantly, successful management of change. Elements of successful change management such as communication, vision, leadership and planning, are essential to harness a trusting site culture which is responsive to new technology. Learnings and challenges from this change process will also be discussed with the intent to improve the success rate and timelines of technology implementations in the future.

Mar 15, 2021

By S Williams, N McBride

The aim of these analyses was to utilise the latest available production information for the Wandoo operation to determine the optimal blasting parameters, costing information and predicted results (fragmentation, muckpile shape and vibration). Much of the data used as input was made available from the information gathered during the excavation of the test pits during 1995. As with any æplanning stageÆ analyses, many assumptions were required to fill gaps in the available data. The calibration of computer blasting models was conducted using data from the last of the test pit blasts (this blast was carried out in material that closely resembled rock expected to constitute the bulk of the base case design pit). This calibration was refined using observation and experience based judgements to extend the accuracy of the predictions as far as possible. All the simulations were performed assuming that the blastholes will be wet (as instructed by BGM). This has consequently determined that the appropriate explosive for the simulations and the actual blasting will be a pumped emulsion/ANFO blend. The following blast design parameters were derived by determining a likely range of powder factor (from other similar scale gold mines) with a median value of 0.62 kg/m 3 being the powder factor arrived at through the field optimisation process conducted during the test pit excavation. The total swell/displacement percentage (volume after blast/volume before blast) largely determines the diggability of a well fragmented muckpile. Consequently where fragmentation is good any reduction of total swell will probably reduce diggabilty. Any reduction of diggability can and should be traded off against increased gold recovery. In most gold mines, diggabilty will be substantially compromised at the balance which produces the most profit. When these considerations are combined with the cost to drill and blast material, processing costs and the achievement of æacceptableÆ diggibility, the analysis becomes extremely complex and qualitative. Many trends are evident including:the relationship between powder factor (for each blast design) and maximum forward displacement (throw), see Figure 1; and the relationship between powder factor (for each blast design) and drill and blast cost per BCM, see Figure 2. The following blast designs are matched to each of three ore-tonnage alternatives (as supplied by BGM) (Table 1). They are all based on powder factor of 0.62 kg/BCM and are considered optimum from a mining æpoint of viewÆ. The costing of each design includes drilling, explosives and labour cost to load, stem and tie-in holes. Using the available rock data and relying heavily on the wall exposures in the test pit(s), it is the opinion of the author that between 20 per cent to 40 per cent of the final walls excavated in the Wandoo pit would be likely to have the angle between the dominant foliation and the wall plane that is well suited to presplitting and be cost-effectively served by presplit technique. The drilling cost for 125 mm blasthole is about $11.40 per drilled metre and the cost of 40 mm presplit explosive is about $140 per 25 kg (17 metre) case. This implies that the cost to drill and blast presplit on the above parameters would be about $10.90 per square metre of presplit face. The remaining wall area would be most cost-effectively delineated using modified production blasting techniques. This requires the use of modified parameters such as smaller hole diameters, smaller spacing/ burden, higher powder factor, free face firing, less rows per blast and longer delays. These altered blast parameters would usually be applied uniformly across the entire blast fired adjacent to the wall and this ætrimÆ blast would relieve burden away from the wall, into the pit. In simplest terms, this method relies upon maximised burden relief to minimise blast energy applied to the wall. It is only applicable where the material to be blasted is waste since the throw achieved is inconsistent with ore dilution control. The largest charge weight per hole for these analyses is 360 kg and the nearest domestic structure to the proposed Wandoo pit is about 6100 metres distant. From these parameters and assuming a worst case example of rock controlled site factor, the predicted ground vibration is 0.5 mm/sec that is about five per cent of the lower limit set down in AS 2187 part two (1993). This suggests that for the current location of neighbours, ground vibration will not be an issue for the Wandoo operation.

Jan 1, 1999

Tailings management trade-off studies are done for all mining projects. There is wide variability in these studies as their approach, details and outcomes are determined by the experience and focus of the project team. While some of these approaches may consider the whole life cycle of the project others may focus only on capital and operating costs and direct environmental impacts. A complete life cycle approach is not standard practice. This paper describes an approach to implementation of formalised life cycle assessment (LCA) following ISO 14044 to tailings management trade-off studies. The paper describes the implementation of the methodological framework for the LCA, ie goal and scope definition, life cycle inventory analysis, life cycle impact assessment and life cycle interpretation. This standardised approach to implementing tailings management trade-off studies following the LCA approach will contribute to the state-of-the-practice in sustainable mine development.

Jan 1, 2009

By L. Gilbert

Recent changes to environmental legislation and trends in the environmental regulation of mining in the Northern Territory are being driven by (among other factors) Federal Government policies and international agreements on the environment. These trends are discussed and the expected application of the NT Water Quality Management Strategy (based on the National Water Quality Objectives) over the next few years is examined with respect to mine environmental management practices. Some of the potential conflicts and changes in approach which may develop are identified and examples discussed. Proactive means of integrating trends in environmental legislation with mine planning and waste management are discussed.

Jan 1, 1994

When I was first asked to give a paper on work-life balance in the mining industry I was both excited and aware of the incongruity of my position. I have never worked in mining operations nor have I had any experience that approximates the on-site lifestyle. IÆm not really an adventurer or a traveller, I prefer writing and research to hands-on activities and IÆve never worked further than twenty minutes away from home. The perspective I offer is thus largely an objective one. I say largely since I grew up in a family where my parents work arrangements involved long-distance commuting; my dad continues to work FIFO at a coalmine in Blackwater until this day. Perhaps my tortoise-like existence is a rebellion against his flighty movements. The analysis I will be presenting today draws together a variety of sources, from member anecdotes and research on FIFO and work-life balance to the popular philosophy writings of a bald Englishman with a French name. I am speaking of the famous writer, Alain de Botton, whose television show æThe Consolations of PhilosophyÆ you may have seen on the ABC. Work-life balance is a term that gets a lot of mileage in corporate brochures and at breakfast seminars. But like many terms that get bandied around in the human resources circuit, from æteam synergyÆ to æperformance optimisationÆ, I am frequently perplexed as to what it actually means. Corporate websites are at pains to emphasise the high priority that they place on the needs of the whole person. Yet in terms of substantive content, a commitment to work-life balance often seems to translate into little more than the option to take a few morning yoga classes in exchange for working a seventy-hour week. As extended work hours have taken their toll, leading to high attrition of professionals across all industries, employers are increasingly expending resources to discover just what lies behind this buzz word. The challenge for companies is to find meaningful strategies to help employees better integrate different aspects of their lives in a new era of work, as employees are sending the message that they are not willing to play work, social life and leisure off against each other in a zero sum game.

Jan 1, 2005

By M, C Silveira, C Ellice, D Christensen

Peak Gold Mines (PGM), a member of the Rio Tinto Group, is an underground and open cut gold mining operation located near Cobar, NSW. A multi-phase study was initiated in 2001 in support of developing a dry æmoisture store and releaseÆ cover system design for the PGM tailings dam, which contains potentially acid-forming tailings material. The first phase consisted of characterising the tailings and potential cover material (waste rock from an open cut operation) as well as soil-atmosphere cover design modelling. The second phase involved construction of two cover system field trials on the tailings dam and installation of a variety of field instruments to monitor the hydraulic performance of the test covers during all seasons of the year. Field performance monitoring commenced in April 2002 and will continue for a minimum of two wet-dry climate cycles (third phase), prior to using the field data for calibration and subsequent validation of numerical models developed for the cover system trials (fourth phase). This paper describes the work completed for the first two project phases and also discusses the initial performance of the cover system trials.

Jan 1, 2003

By F Musa

One of the main energy efficiency opportunities identified from the majority of mine site energy audits is to optimize the comminution circuit to reduce energy consumption through improved throughput and product size distribution. Typical analysis reviews comminution process efficiency/inefficiency i.e. utilization of grinding mills, process bottlenecks and product vs. target size, to identify instances of overgrinding or undergrinding. From this, it is possible to establish the potential improvement that could be gained through formal plant optimization and what the optimization program would entail. It can also sometimes reveal immediate opportunities for process improvement. This paper presents steps that can be taken to optimize the efficiency of comminution circuits.

Aug 8, 2011

By J A Evans

A well-maintained and low cost mining operation today requires the use of condition monitoring techniques. At ERA - Ranger Mine oil analysis, vibration monitoring, infra-red themtography, and performance analysis have been successfully applied over the last four years to lower operating and maintenance costs. All condition monitoring is scheduled through a comprehensive in-house developed maintenance management system known as the Engineering Information System (EIS). (EIS) is used extensively at Ranger to ensure consistent frequency and recording .of all condition monitoring data. This paper provides an insight into the benefits of condition monitoring and explores the future direction for condition monitoring techniques at Ranger.

Jan 1, 1994

By G Kirk

Definition and delineation of in-pit ore and waste material are the most significant tasks for an open pit production geologist; adding or destroying value in the mining value chain. Anglo American’s Mogalakwena Platinum mine, an open pit operation in South Africa moving 100 Mt/a, has recognised the value of improved material definition and is in the process of changing from blasthole to reverse circulation (RC) sampling for in-pit grade control. This is aimed at obtaining more representative samples, which are required to maximise ore recovery, minimise waste dilution and to increase the accuracy and confidence of production forecasts. Early in the project, it was realised that the key risks for implementing RC grade control were related to change management processes, rather than failure of technology. Recognising the importance of this issue, Mogalakwena chose an integrated implementation approach that incorporates all stakeholders of the mining cycle in order to develop a process that delivers maximum value and is sustainable within an active mining environment. The following core goals were addressed over five phases of project implementation: extensive definition and design of integrated project implementation, comprising: project buy-in and ownership from all key stakeholders, including survey, geology, mine planning, drill and blast, load and haul, maintenance, supply chain and finance; and detailed analysis of all potential issues and possible solutions, allocated to stakeholders as part of the scoping process; optimising hole patterns and drilling procedures, focusing on delivering maximum value for minimum cost using multiple scenario analysis from borehole data and operational sequencing requirements; and evaluation of lessons learnt during project implementation in order to optimise the technical solution and operational efficiencies. Although this project is not yet finalised, Mogalakwena Platinum Mine is already providing a blueprint for the effective development, implementation and optimisation of sustainable in-pit grade control RC drilling for other open pit mines within Anglo American plc.

Aug 22, 2011

By K Sommerville, J Parkinson

"Open pit mines today have more technology and data available. The challenge is to effectively use resources to analyse and identify mine productivity improvements. AMC Consultants Pty Ltd (AMC) has completed more than 100 benchmarking studies worldwide. In the process of gathering cost and productivity data, insights have been gained on how mines are using data to drive productivity. This paper aims to share good practice on using data, what benchmarks operations should be aiming for, where mines are currently sitting, high value areas to target, and how to best prioritise improvement to meet operational goals.A key purpose of data is to assist in managing and improving operations. Key information is used to drive meetings, decisions, budget estimates and reports. Safety, equipment productivity, available stocks, grade and spatial reconciliation are examples of where data is important for management systems. The key is to keep reporting simple whilst maintaining access to source data for troubleshooting and analysis.Some operations still have paper-based reporting systems. Some operations collect data directly off machines and instruments, use cameras and have off-site control centres. The level of technology is a fit-for-purpose choice.Comparisons of productivity assumptions commonly used in feasibility studies with good practice productivity numbers sourced from AMC’s benchmarking database will be shared in this paper. A typical activity mining cost breakdown will highlight where the high value areas for productivity improvement sit.In addition to examining the productivity of each mining step it is also important to examine the impact on the mine plan. Equipment numbers, strip ratio, grade and material hardness can impact the results of bottleneck analysis. A bottleneck example case study will highlight how productivity and other factors can be used to identify and prioritise improvement opportunities.Keep it simple. Use only the critical data for meetings, decision-making, reports and plans. Knowing and communicating the key performance indicators (KPIs) you are striving for aligns the operation and prioritises improvement plans.Citation:Parkinson, J and Sommerville, K, 2016. Getting the Most Out of Technology to Drive Mine Productivity Improvements, in Proceedings Ninth AusIMM Open Pit Operators' Conference 2016, pp 84–93 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne)."

Nov 15, 2016

By B Crowdey, J Wall

The particular underground operation relating to this paper is a gold producer and has an orebody predominately consisting of rhyolite and marcasites pyrite. The ore has been identified as being reactive to nitrates.Operations currently utilise two twin boom Tamrock™ Super-Drill Jumbos for development mining. Capital (waste) headings have a nominal size of 7 m wide × 6 m high, while ore headings are designed at 5 m wide × 5 m high, with the lower reaches of the mine narrowing down to a 4.5 m × 5 m design. Production drilling is currently undertaken with an Atlas-Copco L6 Solo. Due to the reactivity of the ore, inhibited emulsion phase bulk explosives are used for all blasting activities, with electronic detonators utilised in the production sequence.Sublevel shrinkage stoping is utilised when the orebody is stronger than the host rock. After blasting the ore, and during extraction, the surrounding host rock cannot maintain integrity and it ‘collapses’ on top of the ore. Gravity forces this collapsing rock to follow the blasted ore through the drawpoints.The highest risk involved with sublevel shrinkage stoping is the necessity for charge crews to work upon ‘rills’ at the drawpoints, which are occasionally unstable, to charge the next blast ring to be fired. To overcome this issue a loading technique called ‘precharging’ is used whereby two to three rings are charged, but only the first ring is fired. This technique can minimise risks by taking the charge crew away from the rill and brow.As this mine contains hot and reactive ground, strict guidelines from the Australian Explosives Industry and Safety Group Inc (AEISG) are adhered to. These guidelines relate to the sleep time for the precharged rings.This paper describes the issues faced with precharging in hot and reactive ground, the monitoring required and the systems and procedures that were put in place to enable a successful outcome.CITATION:Crowdey, B and Wall, J, 2014. Precharging sublevel shrinkage production rings in hot and reactive ground with electronic blasting systems, in Proceedings 12th AusIMM Underground Operators’ Conference 2014 , pp 283–288 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Mar 24, 2014