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By J Vann

Geometallurgy is inherently multidisciplinary and it gains its power to deliver improved outcomes for the minerals industry by bridging silos between disciplines. This cross-disciplinary approach unlocks value, identifies (and avoids) value destruction and provides a pathway to better implementation of an energy efficient and sustainable minerals industry. Despite this promise, we argue that the cross disciplinary approach also represents the greatest threat to the success of geometallurgy. Some key cross disciplinary issues identified are:Geometallurgy has so far evolved in the technical sphere, mainly by collaborations of geologists and metallurgists. Consequently, in many cases the business dimensions and value have not been incorporated. Financial and risk evaluation viewpoints need to be assimilated into the geometallurgical paradigm. In fact, until such measures are integrated into practices, the value cannot be fully demonstrated.The historical and current efforts on geometallurgy have been highly focused on improved sampling and measurement of geometallurgical properties or appropriate proxies. This work has been driven by professional and academic geologists and metallurgical engineers. It is notable that mining engineers (who are critical in the value delivery of geometallurgy through changed planning approaches) have so far been at the margins, or absent. The construction of valid three dimensional (3D) geometallurgical models raises some important organisational, mathematical and geostatistical considerations. The enhancement of resource models to account for geometallurgical aspects must be managed carefully if the full value of geometallurgical thinking is to be realised.The use of 3D geometallurgical models to change business decision making and practices is the real nub of the problem. We believe sophisticated scenario based evaluation methods are required if the potential impacts of spatial rock properties on processes further down the mining value chain are to be realistically evaluated. Such changed practices require ‘whole of value chain thinking’ to embed this change into the business in an ongoing way.Because profitable geometallurgy demands changed approaches to business decision-making and also organisation of the firm (radically changed in some cases), the senior executive viewpoint must be incorporated into the language and thinking of geometallurgy. This is unavoidable if the establishment of a geometallurgical approach to project evaluation, development and operation is to be successful and sustained.A powerful analogy for the problem faced by geometallurgy is the transformation of safety culture in the mining industry in the past 20 years. We argue that, as in the safety revolution, explicit models, cultural change and management of the ‘soft’ dimensions of the problem are pivotal to success of geometallurgy. In light of this, we propose a model (‘the Geomet Curve’) that gives a framework and pathway for geometallurgy in seven steps. The implications of this model for technical and organisational steps required at different stages are discussed.

Sep 5, 2011

By M Spagnolo, M Ashley, D, L Reemeyer

PasmincoÆs Century Concentrator in North West Queensland commenced operations in November 1999. The nameplate production capacity of 500 000 tpa of zinc metal production in concentrate was achieved in August 2002. Completion of the production ramp up was successful due to the culmination of a number of initiatives throughout 2001 and 2002. Mine to mill interaction to understand and eliminate head grade related bottlenecks affecting Concentrator production and reduce feed variation. Grinding circuit process development û operating and process control strategies to improve stability and reduce grind size to support zinc recovery. Pumping upgrades to control spillage in ultrafine zinc flotation Low density zinc flotation strategy û to improve silica-sphalerite separation to improve zinc recovery while maintaining acceptable silica in final concentrate. Flotation circuit process development û froth crowders, froth cameras and reagent control strategies to improve primary zinc flotation performance. Review and implementation of longer campaigns between planned shutdowns to improve availability. Team reorganisation û to improve setting and implementation of metallurgical strategies. This paper describes these initiatives and their contribution in achieving the production target. It also notes the ball mill motor failures that delayed the successful achievement of the ramp up, and CenturyÆs response to minimise the production impact. The paper also outlines the capital improvement program that was implemented to improve zinc recovery to design 82.5 per cent recovery once the production rate had been achieved.

Jan 1, 2003

By A S. Derrington

In some parts of Australia, mine air cooling may not be needed until a depth of 1300 m below surface is reached. In other locations, it may be essential at a depth of only 300 m below surface. The reasons for these differences are multifaceted. This paper discusses the main factors and describes a simple method to assess whether or not mine air cooling will be required. The method uses a graphical relationship that considers depth below surface, geothermal gradient, surface climatic conditions and directness of the mine intake routes. This relationship has been developed, tested and refined over a period of more than ten years using data collected from most of Australia’s deeper metalliferous mines. The method provides a ‘first-pass’ indication of whether more detailed cooling studies may be needed. Perhaps more importantly, the method’s underpinning by benchmarking against other mines improves confidence in the assessment results. Like any empirical method, the context must be understood and this aspect is also discussedCITATION:Derrington, A S, 2014. Will your mine require cooling?, in Proceedings 12th AusIMM Underground Operators’ Conference 2014 , pp 181–186 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Mar 24, 2014

By A Liu, X Wang, W Peng, Q Zhang

Pulp rheology plays a critical role in fine mineral flotation. Yield stress and apparent viscosity are two important rheological parameters affecting mineral flotation recovery. In this paper, the concept of pulp rheology and its measuring method are presented. The main factors, such as particle size, pulp concentration, mineral types, pulp temperature, inorganic salts, that affect the pulp rheology are systematically reviewed, and then followed by the discussion of the relationship between pulp rheological properties and flotation performance. Generally, high pulp apparent viscosity and yield stress values have been found to have an adverse effect on flotation recovery. In addition, due to the hetero-coagulation between the valuable mineral and gangue mineral, the pulp of mixed ore shows higher viscosity than that of the single mineral slurry. This paper is expected to provide some references for the efficient upgrading of low-grade and complex ores from the perspective of pulp rheology.

Aug 24, 2022

By D W. Wall, J P. Vagenas

Questions of sampling precision and accuracy affect every process plant in differing ways and to differing extents. To address these perceived issues, chemists, metallurgists and engineers are often asked to check their results to confirm their reliability. However, it is not possible to achieve the level of detail required to check every sample, especially if the event has already occurred. No operation has the resources to frequently sample every point in the process for the purpose of verification.One way to address this scenario is by generating a sufficiently detailed comparative data set from a dynamic mass balance simulation of the processing plant. This mass balance uses both sample and plant instrument data to model every flow, while also taking inventory changes and process chemistry into account.The mass balance data can be used to identify any bias present in plant sampling and analysis. It can also be used to verify any unexpected assay results by taking a holistic view of the process. Improving the precision and accuracy of sampling data helps support operational decision-?making and understanding. It also improves the accuracy of the dynamic mass balance used in this process, facilitating further improvements.CITATION:Vagenas, J P and Wall, D W, 2017. The benefits of automated metallurgical accounting for plant sampling, in Proceedings Eighth World Conference on Sampling and Blending , pp 203–210 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

May 9, 2017

By B Belle

In a deep, gassy predrained coalmine, ventilation and goaf drainage systems act as critical controls to manage longwall (LW) panel return gas levels. The goaf capture efficiency of most LW panels ranges from 45 to 85 per cent based on the gas domain at respective workings. Recent operational experiences have indicated that 50 m goaf hole spacing is optimal for management of high production retreat gassy LW panels, where the probability of goaf hole failures are frequent. Due to the horizontal stress direction geotechnical issues, goaf hole failure just behind the LW face is a recurring challenge resulting in significant and immediate increases in LW panel return gas levels. This paper presents a successful implementation of an innovative LW tailgate (TG) road cut through seal goaf fan/venturi system. The system incorporated a 17' (400 mm cased) hole drilled to 320 m deep in a perimeter roadway on a retreating LW TG road drawing the working seam horizon goaf gas behind the perimeter of seals. The surface goaf fan/venturi system was aimed to safely exhaust the LW deep goaf gas and thus withhold the goaf stream spillage to TG drive area and reduce the panel gas load by controlled operation of the system using continuous monitoring of CH4, CO and O2 levels. This control philosophy was made operational without impacting the use of the perimeter inbye ventilation shaft used for mine cooling and providing additional ventilation dilution capacity. The instantaneous reduction in TG gas levels of up to 0.3 per cent was observed even when the LW was 300 m away from the c/t seal goaf hole. Success of this concept TG seal goaf gas control system used even when the LW was 1300 m outbye has become an inventory of additional control for future deep and long LW blocks. This paper attempts to share the design process in addressing other risks and desired outcomes in managing the LW gas levels.CITATION:Belle, B, 2015. Innovative tailgate mobile goaf gas management in two gate road longwall panels – concept to implementation, in Proceedings The Australian Mine Ventilation Conference, pp 31–40 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Aug 31, 2015

By R J. Romañach

The theory of sampling (TOS) is now followed in the development of near infrared (NIR) spectroscopic methods for the pharmaceutical industry. TOS has been the guiding light for a two-step approach for spectroscopic composite sampling available for the development of real-time analytical methods for particulate-based industrial processes. The two-step spectroscopic sample composite has been used in the development of process analytical technology (PAT), an important regulatory initiative to improve the quality of pharmaceutical products. The two-step sample composite approach overcomes the low sample volume analysed by PAT methods; one of the key limitations to PAT implementation in the industrial production of particulate-based materials.PAT methods need to be validated demonstrating their accuracy, precision, specificity and robustness. TOS provides a deeper understanding of these validation studies which involve discrete particulate material. The validation of PAT methods is now being performed considering both sampling and analytical errors, while practically all previous method validations only addressed the total analytical error (TAE) of these methods. This has been a crucial impediment for the field of chemometrics as well.PAT is a key element of continuous manufacturing (CM) processes, which are considered an emerging technology capable of increasing the flexibility, agility and robustness of pharmaceutical processes while reducing their costs. The outflow of the continuous process is a 1D lot, and variographic analysis has been shown to discern process variation from sampling and analytical errors in pharmaceutical CM processes. Thus, variographic analysis is a process improvement tool with significant potential for improving CM processes. The possibilities for improving pharmaceutical manufacturing are enormous.CITATION:Romañach, R J, 2017. Theory of Sampling – from missing link to key enabler for process analytical technology, in Proceedings Eighth World Conference on Sampling and Blending , pp 63–68 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

May 9, 2017

By A Crosky, S Saydam, H Chen, H L. Ramandi

Cable bolts and rock bolts are used as primary and secondary anchoring systems in many underground mines. Reports on the premature failure of cable bolts and rock bolts due to stress corrosion cracking (SCC) in underground coalmines have been increasing in the past two decades. The previous studies found that the SCC in both rock bolts and cable bolts occur as a consequence of atomic hydrogen diffusion into the material, which is known as hydrogen-induced stress corrosion cracking, HISCC (Craig et al, 2016; Wu et al, 2018b). While research to understand the process of SCC occurrence in underground mines is still required, finding a prevention solution to protect the bolts from HISCC is crucial. In this study, we analyse a variety of commercially available coatings for steel corrosion prevention, including barrier coating (ie epoxy, polyester TGIC) and sacrificial coating (hot-dip galvanising). We test the coating on coupons manufactured from rock bolts and cable bolts used in the coal mining industry.

Nov 29, 2022

By Paterson M. R, Spencer P. A

Vitrokele technology is a resin process that can be applied in gold plants to reduce both capital and operating costs. The Vitrokele resin can be used for both precious metal recovery and for recovering free and combined cyanide from effluent streams. Vitrokele resin has been extensively tested at pilot plant level and is now applied successfully at a commercial heap leach facility in Zimbabwe where it is used in place of activated carbon for recovery of gold from pregnant leach solution. Significant capital cost savings were achieved by installation of a resin plant instead of a conventional carbon adsorption plant. Operation to-date has not seen any significant physical or chemical degradation of the resin either in terms of adsorption capacity/kinetics or physical appearance/size. This gold recovery process is equally applicable to slurry streams where it would be implemented in stirred tanks with interstage screens in a similar manner to a conventional carbon adsorption plant.

Jan 1, 1996

BHP Billiton Olympic Dam produces copper cathode, uranium oxide concentrate and refined gold and silver. The operation is comprised of an underground Mine and Processing Plant and is located 560 km north of Adelaide. Water for the operation is sourced from two wellfields located 120 and 200 km from the operation in the Great Artesian Basin (GAB) at a rate of approximately 36 ML/d. Regulatory drawdown limits were established to protect regional GAB springs and are monitored at compliance bores. Drawdown was predicted in the æOlympic Dam Environmental Impact StudyÆ (Kinhill, 1997); however, pumping at higher volumes may have the potential for increased drawdown resulting in a trend towards the compliance limits. In recent years increased usage of water in the Concentrator and Hydromet sections of the Processing Plant has caused excess process water reporting to the Tailings Retention System (TRS). This has resulted in excessive amounts of liquor ponding on the tailings cells with a potential impact being contamination due to seepage of liquor to groundwater. Effective management of water by the operation is necessary to both reduce GAB drawdown and reduce the amount of liquor on the tailings cells. A site working-group has been established to investigate and pursue opportunities to improve the water use efficiency of the operation. This paper will highlight the issue of water management at Olympic Dam and discuss the various options currently being investigated to improve management of this important resource.

Jan 1, 2006

By A Larsson, K Niiranen

The Palaeoproterozoic Leveäniemi iron oxide apatite (IOA) deposit of the so-called Kiruna type is currently mined by Luossavaara-Kiirunavaara AB (publ.), commonly known as LKAB. The mineralogy of iron oxides, ie magnetite, hematite, maghemite, and goethite is more complicated compared to the neighbouring and more famous IOA deposits of Kiirunavaara and Malmberget. Furthermore, the mineral chemistry of the iron oxides in the Leveäniemi deposit is also slightly different. Especially, the information about the deportment of titanium and vanadium in iron oxides and distribution in the deposit is essential since they can have an impact in the steelmaking process. For this study 50 samples were selected from exploration drill cores and investigated by optical microscopy, FE-SEM-EDS and EPMA at LKAB and the Geological Survey of Finland. Investigations revealed that magnetite is the predominant iron oxide mineral with secondary hematite being the second most abundant mineral. Primary hematite, maghemite, and goethite seem to be less abundant. It should be noted, however, that this investigation focused on magnetite which currently is the only mineral with economic value. Vanadium occurs as a substitution element in the crystal lattice of iron oxide minerals in the Leveäniemi deposit and not as discrete stochiometric vanadium minerals. In the investigated samples vanadium concentration in magnetite ranges from 0.12 to 0.32 wt per cent V2O3 with higher concentration in the southern part of the deposit. Contrary, titanium does not substitute for iron in the crystal lattice of magnetite or secondary hematite (less than 0.018 wt per cent TiO2). It either occurs as tiny inclusions of titanium oxide minerals or as exsolution lamellae of ilmenite in magnetite. The spatial distribution for titanium in the deposit, however, remains unknown. Furthermore, results of this study indicate that alteration of primary magnetite to secondary hematite has had no significant effect on the trace element chemistry of these minerals in the Leveäniemi deposit.

Nov 8, 2021

By J Santana, V Ferraz, G Pinto, G Cruzado

Morro Agudo is an underground zinc and lead mine owned by Nexa Resources. The mine uses room and pillar as the main mining method. The recovery of pillars as well as the opening of new excavations using sublevel stoping as mining method has been studied. On some occasions, the need to recover pillars and open a stope by using the sublevel method happens in a region that is already excavated or in deeper areas than those mined so far. These changes represent a major geotechnical challenge due to the complex openings of the mine and interaction between two different mining methods. Historically, geotechnical mapping, kinematic analysis and a 2D numerical model were used to evaluate the new mine openings, and in 2021, 3D numerical model was introduced, which enabled global and local assessment of new excavations impact and the stability of openings after recoveries. The 3D model, made with MAP3D, is used to evaluate each pillar to be recovered, considering the spans of the resulting openings, the ideal sequencing of removal to maintain stability, in addition to the impact and geometry of the pillars left in the chambers. Pillar recoveries done in 2021 and the impact of it on the pillars left were the sources of the back analysis to calibrate parameters inputted on numerical model to assess recovery on new chambers and Phyllite has been considered into the model and it has been a source of instability due to its parallel position to roof of room and pillars and stope hanging walls.

Nov 29, 2022

By S Harrison

Work health and safety duties around Australia include duties to manage psychosocial health and safety (mental health) of workers engaged by businesses or undertakings and of other persons impacted by the operations of the business or undertaking. Persons conducting a businesses or undertakings must develop systems of work and policies and procedures for ensuring, so far as is reasonably practicable, the safety and health of workers and other persons. Officers have a duty to exercise due diligence and to ensure effective systems are developed, implemented and resourced. The developed systems will only be effective with worker’s co-operation and engagement. The duties placed on workers by work health and safety laws are an important part of the safety matrix of obligations. Supervisors and Leaders are workers and they play a critical role in delivering health and safety outcomes. To deliver these health and safety outcomes with respect to psychosocial safety Supervisors and Leaders need to understand their obligations and have a framework to use to assist them in understanding what workers require and what steps need to be taken to meet their duties. They also need to take steps to assist those workers that they supervise to meet their duties.

Apr 16, 2024

During the first five years of operation, the Lihir gold mine has steadily increased plant throughput rate to over 4 Mtpa, well above the original design capacity of 2.8 Mtpa. Understanding how future variations in ore type impact on plant performance has been an integral part of LihirÆs development program. This paper discusses the key drivers for significant improvements to the plant, including a second oxygen plant, a pilot flotation plant, an autoclave heat recovery circuit, a pebble crushing circuit and additional autoclave feed pumping capacity. The result is a process plant with the flexibility to accommodate variations in ore type without significant loss of throughput.

Jan 1, 2003

By J J. L du Plessis, S Viviers, G Ratner

Escalating electricity costs are one of the biggest operational cost drivers in mining. The trend to use high-powered auxiliary fans delivering increased airflow to meet the dilution requirements of diesel equipment, together with the reliance on ducted systems rather than traditional flow-through systems to ventilate areas, increases the overall energy requirements of ventilation systems. To manage and reduce electricity costs energy management systems can be implemented, inefficient operating units can be replaced and the operation of energy-consuming components of ventilation systems can be optimised.This paper describes the process followed to design and develop an energy-efficient axial flow auxiliary fan. The fan-targeted design was based on static pressure and volume flow rate requirements incorporating higher overall fan efficiencies. A brief overview of the results is given, including the aerodynamic design procedure using computational fluid dynamic (CFD) analysis. The mechanical design criteria used, including stress analysis on the rotor and designs to improve the vibration levels of the fan, are also presented. Through this study it was demonstrated that the aerodynamically designed rotors using profiled and twisted blades improve the total fan efficiency considerably when compared with some of the older-generation fans using cambered plates. The latter were typical in the mining sector in South Africa at the time of the study where average overall fan efficiencies of standard cambered fans less than 63 per cent and some of the older-generation cast aluminium blades have peak overall fan efficiencies of about 65 per cent. Peak overall fan efficiency of more than 80 per cent was achieved by using the described design and development process. Additional benefits are that the fans are quieter due to the better aerodynamic design and have a longer operating life due to reduced vibration levels.In conclusion, the use of CFD to develop fans to deliver the required volume flow at the required pressure allows quicker design turnaround time. It furthermore allows the ventilation engineer the option to specify a specific fan and is not limited to an off-the-shelf catalogue fan. It thus allows engineers to purchase a fit-for-purpose energy-efficient fan. The introduction of reliable fan control systems may, however, still result in the biggest cost benefit for underground mines.CITATION:du Plessis, J J L, Ratner, G and Viviers, S, 2015. Design and development of energy-efficient secondary axial flow fans, in Proceedings The Australian Mine Ventilation Conference, pp 337–344 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Aug 31, 2015

An image analysis system has been built which automatically digitizes camera input of rock fragments, analyses the digitised data to determine the sizes and shapes of the rock fragments, and outputs the analysed data to a printer in the form of a histogram or a scatter chart. The high speed of such a system allows for direct collection of data from material thrown into the air by blasting, material travelling on a conveyor belt, and material free-falling on to a stock-pile or into or out of a rock-crusher. Data on the blasted, un-crushed material provides information on changes in the lithology and structure of the rock face as it is quarried or mined: flatter fragments may represent approach to a brittle, unstable shear zone, or a change from sandstone to shale; so that the informa- tion reflects the effect on the sizes and shapes of the fragments by the blasting process and/or by the rock structure. The size and shape distributions of rock fragments produced during blasting and during processing may now be continuously monitored. Such detailed analysis of the results of fragmentation is labour-intensive and expensive when the size and shape distributions are obtained manually, but is cheap and efficient when using this image analysis system. Such a system will enable the results of blasting, quarrying, mining and crushing to be cheaply analysed and correlated with current and changing indus- trial practice so leading the way to increased productivity.

Jan 1, 1988

By V Rasouli, G Cavanough, A Mokaramian

The sampling time, the costs and its quality are the three factors that determine the best method of drilling in mineral exploration. The two principal methods of reverse circulation (RC) and diamond core drilling are often used in combination by mine operators. RC is used for drilling shallow holes and in-pit grade control, and core drilling for deeper holes to identify future resources. The RC method is faster and more flexible than coring and provides virtually uncontaminated cuttings (ranges from dust to 25 mm chips) to the surface cyclone suitable for geochemical anomalies. The diamond coring produces core samples to increase the level of geological knowledge and the 3D extension and distribution of the orebody. However, both of these methods are subjected to certain limitations and inefficiencies in reaching deeper depths and drilling complex hole geometries. Examples of such shortcomings include the inability to provide enough air pressure for RC drilling and high friction between drill pipe and the hole wall in diamond core drilling.Considering that delivering large volume of reliable samples from deep zones to the surface in shortest possible time is of paramount importance in mineral exploration, and assuming that obtaining core samples over whole overburden is not always essential, then drilling small size holes as fast as possible and delivering the small chip samples to the surface would be a good alternative with several advantages over conventional drilling methods for deep hard rocks mineral exploration. As a result, the use of coiled tube (CT) drilling technology has been proposed recently for such applications. CT is a continuous length of ductile steel or composite tube stored and transported on a large reel; and allows fast drilling by eliminating the connection time and providing continuous circulation during drilling. This enables quick access to the zone of interest to collect the cuttings or obtain core samples. CT is advantageous particularly in drilling directional boreholes and multi-laterals. In this paper, feasibility of using CT delivering reliable samples is discussed for deep mineral exploration. In addition, recent developments and practices are presented that make CT a reliable drilling technology to drill cheaper, faster and deeper and to deliver more continuous and reliable data and samples from deep formations.CITATION:Mokaramian, A, Rasouli, V and Cavanough, G, 2012. Quality sampling using coiled tubing drilling in deep mineral exploration, in Proceedings Sampling 2012 , pp 73-80 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Aug 21, 2012

By D Bruce, D Cox

The main access decline at Carrapateena mine was excavated through two different underground aquifers. In these areas of decline, pressurised water finds the path of least resistance through the rock and into the excavation. In some locations the ground water would upwell underneath the roadway resulting in rapid deterioration of the running surface. The deterioration of the road was so rapid that the two areas of decline required significant roadworks every single shift or it would become impassable by mine traffic. With a full fleet of underground trucks hauling to the surface, managing these sections of roadway was impractical and unproductive. The site team resolved this issue by installing Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC) to the affected sections of decline. RCC is a specialist concrete product that is delivered to the site near dry and is installed using a grader and roller similar to road base. This product can be installed quickly and be trafficked within hours of installation, making it ideal for mines with single access declines and unfavourable road conditions. RCC roadways were successfully installed at Carrapateena mine in conjunction with under-road drainage. These roadways have proved to be a very effective solution which requires minimal maintenance and are resistant to water ingress from the aquifer. This paper discusses the technical aspects of the RCC, as well as the practical implementation of the solution as a whole.

Mar 15, 2021

By M Jones

Legacy tailings storage facilities exist within operating mine sites across Australia. These tailings storage facilities are often viewed as rehabilitation liabilities but with considered assessment may prove to be a resource. Extraction of such a resource might add value to operations by providing cash flow during the development of new mines; providing supplementary mill feed for existing mines undergoing step changes in operations; and supporting mine closure activities. Hellyer Gold Mines is successfully extracting and reprocessing sub-aqueous material from legacy tailings storage facilities at their Hellyer operation in north-west Tasmania. The Hellyer tailings storage facilities contain poly-metallic material from the Hellyer and Fossey underground deposits dating back to the 1980s as well as material from tailings reprocessing activities by other operators of the Hellyer site. Hellyer Gold Mines is reclaiming sub-aqueous material using cutter-suction dredgers and reprocessing on-site. Hellyer is the only operation of its type in Australia and few such operations exist worldwide. Key learnings around the estimation of a resource for legacy tailings storage facilities have been acquired at Hellyer that can be applied to the assessment of other tailings storage facilities. The application of dredging as a mining method at Hellyer is delivered through collaboration with experts from outside the mining industry under the direction of a mining engineer. Key elements required for the planning and delivery of safe and efficient dredging inside tailings storage facilities have been identified at Hellyer and are presented to provide a road map to the development of other dredging operations.

Sep 1, 2024

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