Mining Engineering
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MN2024-03-29T13:36:30ZOpen pit optimisation, design and production scheduling – a case study
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Open pit optimisation, design and production scheduling – a case study
Manu, Eric Kwakye
Iron ore mining operations started declining in 2012 due to falling concentrate prices. Some
mining operations in Sierra Leone had to shut down totally or go under care and
maintenance owing to the falling concentrate prices. Most operating mines and those
intending to resume operations have had to implement strategic plans with the objective of
maximising profits to keep the project running. Sierra Leone (SL) Mining Plc acquired the
rights to the Marampa deposit and plans to resume operations with the intention to maximise
profits at the prevailing world market conditions. With iron ore price on the world market
relatively low, there was the need to determine the feasibility and profitability of the project.
In this work, GEOVIA Surpac was used to validate and generate the block model of the
Marampa deposit. Whittle software was used for optimisation and the optimal pit selected
using the highest Net Present Value (NPV) criteria. GEOVIA Mineshed was used to
generate a long-term mining schedule to meet the annual processing plant throughput and
was again used to design the optimised pit. The optimal pit produced 174 836 920 t of ore
at an average grade of 33.89 %Fe. An NPV of US$ 184 665 345 for 29 years of mining was
obtained at a stripping ratio of 0.34:1. The project is sensitive to iron ore price, mining
recovery and dilution. The designed pit contains 171 393 104 t of ore at an average grade of
34.42 %Fe at an NPV of US$ 155 437 194 to be mined for 27.6 years.
ix, 71p. ill.
2021-01-01T00:00:00ZDesign of a conveyor system and belt selection for the Subri Site of Ghana Bauxite Company, Awaso.
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Design of a conveyor system and belt selection for the Subri Site of Ghana Bauxite Company, Awaso.
Antwi, Seth Godfred
Ghana Bauxite Company (GBC), Awaso currently operates the Inchiniso pit which has about
three (3) years of mine life. Subri site is available for development, but management is faced
with the decision to adopt a haulage system that is safe, reliable, environmentally acceptable
and also capable of meeting the production targets at a minimum cost. The best material
handling system for such a case is the conveyor belt system. This project work therefore
presents the selection and design of a belt conveyor system capable of handling the annual
production of 2.5 million tonnes of ore from the Crushing Plant to the Washing Plant. Based on
the ore type and characteristics, land profile, and the annual production target, a single section
belt conveyor system was designed. The designed system was regenerative and a total of 221.09
kW of electricity was to be regenerated into the system
x, 93p. ill.
2019-05-01T00:00:00ZCost saving options in drilling and blasting at Subika Pit of Newmont Ahafo Mine, Ghana
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Cost saving options in drilling and blasting at Subika Pit of Newmont Ahafo Mine, Ghana
Felbah, Isaac Kwesi
Newmont Ahafo Mine (NAM) operates an open pit gold mine in the Brong-Ahafo Region
of Ghana. One important cost centre in mining is drilling and blasting. Effective ways of
reducing drilling and blasting cost significantly while delivering desired results in
fragmentation for shovel loading, hauling and milling was the focus of this research.
Drilling and blasting at Newmont Ahafo Mine, open pit operation is generally
characterised by drilling patterns parameters in ore and waste zones. Since the start of
mine NAM employs a 3 m × 3.5 m blast pattern in its open pit operations. For the year
2017 a 4 m × 4.5 m has been substituted and is intended to deliver better cost savings. In
this research, the assessment of cost reduction was testing the cost implication of four
blast scenarios in an order of widening the burden and spacing as well as the use of a more
potent explosive. Furthermore, comparing their cost over equal areas against the Drill and
Blast budget approved for a 3 m × 3.5 m blast pattern. In addition to the old and new blast
pattern design parameters at NAM, additional two pattern scenarios were considered and
tested to compare the extent of cost savings possible and recommend most prudent
parameter accordingly. Four blasts scenarios were tested in all and while three of the four
scenarios returned positive results with regards to cost, fragmentation, noise and
vibrations, there was a trend of significant cost savings as pattern parameters were
widened. There were significant savings, but the optimum pattern of 4 m × 4.5 m pattern
currently in use at Newmont Ahafo Mine was elected to save about 46% annually of the
Drill and Blast budget for a 3 m × 3.5 m . Recommendation of a research into a possible
4.5 m × 5 m was further recommended for waste zones to further reduce cost was
proposed.
vii, 75p. ill.
2018-06-01T00:00:00ZA review of drill and blast parameters to reduce dilution at Loulou Mine, Mali
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A review of drill and blast parameters to reduce dilution at Loulou Mine, Mali
Sissoko, Idrissa Sega
Loulou Mine (LM) is a subsidiary company owned by BARRICK GOLD MINE. It is an underground mine that operates longitudinal sublevel open stope mining method. The objectives of this research were set to reduce the dilution rate at the mine. Secondary data consisting of stopes dilution parameters from January to March 2020 were used, rock mass properties, actual drilling, and charging parameters were used as well in this research. Two empirical approaches (Rustan,1992; Myers et al.,1990) were adopted to verify the actual drilling parameters used at the mine. It was noticed that the theoretical values are higher than the burden and spacing used by Loulou mine which means in a particular stope, Loulou mine drills more holes and eventually uses more explosives to mine a stope which leads to dilution. Therefore, it was recommended that the mine has to make a review of its drill and blast parameters.
viii, 75p. ill.
2021-05-01T00:00:00Z