Reach Peak Performance and Maximum Value in Your Block Caving and Underground Mining Operations
Block caving and underground mining companies today depend on two separate but inter-connected mine plans: a strategic mine plan, which is a long-term plan covering the entire life of mine, and a more detailed tactical mine plan that turns the decisions outlined in the strategic plan into a schedule that will govern the mine’s day-to-day operations.
By its very nature, because it is long-term, a strategic mine plan can be affected by a variety of internal and external forces, including new findings about the orebody, technical advancements, and changes in the economy or market. Tactical mine plans (including mine schedules) provide calculated, short-term responses to these forces, in order to help the mine continue to meet the overall goals of its long-term mine plan.
To future-proof both strategic and tactical mine plans, block cavers and underground miners must be able to consider all possible operational scenarios and to lock-in the plans that will best deliver the full operational potential — and therefore maximum value — of their mine operations. GEOVIA solutions can help you reduce the risk in strategic mine planning and unlock the full potential of tactical mine plans.
GEOVIA’s strategic mine planning tools allow mine planners simulate geo-mechanical rock behavior and determine optimal mining method, extraction sequence, processing plant configuration, stockpile, and dumping requirements.
Just as importantly, our Strategic Mine Planning Workflow lets those planners build risk assessment into each and every step of the operational workflow by including additional sets of uncontrolled variables, such as noise or small variabilities around a traditionally fixed value — dramatically increasing opportunites for the mine to successfully absorb unforeseen internal and external forces.
With GEOVIA, block caving and underground mines can unlock the full potential of their tactical mine plans to meet life-of-mine goals by creating a central repository where mine planners can collect, collate, and update all pertinent data, such as topography and scheduling parameters.
From there, they can then employ advanced blending algorithms to choose which blocks get mined, when to meet material ratio and quality targets, and produce virtually unlimited iterations of short- and long-term schedules to meet changing conditions or requirements.
Underground mining refers to a mining method where valuable minerals or ores are extracted from beneath the Earth's surface. Miners create tunnels, shafts, or declines to access and extract these resources, which are typically found at greater depths. This method is employed when shallow deposits are exhausted, and it often involves various techniques such as drift mining, slope mining, and shaft mining to safely and efficiently retrieve minerals like gold, silver, copper, or coal from underground ore bodies.
Underground mining operations require specialized equipment, ventilation systems, and safety measures to ensure the well-being of miners and the efficient extraction of valuable materials.
The four main types of mining are:
These methods are chosen based on factors like deposit depth and mineral type.
Underground mining, when conducted responsibly and with proper environmental safeguards, is considered to have several advantages over some other mining methods. However, it's essential to note that the environmental impact of underground mining can still be significant if not managed properly. Issues such as water pollution, subsidence, and underground mine accidents can occur. Therefore, responsible mining practices, regulatory compliance, and ongoing monitoring are essential to minimize negative environmental effects.
In an underground mine, miners extract valuable minerals or ores from beneath the Earth's surface. The process involves drilling shafts or tunnels to access the ore deposits, which are then blasted, crushed, and transported to the surface for processing. Underground mines typically require ventilation, support systems, and safety measures to protect workers in these subterranean environments.
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