Abstract
Planning of underground mines poses considerable difficulties in the areas of safety, environment, ground control and production scheduling. As the industry is faced with more and more marginal reserves, it is becoming imperative to generate mine plans which will provide optimal operating strategies and make the industry more competitive. The problem of production planning in underground mines can be formulated using available operations research techniques and computing power. In this paper a computerized model for short-term production scheduling in a typical block caving mine with a stratiform ore body is presented. By combining simulation with mixed integer programming, it has been possible to model realistically the problem of scheduling draw points for production at the Chingola Mine of Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines Limited. The model is based on a given layout of the mining block which is considered fixed during the planning period. The model is intended for use by planning engineers or mine captains working with personal computers. In comparison with manual scheduling, the computerized model has been found to be faster and generates near-optimal schedules.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
