Abstract
Abstract The strategic mine plan is a crucial step for the success of mining companies, and for its development, it is necessary to use a number of inter-related variables that are usually estimated independently. These variables include operational data that is traditionally isolated in information islands between the different departments in the mine or they are consolidated into individual models. This reduces the holistic view of the deposit, thereby causing a negative impact on the results of the strategic planning itself. In order to improve the process and to maximize the production and/or value of a mining project, there needs to be an integration of the geology, the mine plan, the processing and the geometallurgy data. In order to accomplish this, a new methodology is proposed for the creation of a technological model. This model can be interpreted as the consolidation of the different models required for a better understanding of the geological and technical information of the deposit. This concept was developed and applied at a copper and gold mine site located in Brazil. Based on the evaluation of different blasting and mill productivity scenarios through a pit-to-plant approach, it was possible to obtain operational short-term gains such as a 10.7% increase in the plant production rate and a 2.2% increase in the crusher's feed rate with little or no capital investment.
Highlights
Materials and methodsAs a starting point for the model, the different unit operations of the mine and plant were characterized
AbstractThe strategic mine plan is a crucial step for the success of mining companies, and for its development, it is necessary to use a number of inter-related variables that are usually estimated independently
The methodology for the implementation of the technological model proved to be a viable option in this scenario, and has the potential to be applied to different projects with similar grinding processes
Summary
As a starting point for the model, the different unit operations of the mine and plant were characterized. The data obtained was used to develop the specific models for the prediction processes of blasting, crushing, and grinding. The first step required an audit to be carried out during the drilling and blasting operations This was necessary in order to obtain data, pictures, and other observations that are required to provide enough information for the creation of the fragmentation models. The fragmentation model was calibrated with the data obtained from the observed blasting during the audit process and used to predict changes in the particle size distribution of the ROM. Specific models were developed for the blasting, crushing, grinding, and classification processes by using the audited blast data, sampling, and testing. In order to obtain the data for calibrating the mathematical models for the different equipment in the circuit, sampling was performed in the crushing and grinding circuit. Historical data was considered to ensure that the results are consistent and that they represent the operation of the cycle as accurately as possible
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