Mining Management Research Articles

Hydrological modeling for settling pond management in nickel mines: the Case of Hinatuan Mining Corporation in Tagana-an, Surigao del Norte, Philippines

Hydrological modeling for settling pond management in nickel mines: the Case of Hinatuan Mining Corporation in Tagana-an, Surigao del Norte, Philippines

Disharmonisasi Pengaturan Pengelolaan Wilayah Izin Usaha Pertambangan Khusus bagi Organisasi Masyarakat Keagamaan di Indonesia

Exploration of mining wealth is an effort to accelerate the economy. Polemics arise when PP 25/2024 and Perpres 76/2024 are juxtaposed with positive law in the form of laws that have a higher hierarchical position. The three religious community organizations that have received WIUPK concession offers are Nahdlatul Ulama, Muhammadiyah, and Persatuan Islam. Mining concessions are often wrapped in political nuances, even allegedly ridden by the interests of certain groups. Leading to a number of controversies that arise, it is interesting to discuss the regulation of special mining business permit areas for religious community organizations in Indonesia and related to efforts to harmonize laws and regulations regarding the management of special mining business permit areas for religious community organizations as a concrete step to realize people's welfare. This research is qualitative and juridical-normative type. The research approach used is conceptual and legislation. The enactment of PP 25/2024 is a responsive effort accommodated by the government regarding the WIUPK arrangement. The issuance of Perpres 76/2024 states that WIUPK is a former PKP2B area that is given priority to religious mass organizations in order to promote community welfare. However, there are a number of risks that the involvement of religious community organizations could potentially result in conflicts of interest and have a negative impact on social and environmental balance. Despite normative controversy, this policy distributes benefits and provides access to natural resources previously controlled by large entities. Concrete steps that can be taken are harmonizing applicable regulations, such as revising the Minerba Law and the Ormas Law, or drafting inclusive and specific implementing regulations. Thus, religious community organizations can understand the technical, economic, and socio-environmental aspects of mining management, and are able to be responsible for realizing people's welfare.

Design and Implementation of a Virtual Hoisting System: A Digital Twin Approach for Early Warning and Fault Detection

Mine hoists are vital for efficiently transporting materials and personnel between surface and underground mining operations, making their safety and reliability paramount. However, conventional monitoring approaches, which rely on distributed sensors or video surveillance, are limited in their ability to capture the global dynamics of the system, leading to suboptimal decision-making and potential safety risks. This research introduces the integration of digital twin technology into the monitoring and management of mine hoists to address these challenges. This study uses Unity-based modeling to create a virtual system capable of real-time synchronization with its physical counterpart. The digital twin simulates dynamic load changes, predicts potential faults, and optimizes operational parameters through intelligent algorithms. A robust monitoring framework was developed, consisting of a multi-layered architecture that integrates physical systems, real-time data collection, and virtual simulations. Field tests on a multi-rope friction hoist verified the system’s performance, with results demonstrating improved stability, accuracy, and predictive capabilities. A health evaluation model further enhances safety by categorizing the hoist’s operational state into health levels such as ‘healthy,’ ‘sub-healthy,’ ‘warning,’ and ‘fault.’ This model identifies critical risks, such as wire rope tension anomalies, and provides early warnings, ensuring timely interventions.

Analysis of Causes and Consequences of Failures in Process of Andesite Crushing by Jaw Crusher

Mining and mineral processing are essential for the functioning of many economic sectors and for meeting human needs. Diagnostics and evaluations of faults are necessary to ensure the successful and responsible management of mining and processing processes for mineral raw materials. Fault-free operation contributes to increased efficiency, productivity, safety, and reliability, reduces the cost of the process under consideration, and reduces environmental impacts. This study aims to identify and analyze possible component failures associated with the jaw crusher used in the process of andesite crushing in an open-pit quarry and compare different approaches to their assessment. The benefit of this is using three different failure analysis methods to assess the criticality of individual jaw crusher components. This approach’s novelty lies in the synergy that occurs when assessing the failures’ impacts on safety, quality, and the environment.

Error Characteristic Analysis and Filtering Algorithm for GNSS Time-Series Data.

Under regional environmental conditions such as open-pit mines and construction sites, there are usually fixed GNSS measurement points. Around these fixed stations, there are also mobile GNSS measurement modules. These mobile measurement modules offer advantages such as low power consumption, low cost, and large data volume. However, due to their low accuracy, these modules can only provide approximate positions as monitoring data, such as for vehicle management in open-pit mines. To extract more information from the existing large volume of low-accuracy data, it is necessary to process these low-accuracy data. Under conditions of the same time and space in a small area, factors affecting measurement accuracy can be comprehensively considered. By analyzing the temporal GNSS data within the same spatiotemporal small region and understanding the variation patterns of measurement errors, a general equation for measurement error variation can be formulated. Using filtering methods, the data quality can be improved. Through the analysis of the experimental data in this study, it was found that the variation patterns of measurement data obtained by devices of the same accuracy during the same time period are generally consistent. After applying filtering methods, the measurement accuracy of each station improved by up to approximately 95.9%, with a minimum improvement of approximately 84.4%. Under the condition of a 95% confidence level, the reliability increased by up to approximately 73.2%, with a minimum improvement of approximately 58.2%. These experimental results fully demonstrate that under regional spatiotemporal conditions, the temporal data obtained by GNSS measurement devices with similar accuracy exhibit similar error distribution patterns. Applying the same filtering method can significantly improve the accuracy and reliability of measurement data.

Geotechnical Analysis for Slide Dump Geometry Optimization at PT Alamjaya Bara Pratama Mine Disposal Area in Pit 4B, Kutai Kartanegara Regency

The management of open-pit mines is one of the challenges that often arises in the management of mine disposal areas, especially in supporting the efficiency of transporting mining materials. In this context, it is important to design a safe and efficient slide dump geometry to reduce the risk of slope failure and operational costs. The study involved the collection of geotechnical data, such as lithological and stratigraphic data obtained from exploratory drilling activities, as well as material property data, including cohesion and deep shear angle (). The collected data was then input into slope stability analysis software with the limit equilibrium method, which ultimately informed safe design recommendations for the disposal slide dump area. The results of this study not only provide an understanding of slope stability, but also highlight the importance of design optimization in supporting operational efficiency. Overall, this study confirms that the design of the disposal slides at the high wall of Pit 4B is stated to be feasible according to the calculations, simulations, and risk analysis that have been carried out, with the hope of meeting the aspects of safety, efficiency, and environmental sustainability.

Geohazard Identification in Underground Mines: A Mobile App.

Mining is a critical industry that provides essential minerals and resources for modern society. Despite its benefits, the industry is also recognized as one of the most dangerous occupations, with geotechnical hazards being a primary concern. This study introduces the hazard recognition in underground mines application (HUMApp), a mobile application developed to enhance safety within underground mines by efficiently identifying geotechnical hazards, specifically focusing on roof falls. Employing a convolutional neural network (CNN), HUMApp achieved an accuracy of 90%, with recall and F1-score also reaching 90%, reflecting its high reliability in hazard detection. The application's effectiveness was validated against expert assessments, showing significant agreement in identifying critical hazards. This validation highlights HUMApp's potential to enhance proactive risk management in underground mining. This paper details each step of HUMApp's development, from dataset preparation and model training to performance evaluation and application design, showcasing a scalable solution adaptable to various mining environments.

Robust Miner Detection in Challenging Underground Environments: An Improved YOLOv11 Approach

To address the issue of low detection accuracy caused by low illumination and occlusion in underground coal mines, this study proposes an innovative miner detection method. A large dataset encompassing complex environments, such as low-light conditions, partial strong light interference, and occlusion, was constructed. The Efficient Channel Attention (ECA) mechanism was integrated into the YOLOv11 model to enhance the model’s ability to focus on key features, thereby significantly improving detection accuracy. Additionally, a new weighted Complete Intersection over Union (CIoU) and adaptive confidence loss function were proposed to enhance the model’s robustness in low-light and occlusion scenarios. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms various improved algorithms and state-of-the-art detection models in both detection performance and robustness, providing important technical support and reference for coal miner safety assurance and intelligent mine management.

Eco-Theology in Islamic Thought: Religious Moderation and Organizational Roles in Mining Management in Indonesia

With the increasing irresponsible exploitation of natural resources, environmental damage has become increasingly concerning, particularly in the mining sector, which has a broad impact on ecosystems and the livelihoods of surrounding communities. The environmental crisis caused by mining activities in Indonesia demands a new approach to more sustainable resource management. This study aims to explore the role of religious moderation from the perspective of eco-theology, which has the potential to offer solutions for natural resource management. Eco-theology provides spiritual principles that can be integrated into environmental policies, creating a balance between economic interests, ecology, and societal well-being. This research is a literature review employing a descriptive analysis method. The results show that eco-theology offers a relevant framework for shifting the paradigm of mining management from anthropocentrism to ecocentrism. Religious organizations have great potential to promote sustainable mining management by incorporating spiritual values into environmental practices. Religious moderation serves as a foundational pillar in strengthening ecological awareness, improving the relationship between humans and nature, and encouraging sustainable development aligned with religious principles.

Entity-Driven New Paradigm of Mine Data: Model Construction and Application

In the construction of a three-dimensional real scene (3D real scene) of a mine, we encounter challenges in organizing and correlating multi-source data. To surmount these challenges, we innovatively adopted the entity organization method. We proposed a definition of a “mining entity” and conducted an in-depth analysis of its main characteristics. Based on these characteristics, we classified and coded the main mining entities and further constructed an entity expression pattern layer that could fully reflect the characteristics of the mine. Based on multi-source heterogeneous mine data, we constructed a mining entity data layer. Furthermore, by adopting a graph database approach, we were able to create a graphical representation and correlation application of the complex relationships among mining entities. This work shows that compared to traditional data management methods, a mine data organization approach centered on entities can more effectively integrate and correlate multi-source mine data, providing strong support for the digital management of mines and the construction of 3D real scenes.

Artisanal Gold Mine Management Based on Ecological Justice in the Peulumat Mountains, South Aceh

Aceh represents one of the autonomous regions situated on the western frontier of Sumatra Island within the unitary structure of the Republic of Indonesia. Despite the abundance of natural resources in Aceh, a substantial portion still needs to be adequately managed systematically and in a contemporary manner. Among these resources are artisanal gold mines, where extraction processes rely on manual labor and limited tools. One such mining site is located in the Peulumat Mountains. The operation of this mine suffers from a dearth of technical expertise, primarily managed manually by the local community. However, the utilization of these natural resources should not be managed by entities that neglect ecological justice, which is crucial for fostering the sustainability of nature itself. This research investigates how laborers at the artisanal gold mine in Mount Peulumat navigate their operations to achieve ecological justice. This qualitative research employed a socio-legal approach and was conducted in the rural community of Gampong Gunong Rotan. This study finds a patron-client relationship in the management and allocation of mining proceeds. Two pivotal elements influencing the realization of ecological justice within the mining locale emerged: natural phenomena and a belief in divine principles. Locals perceive certain natural occurrences, such as the flooding of the mining wells, as an indication to cease gold extraction promptly. Furthermore, a prevailing belief dictates that extracted gold should not be solely for personal gain but shared with those in need, reflecting a commitment to divine values.

Uncertainty in underground mining operations: a bibliometric and systematic literature review analysis

Purpose This study aims to provide a comprehensive review of the existing literature on uncertainty in underground mining operations, using a bibliometric and systematic analysis covering the period from 1975 to 2024. Design/methodology/approach To achieve this, the following questions were addressed using a mixed-method approach involving bibliometrics, text mining and content analysis: How has the field of uncertainty research in underground mining operations evolved? What are the most prominent research topics and trends in uncertainty in underground mining operations? and What are the possible directions for future research on uncertainty in underground mining operations? Findings As a result, bibliometric networks of 327 journal articles from the Scopus database were created and examined, the main research topics were underground mining management; rock mechanics; operational optimization; and stochastic systems. Finally, the inclusive investigation of uncertainty in underground mining operations and its prominent patterns can serve as a basis for real-time direction for new research and as a tool to improve underground mining activities by implementing advanced technology for innovative practices and optimizing operational efficiency. This is fundamental to identify unknown variables that impair the planning, operation, safety and economic viability of underground mines. Originality/value This research is 100% original because there is no review research on the uncertainty present in underground mining operations.

Battery electric vehicles in underground mines: Insights from industry

The implementation of battery electric vehicles (BEVs) in underground mining is relatively recent. BEVs offer several advantages over diesel machines, including enhanced working conditions through reduced noise and heat and the lack of toxic exhaust gases or diesel particulate matter. In addition to reducing greenhouse gases, they have the potential to reduce ventilation and air conditioning costs. Nevertheless, there are certain concerns about BEVs, in areas of productivity, fire safety, economic viability, user-friendliness, and potential electrical-related issues. To address these, two surveys were conducted, one among underground mine management and the other among mine personnel to ascertain their opinions and experiences of BEVs. The results indicated the primary motivators for mines to adopt BEVs were to create a healthier working environment and reduce carbon emissions. The factors hindering the implementation were high costs and the lack of proven reliability. Mine personnel appreciated BEVs for their quietness and reduced fluids and components; however, they had concerns about fire safety and limited battery duration. This study presents the extent of BEV use in underground mining and associated fire incidents and a summary of the survey results.

Management Gaps in the Implementation of Legislation Regulating Derelict and Ownerless Mines in South Africa

Little attention has been paid to the rehabilitation of derelict and ownerless mines in South Africa after their lifespan. This paper aims to explore management gaps in legislation that have resulted in the non-rehabilitation of derelict and ownerless mines in South Africa. There is growing evidence that supports the distressing effects of mining on people living around these mines in the North West Province. This paper was motivated by the current socio-economic status quo of old mining towns, the influx of illegal miners (Zama Zamas), severe environmental damages, and the violence associated with derelict mines. Underpinning this research was an ecosystem approach and integrated resources management principles, which formed the foundation for the decision-making process.The researcher used a mixed-method approach and employed convergent techniques. A semi-structured instrument was used to collect data from 200 respondents. The results indicated that there is a dire need for community-based consultative processes, and an absence of clear guidelines for derelict and ownerless mines to pressure mine management to adhere to rehabilitation standards. Moreover, the mining charter is ambiguous regarding policy implementation, budgetary allocation, and duration of the rehabilitation of these mines. The paper concluded that management challenges associated with derelict mines can be reduced if all stakeholders follow the guidelines as outlined in the environmental legislative framework (NEMA) of South Africa while being open to innovations in line with international best practices. It also contributes towards the development of guidelines for the management and implementation of legislation related to derelict and ownerless mines in South Africa from a philosophical, theoretical, and policy perspective.

Applying FMEA for Operational Risk Management: Lessons from Minestar Implementation at PT. Borneo Indobara

PT Borneo Indobara (BIB) is planning to implement Minestar, an integrated mining management system, in 2025 to enhance operational efficiency and safety. However, the implementation of this system poses several operational risks that require careful management to ensure success. The aim of this research is to develop a comprehensive risk matrix and propose effective mitigation strategies for the Minestar implementation at BIB, using the SNI ISO 31000:2018 risk management framework. The research employs a mixed-method approach, combining qualitative techniques such as semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions (FGD) with quantitative analysis using Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA). Data was collected from key stakeholders directly involved in the Minestar project to assess the severity, occurrence, and detection of each identified risk, which were then used to develop a risk matrix. The results of the study identified and prioritized several critical operational risks, with a three-dimensional risk matrix providing a clear visualization of their severity, occurrence, and detection levels. This structured approach allows BIB's management to prioritize risks and allocate resources effectively for risk mitigation. The findings of this research contribute to operational risk management in the mining industry, particularly for the implementation of advanced technologies like Minestar. The practical insights provided can serve as a reference for similar projects in the industry, helping organizations to address operational challenges proactively.

Process Approach in a Mining Company: LW Bogdanka S.A. Case Study

This article concerns the management of the Polish mining company Lubelski Węgiel (LW) Bogdanka S.A. The main aim of this paper was to describe the whole process of implementing a process approach to management in one of the most important mining companies in Poland. The objective of the research presented was the incorporation of the process approach in LW Bogdanka S.A. to enhance its management and to improve the effectiveness of its mining process. This paper uses a case study method and presents a practical incorporation of the process approach and its results. The first phase of the proposed solution included building a map of business processes. Then, the research consisted of an analysis of existing processes; the introduction of new solutions, mainly in the field of infrastructure and IT systems; and changing the awareness of key process owners. The motivation for applying this approach was to achieve greater efficiency and continuous improvement in LW Bogdanka S.A. The main results and achievements were not merely limited to the development of a map of processes and subprocesses, but also led to an improvement in organizational structure, changes in approach to company management, a diagnosis of problems in the most important company departments, and the proposal of solutions to them.

A relay race or an ironman? A systematic review of the literature on innovation in the mining sector

As global demand for minerals and metals surges, the mining industry is faced with the triple challenge of finite resources, societal resistance, and environmental considerations. To address these challenges the mining sector is relying on innovation and technological advancements to enable exploitation of so far inaccessible deposits, minimize energy consumption, and improve sustainability. This study presents a systematic review of the literature on innovation in mining and the unique management approach being adopted to respond to the above challenges. From an initial corpus of 4059 scientific articles, a reproducible process filtered out 222 documents, published between 1996 and 2023. The analysis reveals that the literature on innovation in the mining industry, predominantly qualitative and exploratory in nature, is showing a shift towards empirical validation using advanced quantitative methods. Mining innovation appears to be shaped by the industry's inherent features such as a conservative culture, market volatility, emphasis on productivity, and profitability. While the industry somewhat risk-averse approach favours stability and specialization which could hamper innovation, its simultaneous focus on productivity encourages innovation to achieve cost reductions, enhanced processes, and implementation of new technology. However, the uniformity of ore and the position of miners in the value chain is not favorable to product innovation and the focus tends to be on —mainly supplier-led— process innovation. The review also shows the potential benefits of non-technological innovations, including marketing and organizational changes although these are infrequent. The study concludes by addressing conceptualizations of innovation and mining management and highlighting gaps in research that focuses on regions, minerals, and innovation types. It also discusses the knowledge management implications in this context.

A multimodal physiological-psychological data-driven study on differentiation in miners' job burnout and risk preferences.

Existing research indicates that the personality traits of miners influence their emotional regulation strategies, and these strategies in turn affect their performance in work fatigue. However, whether there is an intermediary or moderating role among these factors remains unclear. Additionally, while some studies suggest an increased likelihood of unsafe behavior among miners following fatigue, physiological data concerning their cognition remains incomplete and requires further exploration. This study aims to explore the mediating and moderating effects of emotional regulation strategies among miners regarding their personality traits and work fatigue, and to expand understanding of the cognitive and physiological data related to miners' risk decision-making following fatigue. Fifty adult miners (Mage = 25, aged 18-40, 100% male) were selected as participants. Emotional regulation tendency, significant levels of personality traits based on the Big Five Personality Traits questionnaire, and the three-dimensional levels of work fatigue were measured using emotional regulation strategy scale, Big Five Personality Traits questionnaire, and work fatigue scale, respectively. The eye-brain consistency hypothesis posits that eye movement trajectories and fixation points reflect the brain's cognitive processes and focus. Therefore, combining eye-tracking experiments, miners' preferences in risk decision-making were further measured. Expressive suppression strategies mediated between conscientiousness and depersonalization; expressive suppression strategies moderated between agreeableness and emotional exhaustion. In eye-tracking physiological experiments, significant differences were found in eye movement data among miners with varying levels of emotional exhaustion. Preferences in emotional regulation strategies play mediating and moderating roles between miners' Big Five Personality Traits and work fatigue. The levels and dimensions of work fatigue are influenced not only by personality traits but also by individual tendencies in emotional regulation strategies, which significantly affect performance in risk decision-making. The findings of this study can further enrich theories related to work fatigue among miners and provide insights for personalized safety management in mining.

Hazard and pollution characteristics of rock-containing dust in coal mine tunneling faces based on experimental and numerical study

The rock-containing dust poses a serious threat to the safe and efficient operation of coal mine tunneling faces (CMTFs). This study investigates the hazard and pollution characteristics of rock-containing dust in CMTFs by testing wettability, lithology surface functional groups, and particle size distribution of dusts with varying rock content. Furthermore, the spatial and temporal evolution of rock-containing dusts is explored through CFD simulation and the effects of rock-containing dust on the dedusting characteristics of water spray are analyzed. The results show that the crystallinity exhibits an exponential growth trend as the mudstone content increases, and the respirable dusts < 2.5μm and < 7μm increase by 15.04 % and 24.28 %, respectively. The rock-containing dust reaches the end of the simulated tunnel in just 50 seconds. On both the driver’s and pedestrian’s sides, the dust concentration shows an approximate S-shaped increase over time. Under the condition that only traditional water spraying measures are implemented, the concentration of respirable rock-containing dust will be approximately 1.2–1.5 times higher than the concentration of respirable coal dust. The results have provided valuable insights into the hazard and pollution characteristics of rock-containing dust in CMTFs, which are crucial for guiding dust disaster management in coal mines.

Modeling and scenario building for climate change adaptation planning: The case of large mining in Chile

The mining sector in Chile is a strategic industrial sector for the country. Existing evidence shows that it faces several serious climate change threats; precipitation and flooding, droughts, heatwaves, among others. This scene put pressure on the government and the industry to develop efficient adaptation plans. To date, adaptation plans are designed under the rather linear paradigm of predict-then-act or the impact-lea approach as they are characterized in the IPCC Assessment Report 5 (AR5). Literature and the IPCC reports have identified the limits of those planning paradigms showing the relevance of adaptation barriers or enabling conditions, which should be considered as intrinsic part of the planning problem.In methodological terms, planning for climate change risks implies an enriched adaptation plan problem, previously characterized only by an operative climate risk management, that must be described at the beginning of the decision-making process. In this study, our objective is to contribute to the climate change adaptation planning of large-scale mining in Chile. The study is based on a climate change adaptation planning approach that overcomes the limitations of the current paradigm. In doing so, we start from the understanding that what emerges as an object of analysis from adding to the climate risks their enabling managing conditions is a social system. The social system whose function is that social climate risk management takes place. Therefore, we call it the Social Management System for Adaptation to Climate Change (SMSACC). As such the SMSACC should be the adaptation planning key object.In the first place we modeled that system applying a qualitative system methodology and then we developed it into a mathematical model based on graph theory, in particular the signed digraphs. This allows us to simulate two types of intervention on the enlarged object of analysis of the large mining adaptation plan. On the one hand, we carried out a future scenario analysis based on prospective tools which enables us to understand the system's answer to different future behavior of its environment, including climate change. On the other hand, we simulate different strategic interventions options on the system, which facilitates understanding the system's reaction under different public policy approaches.The modeling and simulation results provided an insightful understanding of the dilemma of social adaptation management of large mining in Chile, and as such they are useful input for the planning process.