Title: Optimisation of LHDs operation at the extraction level in a block cave project

Authors: Tahir Usmani; Jozef Szymanski; Derek Apel

Addresses: APEGA and APEGBC, 108 Tremblant Way SW Calgary, Alberta T3H 0A7, Canada ' School of Mining & Petroleum Engineering, University of Alberta, 3-047 Markin/CNRL Natural Resources, Engineering Facility, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2W2, Canada ' School of Mining & Petroleum Engineering, University of Alberta, 3-045 Markin/CNRL Natural Resources, Engineering Facility, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2W2, Canada

Abstract: The block caving mining method is used to mine large ore bodies in weak rock types. This is a difficult system with plentiful factors and sub-systems affecting its production capability that needs optimisation. A computer simulation is not a new optimisation technique in the block cave mining. A great deal of work has been done and is still in progress on this area however it is hard to find efforts made to optimise the extraction fleet at extraction level in a block cave mine. With optimisation, many areas of a mine can effectively reduce the operational and capital cost. The work described in this paper focuses on the optimisation of the extraction level of a block cave project. Original parameters of a block cave project were used to build the simulation models to evaluate the project followed by various scenarios to achieve an optimal number of the extraction fleet.

Keywords: block cave mines; extraction level; LHD; load-haul-dump; haulage; optimisation; ore mining; extraction fleet; simulation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJMME.2014.060205

International Journal of Mining and Mineral Engineering, 2014 Vol.5 No.2, pp.138 - 151

Received: 01 Apr 2013
Accepted: 03 Aug 2013

Published online: 10 Sep 2014 *

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