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Effect of Blast Movement Uncertainty on Dig-Limits Optimization in Open-Pit Mines

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Abstract

Determination of dig-limits is one of the most critical steps in grade control and short-term mine planning. Dig-limits optimization aims to maximize profit by identifying the optimal destinations of blasted materials while honoring equipment selectivity. Dig-limits determined in the pre-blast stage are not operational in the post-blast stage due to blast movement. Based on blast design configuration and rock characteristics, blasted materials will move in certain directions. The magnitude of blast movement in those directions varies across bench levels called flitches. Determining dig-limits without considering blast movement can cause significant ore losses and dilution, leading to severe financial losses. In this paper, a new methodology is proposed for quantifying uncertainty in blast movement and assessing the impact of this uncertainty on dig-limits optimization. Blast movements were modeled by using field measurement data obtained from blast movement monitoring balls that were installed in blast holes. The multivariate distributions for measured blast movements across flitches were fitted using drawable vine copula, and blast movement realizations were generated using Monte Carlo simulation. A mixed-integer linear programming model was used to determine the optimal dig-limits for all economic block models corrected and adjusted with blast movements realizations. An ore probability map was generated showing locations of ore and waste blocks in a probabilistic fashion. A case study for demonstrating the proposed methodology is presented. In this case study, two scenarios were investigated; the first scenario incorporated blast movement in determining dig-limits, while the second scenario discarded blast movement effect on dig-limits. The result of this comparison showed that discarding blast movement when determining dig-limits can lead to over-estimation of the expected profit by 65.3% when compared with the other scenario that incorporated blast movement. Post-blasting ore and waste areas with high risk of being misallocated by the dig-limits were identified.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) (Fund number: 236482). The authors thank the NSERC for this support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mining and Materials Engineering, McGill University, 3450 University Street, Montreal, QC, H3A 0E8, Canada

    Samer Hmoud & Mustafa Kumral

  2. McGill University, Montreal, Canada

    Samer Hmoud & Mustafa Kumral

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  1. Samer Hmoud
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  2. Mustafa Kumral
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Correspondence to Mustafa Kumral.

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Hmoud, S., Kumral, M. Effect of Blast Movement Uncertainty on Dig-Limits Optimization in Open-Pit Mines. Nat Resour Res 31, 163–178 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11053-021-09998-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11053-021-09998-z

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