Tag Archives: blasthole deviation

Maptek and Minnovare combine expertise to improve underground mining accuracy

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Maptek says it and drill and blast technology provider, Minnovare, are delivering streamlined drill and blast solutions to help underground miners optimise their operations.

A project recently completed for an Australia gold miner is a great example of how collaboration between these technology providers can result in better outcomes for mining companies.

Linking Maptek Vulcan™ design and modelling software with Minnovare’s new Production Optimiser system for underground production drilling has streamlined “the connection between design and as-built for more accurate outcomes”, the two companies said.

Ring design data, including images, can now be exported from Vulcan and easily uploaded directly to Minnovare CORE – the Production Optimiser software interface – through scripting provided by Maptek. The Vulcan−Production Optimiser combination helps ensure that drilling follows design. It also reduces the need for re-work, as feedback on accuracy and compliance is available to both the rig operator and the technical engineering team using Vulcan, according to the companies.

Production Optimiser combines advanced rig alignment hardware with drill data capture software, substantially reducing blasthole deviation and average rig setup times, according to Minnovare. “This leads to optimum charge patterns and blasts, with a host of flow-on productivity benefits for an operation, including improved ore recovery, reduced average dilution and a faster stope cycle time,” the company said.

Maptek says it has 40 years’ experience in developing technology and systems that solve daily challenges for global mining companies. “Investment in people, motivated by excellence, innovation and continual improvement, allows delivery of systems that help integrate and streamline mining processes into a single source of technical data to inform decision making,” Maptek said. This includes the scripting that bridged the gap between Vulcan and Production Optimiser.

Minnovare developed the Production Optimiser, which was released in June 2018, in close collaboration with leading Australian gold miners, Gold Fields and Evolution Mining. Since its release the new technology has been taken up rapidly within industry, with leaders such as Northern Star Resources signing an official Collaboration Agreement with Minnovare in August 2018. This has seen the gold miner use it in both Western Australia and, more recently, in Alaska at its Pogo operation.

Analysis that Minnovare has conducted of in-hole survey data proves that circumstances prior to drilling account for up to 70% of blasthole deviation, the company said. This was contrary to the prevailing industry perception that in-hole deviation was the primary contributor.

More on Minnovare and Northern Star Production Optimiser trial

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More details have emerged of the results Northern Star Resources achieved by implementing Minnovare’s Production Optimiser technology over a two-month period at one of its Kalgoorlie gold operations.

A newly released case study, co-authored with Northern Star Resources, showed the Production Optimiser technology not only increased drilled metres by 17% at the operation, it also helped deliver the highest average stope recovery in the life of the operation.

If maintained over a full year’s production, that represents an additional 5,000 oz and A$8.4 million ($6.1 million) additional revenue – equivalent to a 3.5% increase in forecast stope turnover, according to Northern Star Mining Services General Manager, Rob Parsons.

The two-month trial saw the Production Optimiser implemented at one of the Kalgoorlie operation in April 2018, with three long-hole production rigs running.

Parsons said: “The collaboration with Minnovare initially stemmed from the observation that too much time was being spent re-drilling holes (due to inaccuracy). The other problem we identified was the difference between the drill rig’s onboard inclinometers, and what was actually being drilled. It was most visible looking at the final stope pick up – the actual shape didn’t line up with what you had designed. So, we were doing extra work just to validate where things really were.”

Minnovare’s Production Optimiser system combines advanced hardware and software that enhances the speed, accuracy and reliability of long-hole production drilling. This leads to improved stope productivity and, ultimately, increased profitability, Minnovare says.

The system can be retrofitted to any make or model of drill rig and works independently of the rig’s onboard systems.

Parsons said: “We achieved, on average, 100 additional drill metres per day in the two months immediately after implementing the new technology, thanks to reduced rig setup time and re-drills. That’s roughly a 17% increase in drilled metres. During the same period, we reduced average blast-hole deviation (from planned toe-point) by 75%.

“In terms of stope ore recovery, those two months combined were the highest average for the life of the operation. The increased drill rate and stope ore-recovery equates to an approximate 3.5% reduction in stope turnover time.”

Minnovare Managing Director, Callum McCracken said: “Minnovare worked closely with Northern Star from day one to successfully implement the Production Optimiser on site. As the drillers and engineers continued to use the system they’ve seen further gains in drilled metres and a continuation of the improved recovery rate. That’s thanks to optimal blasts and a faster stope turnover, which is a direct consequence of greater drilling accuracy, speed and reliability.”

Since the trial has taken place, Minnovare and Northern Star have signed a technology collaboration agreement to develop and implement Minnovare technology across NSR’s Western Australia operations.

Evolution weighs new Cracow gold mine plan following Minnovare Production Optimiser trial

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A close to six-month trial at Evolution Mining’s Cracow underground gold mine in Queensland, Australia, has shown Minnovare’s Production Optimiser technology can have a significant positive impact on ore dilution.

In a newly released whitepaper, co-authored by Evolution Mining, the company compared the use of Minnovare’s new technology with the existing rig setup processes and technology Cracow normally uses (either an onboard digital inclinometer or handheld device).

With drilling conducted on 28 stopes (17 with the new technology and 11 with the existing process) for around six months from July to December 2017, the trial showed the Production Optimiser technology recorded 62% less average dilution than stopes drilled using the existing process. This equated to 11.7% overall dilution, compared with 28.9%, respectively.

The new technology, which was trialled using floating-boom mounted Epiroc 1257 and S7 long-hole rigs and a series of rings/holes drilled as part of the mine’s normal production stoping cycle, was proven to limit rig alignment error, reducing average blasthole deviation and increasing the number of holes drilled within tolerance by 160%, according to the report authors.

They extrapolated this data further and concluded that, if an equivalent reduction in dilution were applied to Cracow’s full year 2017 production data to the end of June – when 440,781 t was hauled and 89,496 oz of gold was produced – all things remaining equal, an additional A$8.2 million ($5.9 million) of ore would be recovered, with a A$4.5 million reduction in costs associated with haulage and processing.

As a result, the return per tonne would increase 22%, from A$87/t to A$106/t.

The results were so impressive Evolution is already considering a further rollout of the technology across Cracow.

Evolution Mining’s Phil Jones: “Aside from improving average stope performance, the Production Optimiser has provided us with greater reliability moving forward. With less overall dilution we’re also seeing less variation in dilution across stopes. We now have the confidence to set more ambitious targets, by considering new mine plans and blast patterns that would previously not have been considered.”

Budget dilution going forward at Cracow has already been lowered to approximately 10% in the 2019 financial year to the end of June based on recent successes. This will allow for higher-grade mill throughput and a reduction in mucking, hauling and milling unit costs, the authors said.

Minnovare’s Production Optimiser technology can be implemented on sites running any rig make/model and works independently of the rig’s on-board systems, according to the company.

The system’s hardware engages with Minnovare’s new online client interface, Minnovare CORE, which uses digital drill plans and plods that sync with existing mine-planning software to deliver drill-data capture and analysis capability. The net result, the company says, is a significant improvement in drill and blast efficiency, productivity and responsiveness – throughout the entire operation.

Since release, Minnovare has already signed up Northern Star Resources as a user.