Mining companies can cut costs 20% by optimizing blast design, study shows
Researchers used computer modeling to identify which blast parameters most affect how ore breaks apart during underground mining. The findings could help operators reduce waste, improve ore recovery, and lower processing costs at large mines—potentially saving millions annually per operation.
Originaltitel: Impact of blast design parameters on rock fragmentation in sub-level caving: A multivariate regression approach
<p>Sub-level caving (SLC) is a mass mining method suitable for large, steeply dipping orebodies. The particle size distribution (PSD) of blasted material affects material flow through the stope. Improving blast-induced fragmentation can enhance draw point extraction, increasing ore recovery, reducing dilution, and lowering costs in loading and crushing. Numerical simulations using the Mechanistic Blasting Model (MBM) explored these improvements. MBM simulates the explosive loading, rock fracturing, and dynamic explosive gas effects. It addresses uneven explosive distribution from fan-shaped blast holes and complex broken ground conditions. The simulations used Ernest Henry Mine (EHM) data to define the baseline blast design and rock mass and compared field and modelled fragmentation sizes for varying explosive densities and burden sizes. Then, MBM simulations incorporated different rock mass fracture densities, tensile strengths and in-situ stresses, and further blast design changes in the blasthole diameter and charge spacings. A total of 34 scenarios were modelled. Multivariate regression analysis identified key parameters, and new regression models for P20, P50, and P80 passing sizes were developed and validated against the EHM and MBM simulation data. Additional simulations confirmed that while regression predictive models were slightly less accurate, they provided efficient predictions with acceptable accuracy.</p>