MINP 601: Fundamentals of Mine Planning - Conceptual Course

Who Should Attend

The Mine Planning Foundation course is a software independent comprehensive course designed for mining and resource industry professionals including mine planners, mining engineers, geoscientists, geologists, and managers from exploration to operations. It is ideally suited to those from industry who wish to gain a more in depth and hands-on knowledge of modern strategic mine planning and optimization and theory.

Course Description

Software Independent

Fundamentals of Mine Planning and Design are covered as a software independent course. The course focuses on theory and guidelines for best practices in pit limits optimization, life-of-mine production scheduling, open pit mine and waste dump design, haul road design concepts, short-term production scheduling, design of experiments and Monte Carlo simulation used in parametric mine design, and applications of industrial strength discrete event simulation modeling to operational planning of mines. Topics covered include: Introduction to Strategic Mine Planning & Optimization, Pit Limits I – Manual, Floating Cone, 2D Lerchs & Grossman, Pit Limits II – 3D Lerchs & Grossman, Pseudo Flow Algorithm, Block Value Calculations, What Costs to Include in Pit Optimization, Long-Term Production Scheduling Concepts, Production Scheduling – Practical Push Backs – Max NPV, Production Scheduling - Mining Direction Control, Buffer Stockpiles and Blending, Cutoff Optimization and Simultaneous Optimization, Design of Experiments – Automated Parameterized Production Scheduling, Geometrical Pit Design Concepts – From Optimal Pit Shells to Design, Working Bench Geometry as a Function of Equipment Size, Haul Road Requirements – Windrows and Ditches, Exercise – Batter Angle, Bench Width, and Inter-ramp Calculations, Waste Rock Dump Design Factors, Short-Term Mine Planning, Mining Blocks / Benches o Whole / Bench-polygons, Haulage Road Networks Models, Creating Automated Mining Polygons based on Rock Type and Shape Similarity, Loading & Hauling Equipment Productivity Calculations, Truck-Shovel Key Performance Indicators with Historical Data, Industrial Strength Operational Simulation. 

	Time	Lecture/Lab Topic
		Strategic Mine Planning & Optimization
Day 1	13:00-14:45	Introduction to Strategic Mine Planning & Optimization
		Pit Limits I – Manual, Floating Cone, 2D Lerchs & Grossman
		Pit Limits II – 3D Lerchs & Grossman
	15:00-17:00	Block Value Calculations
		What Costs to Include in Pit Optimization?
		Exercise - Open Pit Limit Optimization
		Strategic Mine Planning & Optimization
Day 2	13:00-14:45	Long-Term Production Scheduling Concepts
		Production Scheduling – Practical Push Backs – Max NPV
		Production Scheduling - Mining Direction Control
	15:00-17:00	Buffer Stockpiles and Blending
		Cutoff Optimization and Simultaneous Optimization
		Design of Experiments – Automated Parameterized Production Scheduling
		Open Pit Mine and Waste Dump Design
Day 3	13:00-14:45	Geometrical Pit Design Concepts – From Optimal Pit Shells to Design
		Working Bench Geometry as a Function of Equipment Size
		Addition of Ramps and Switch-Backs
	15:00-17:00	Haul Road Requirements – Windrows and Ditches
		Exercise – Batter Angle, Bench Width, and Inter-ramp Calculations
		Waste Rock Dump Design Factors
		Surface Mine Production Scheduling – Medium Term
Day 4	13:00-14:45	Mining Locations and Resources definitions
		Mining Blocks / Benches o Whole / Bench-polygons
		Controlling Direction – Vertical and Horizontal Lag/Lead
	15:00-17:00	Creating Automated Mining Polygons based on Rock Type and Shape Similarity
		Exercise - Loading & Hauling Equipment Productivity Calculations
		Haulage and Tonne Km calculations
		Operational Planning and Industrial Strength Simulation
Day 5	13:00-14:45	Truck-Shovel Time Classification
		Exercise - Truck-Shovel Key Performance Indicators with Historical Data
		Haulage Road Networks Models
	15:00-17:00	Free Path and Guided Path Transporters in Simulation – AGVs
		Review of Past Industrial Projects I – Autonomous Haulage Simulation
		Review of Past Industrial Projects II – Mine Productivity Simulation - TPGOH