MINING SOFTWARE
The ThreeDify GeoMine platform has just gone through a transformational year with four modules added in 2022 to round out the software package .
The platform , a solution for mine modelling and planning , is now home to 16 individually licensed modules , allowing users to choose whichever one suits their varying needs at different stages of their projects .
OreChaser GeoMine-OreChaser ( OreChaser ) is an infill drilling plan optimiser for both open-pit and underground mines . It allows the drill planner to determine the optimum number , positions and lengths of additional drill holes required to maximise the resource uplift for a given drill budget .
It features a proprietary 3D Genetic Algorithm with the choice of two search strategies – RocDP ( Randomized Ore Chasing Drilling Plane ) strategy and ( FRD ) Fully Random Drilling strategy – both aimed at maximising metal recovery while minimising kriging variances under the specified drilling budget .
Unlike most other competing drill hole optimisers that can only generate non-directional drill holes , the auto-generated infill drill holes in OreChaser can be directional or non-directional with an optional fan-out configuration , ThreeDify says . They can start either from a topographical surface ( for open-pit mines ) or from mine accesses ( for underground mines ). Furthermore , OreChaser provides many options that allow users to quickly adapt and customise the underlying generic algorithm to suit the specific data set .
OreController GeoMine-OreController ( OreController ) is an open-pit grade controller designed to create and sequence fine-grained dig units based on 3D blast movement modelling to minimise dilution and ore losses for bench mining , ThreeDify says .
“ Traditional grade control practice usually entails determining the dig limits for bench cuts of an open-pit bench against an in-situ block model ,” the company explained . “ Unfortunately , this fails to model the reality : after a blast is fired , blocks on the bench will break , throw and mix with their neighbouring blocks , invalidating the predefined dig limits for all but trivial cases . The dilution and ore losses have also been hard to quantify and are usually a guesstimate or determined after the fact .”
A better approach emerging in recent years has been to consider the impact of 3D movements of the rock being blasted , with OreController designed specifically for this purpose .
“ With OreController , the user only needs to specify an in-situ block model and a pair of topographical bench surfaces before and after the blast ,” the company says . “ A post-blast model will be generated automatically and can be used to create fine-grained shovel / truck dig units , which can then be scheduled by GeoMine ’ s iScheduler-OP module against the blast model .”
HaulCalc GeoMine-HaulCalc ( HaulCalc ) provides a detailed analysis of haul routes and is , the company says , an ideal fleet budgeting tool . For example , it can determine the truck fleet required to meet a target production rate or the achievable production rate based on a given truck fleet .
This module comprises Road Network Manager , Fleet Manager and Haul Route Analyzer . The Road Network Manager adds a suite of road generation and editing tools to the GeoMine platform ; the Fleet Manager features an extensible truck database ; and the Haul Route Analyzer partitions a given road network into road segments and performs route analysis on the user-selected route .
A benchmark comparison of GeoMine-HaulCalc and Excel-based tools have been conducted with the following benefits : n The ability to analyse a haul route within seconds based on the fleet requirement and actual route conditions ; n Offering a suite of automatic and interactive tools for open-pit and underground ramp generation makes constructing multiple alternative road networks for haulage analysis simple ; n The ability to add / update truck types to / in the built-in truck database and allow multiple road networks for wide adaptability ; and n The ability to generate detailed segment-by-segment route analysis reports for a given route in a CSV format .
Threedify GeoMine ’ s new additions : OreController , HaulCalc , FSO and OreChaser
FSO GeoMine-FSO ( Flat Shape Optimizer ) is a mineable shape optimiser and parametric designer for room and pillar / room and board mining methods for flat or moderately inclined thin tabular / seam orebodies , such as coal , potash , trona , limestone and manganese . FSO includes an automatic boundary optimiser and a parametric room and pillar designer .
The company explained : “ Given a grade model and a set of economic parameters , FSO automatically determines the best optimum mining boundary and interactively generates the best fit room and pillar design .”
A top-down approach
Datamine has been one of the key protagonists in the recent M & A story being played out in the software market , acquiring numerous companies on its way to becoming a powerhouse in both software and consulting .
Its latest purchase involved adding iRing , the
creators of Aegis – a market-leading underground drill and blast package – to its vast offering .
An expansion into underground drill and blast planning software was the reason for this move , but Datamine ’ s wider corporate strategy is to keep its customers operating efficiently , according to Esa Immonen , Global Talent VP .
“ We support the drive to ensure our customers are operating at the most efficient point possible even with currently installed equipment ,” he told IM . “ This is done by taking a holistic approach – such as our mine-to-mill solutions – where the real energy and cost drivers are understood and managed across the entire mining value chain from an operational perspective .”
Immonen said this focus reflects the corporate approach mining companies are taking to their
use of software , some of which may be driven by influences such as a heightened focus on ESG .
“ ESG has placed accountabilities on corporate companies which is cascading through to the sites and operational level ,” he said . “ There is increased volatility and uncertainty , too , as new regulations are being designed to tackle issues such as climate change .
“ ESG is also driving greater transparency along the supply chain , such as the provenance of metals or carbon tracking , as customers demand to understand more about what they
FEBRUARY 2023 | International Mining