PRE-COURSE : MINE TO MILL 2022 : ADVANCED OPTIMIZATION WORKSHOP
In most metal mining operations, the in-situ ore is separated from the waste rock and undergoes a series of fracturing and separation processes in order to recover the valuable material from the tailings. Profitability in this industry depends on how efficiently the in-situ rock is transformed into the final valuable product.
Although the fracturing and separation processes carried out at the mine and plant are interdependent, traditionally, the mining and milling processes are managed and optimized as separate cost centers without much consideration of the impact of one process on the other. In the late 1990s, a group of researchers at the University of Queensland proposed a concept commonly known as "Mine to Mill Optimization" and demonstrated that all processes in the Mine to Mill value chain are interdependent and that blast fragmentation (or granulometry) plays a critical role in downstream processes, especially in downstream AG/SAG mills. During the initial stages, the main focus was on obtaining finer fragmentation from blasting, so that fine particles can increase SAG/AG mill throughput where there is sufficient capacity in the ball mills. However, the first generation Mine to Mill strategy has the following limitations:
