Block Models and Rough Open

Pits
2012 Dr. B. C. Paul
Note These slides contain many screen shots from the program MineSight
developed by Mintec. Credit for the program is given to its developers. These
slides draw on previous material prepared by the author and some of the topics
covered are also found in Mintec training courses.
Representing Ore Bodies
So far we have used contour lines and the
linker tool to set bounds on ore bodies
Disseminated deposits lack firm orebody edges
Even vein deposits with clear edges usually have
grade variations within their limits
Orebodies can be expressed digitally by
breaking the ground up into large numbers of
little cubes
This representation is called a Block Model
Because very large numbers of blocks the
technique if for computer based analysis
Block Model Identification Begins
When You Start MineSight
You must have an idea
Of what the coordinates
Are for your ore body
And what units because
You have to specify
Project limits.
You also need to have
An idea of block size.
We Will Look at Block Models
with Open Pit this Time.
Splitting blocks with benches is a mathematical
complexity
Try to make block height correspond to bench height
Bench height is related to equipment size
Shovels have to be able to dig to top of bench
A big shovel goes with a big truck
Big shovels and trucks go with big deposits (obviously you
need an idea of how big your deposit is)
Also related to homogeneity of ore
A Bench will generally mix all ore over its vertical height if you
need vertical selection you need shorter benches
Taller benches usually more economic
Fewer levels to maintain
Larger drills and more drill hole spacing
Load Your Assay and Drill Hole
Data into the Program
Composite Samples to Bench
Height
Use Chosen Interpolation Routine to
Estimate Block Grades in Model
As Mining
Engineers we
Will often be
Given block
Models that
Our geologists
Have already
Developed.
Where We Are At
We Have a Geologic Block Model (stored as
a File 15)
We have Geologic reserves and grade and tonnage
This is where we will begin our work (at least in this
class)
Common Procedure is to Find Out How
Much is Economically Minable given the
overburden
This is done with a computer routine that tries to select
the largest set of blocks that keeps adding to the pits
value
This is where we go next
Preparing Files to Receive
Data
The Pit Optimization Procedures We
Will Use Require Specialized Places to
Store Information
They must follow naming conventions used
by the computer codes
The program therefore contains file
initiation routines to ready files for that
purpose
What Is Required
You Must Have a Gridded Surface
Model of Your Current Topography
A gridded surface file is a digital
representation of the surface
The surface is broken up into little squares
and each square is assigned an average
elevation
You Must Use Minesight Compass
Routines for setting up the files
What We Are Going to Do
Start Compass
(If compass is being run first time in project
have to set things up)
We create a Project Control File PCF
We create a Project File
Next We Create a Gridded Surface File
Then we create a model view in
MineSight 3D
While creating we load data into our GSF
Continuing Our Plan
We will use our regular GSF to create a
special GSF for MineSight Economic
Planner
We will use our block model to create a
special block model for Economic Planner
We will ask Economic Planner to Find
Our Ultimate Pit
The largest set of blocks to mine that
keeps making us more money as we
expand
Lets Start By Getting Those Initial
Files and the GSF Files Ready
We Open MineSight
Compass
The First Time You Use
Compass You Will Likely Get a
Protest Speech
Start by Acknowledging the
Complaint Say Ok
MineSight Compass Starts
(But almost everything is grayed out because it
is protesting the missing files)
MineSight Likes to Have Two
Files
A MineSight Project Control File
It lists off all the different files and objects the
program has to keep track of
(its a table of contents for a computer to read)
A Project File
Contain identification, name and basic dimension
information for the project
We have to Pacify MineSight before we will
be allowed to proceed (unless someone
already did this which they might have to
create a block model).
Use the Compass File Drop
Down to Create a new PCF
It Ask to Verify It is In the Right
Directory for Your Project
After verifying click Ok
Project Initialization Starts
Identify your measurement
units
You need to explain what
Project type you have you
Will almost always be 3-D

Pick a 4 letter ID for your
Project. Most of your data
Files will begin with this
4 letter name.

The mineral type and
Description will be for output
Reports this helps you
Not the computer.
When finished with the
Panel click the arrow to move on.
Next It Wants to Know About the
Coordinate System for Your
Block Model
Commentary
This will set the area for your block
model
Often this will be the same size as your
project area
But what if the orebody is just a small
part of your project design area
You could save a lot of space and speed if
you only built a block model in your
orebody area.
Im not doing a different size
block model
If I were I would need
To check this box
I click to move on after
Filling in the screen.
It Tells You Thanks and Indicates
it is starting to make your PCF
A Dos Window Opens and You
See Something Run
Then It Lays A Report on You as
it Proclaims Success
The report indicates what
Your input was and how
It used that information
To lay out the PCF
MineSight Likes Putting Out
Reports on Everything
Why Reports are important in Industry
Fraud including fake mines have long been a
problem
Since most mining projects will enter investor
markets in some way laws have been devised to
try to suppress fraud
The size of an ore reserve and how a mine is
designed greatly influence project value
Thus this work must be documented
Organizing and keeping copies of the reports
MineSight keeps will help you meet
documenting requirements for the things you
do.
Next We Create Our Project File
To Create the File It Needs One
Piece of Info
Where is your project control
File?

Your project control file has
The 4 letter name you gave
When you set it up and the
Number 10.

I need to find a file called
Demo10, click on it and then
Click open.
MineSight Compass Comes Alive
(You have given it the PCF and Project files)
Now We Can Get Back to Our
Mission
We wanted to create a gridded surface
model of our topography
(ultimately we will use this file to create a
special gridded surface file for use by our
open pit mine creation algorithms)
Click on the Project Tab
Now Click to Open the
Project File Editor
The Project File Editor Opens
Now click
On the
File
Dropdown
I Want to Create A New File
It Wants to Know What Kind
Lets see If I want to create a
Gridded Surface File or a GSF
I bet that 13-GSF will work.

Highlight it with the curser and
Left click.
It Proposes to Create a File with
Just Information on Elevations
Thats right.

Just click the save
Icon and you have
Your file 13.
It Asks for a File Name
Suggest using
4 letter project ID
And #13

Then click save.
It Pops Up a Success Message
Well You Have Your File 13 Sort
Of
Its current weaknesses are
It contains no data
And You Cant See It
When Can Solve Both Problems at
Once
This is done by creating a Model View
A Model View is a Set of Instructions that
Allows MineSights 3D Viewer to graphically
display the contents of a file
Create a Model View Using the
Data Manager
Pick the Directory

Right Click to drop down the menu

Move the curser over new and when
The side menu opens move the
Curser over model view and left
Click.
It Asks You To Name the Model
View
Enter your name

And then click ok
It Needs to Know Which File to
Use for the Model View
Block Model and
Gridded Surface Files
Are not shown in the
Data Manager, but
They are listed in the
Project Control File
(PCF).

Thus the first thing you
Must do is to identify
The PCF
The PCF is a 4 Letter Name and
the Number 10
Usually the selection
Is obvious

Click on the PCF

Then Click Open
Now You Are Given a List of
Invisible File 13s and 15s in the
PCF
Click on the one you will make a model view of.
Clicking Will Cause the Chosen
File to Turn Blue
Then left click on Ok
The Model View Editor Turns On
One of the first issues to be dealt with is which
Number field in the file 13 (or file 15) to display.
In our case there is only one field in the file 13
So its a non-issue. You can click on the blue
List to get a drop down of all fields in the file
That might be used for display
Until I Have Something In the File
My Display Set-Up is not too
Important
I will select a Geometry Object (ie my topography) to use in creating a
Digital representation of the surface.
I start by picking the Geometry Tab and then the Red Box to search for my
Geometry object.
Pick a Geometry Set
I can pick a set of geometry objects to use in coding my Gridded Surface.

I will be allowed to name that set later.
At this point I am ready to select the geometry objects for my geometry set.
Start the selection with clicking on the Red Dot Box.
Another Window Open
This is a picking window.

I click the red box (again) to go
To a list of geometry objects.
I Pick My Topo Surface from a
Directory and Click Ok
Note That My Pick List Now
Contains a Geometry Object
If no list of object contents appears then
Click the blue worm to make it appear
Now I can see what kinds of things
Are in the geometry object and
Pick the ones I want.
Pick and Click Ok
The Geometry Set Window
Activates
Note there is now a set of geometry
Sets available to name

(the purpose of naming geometry
Sets is to avoid the need to repick
Things all over if you ever need this
Set again)


I name the geometry set
Click Save Set
Click Ok
The Model View Editor Now Has
a Geometry Set to Use In
Gridding the Surface
Click Grid
(It will then average elevation of little digital squares and
Put the result into the file 13 GSF)
It Jumps to the Gridding Detail
Tab
(I could also have just picked this tab myself)
The first thing I need to do is to say which variable in
The file to send the result to. Pick the Blue list box for
A list of variable names there is only one in this file 13
So it will be a tough pick.
The Grid Button Lights Up
Click the Grid Button (there will normally be
A short calculation delay as the program gets
Average elevation in each grid square)
Now I Have Data In My File 13 I
Want to Control the Display
The little color box allows me to color code a range
Of values in this case elevation. Click on the
Color code box.
The Color Coding Box Comes Up
I happen to know the topo is between about
6400 and 7500 feet so the default intevals are
Dumb.

I will click intervals to use my greater wisdom.
Ill Put My Limits In the Intervals
Box and Click Ok
Now I Will Drag and Highlight the
Elevation Range to Color Code
I will then click color range to set the range
Of colors.
Ill Pick and Neon Color Range
If I wanted to use
Only part of the range
I would click on the
Color range editor.

In this case Im happy
So I will click Ok
I Close Windows and Look at My
Surface
The elevation range
Was less than I
Thought so Im not
Seeing a big range
Of color.

(I could go back and
Reset that if I
Wanted).
Our Story So Far
We set up MineSight Compass with a
PCF and a Project File
We created our basic gridded surface
file (GSF)
We Gridded Our Topography Into It
We Set Our Display.
Thinking Ahead to Our Next
Move
We will use our basic GSF to create a
specialized GSF for use by Economic
Planner
(We in this case will assume our
geologists have supplied us with a block
model).
We will then tell Economic Planner to
Find Our Ultimate or Final Pit
We will display that final pit.
Getting the Special File 13
You need an a special file 13 (gridded
surface file) that allows for multiple pit
surfaces and some control variables
You need to have a file 15 (block
model) with extra-variables to store
information about block values and
material destinations
The pit generation routines will send
material to various processing facilities.
Lets Start Out Getting That
Special File 13
Left Click the
MineSight Tab
To pull down
The menu
On the pull down
Menu left click
Compass
(this will start
MineSight
Compass which
Is a big collection
Of programs for
Doing stuff)
MineSight Compass Starts
Left Click on the
Project Tab
(This selects
The project
Screen in
Compass)
Left Click the
Little folder open
Icon to start
The project file
editor
We Are Going to Create a New
File 13 with Extra Stuff in it
Left click file to
Pull down the
menu
Left click new to
Select the
new file option.
The Pop-Up Menu Wants to Know
What Kind of File We Will Create
Different types of
Files have
Identifying numbers
We want to create
A file 13 (which
Means the type
Of file that
Contains gridded
Surface
Information)
Left click on
13 - GSF
We Now Tell it We Want a Special
GSF for MineSight Economic
Planner
Left click on the
Little box for
MS-EP GSF
Note the
Check mark
That appears
It Needs to Know Where to Find
the Surface Initialization Data
Left click the
Little down arrow
Beside the file
Location area.
A drop down
Menu shows all
Existing file
13s (this is why
You needed to
Have an existing
File 13)
Select the existing
File 13 for the
Unmined
Surface.
Tell it Where the Current Topography
is in the File You Selected
From the down
Arrow select
Topog (or what
Ever variable
You stored
Topo data in)
As you can
See it has
Now initialized
Our special file
13 for MineSight
Economic
Planner
Now click the
Save icon to
Save the file.
The Save Menu Comes Up to Ask You
What Name to Save the File Under
You are limited
To 6 characters
Before .dat
And the last
Two should be
13 so you and
The program
Can see it is a
File 13.
I named mine
Opti13.dat
Now I left click
Save.
The Program Proclaims that the New File
has been listed in the Project Control File
This is a good
Thing. Left
Click ok.
Now Exit Out of Compass
Left click
File and from
The pull down
Menu select
Quit
Making Sure Our Block Model is
Ready
It already has our ore grades and rock
items in
But the routines we will use need to
have some extra variables to store info
in.
One thought is why didnt I fix the model
right to begin with
Other reality is you will never foresee all
needs so lets just learn how to fix the
variable problem when it happens
To Open My Block Model Go to the
Data Manager and Select Block
Model
With Block Model Highlight Click
the Right Mouse Key
This will cause a
Menu to pop up
Left Click the Open
Option on the menu
The Block Model Shows Up
I am going to use
The Query
Function to ask
What variables
Are in the model
To do this I
Click on the little
Question mark
Icon.
A Dialog Box Opens at the Bottom and
Advises me to click on anything I want to
know about
Since all I want
Is to know
What variables
Are in the block
Model I can
Really click it
anywhere
I happened to
Click it here
The Query Report Box Pops
Up
Im going to check
The variables in
The block model.
Since Im a cool
Person my model
Already has the
Key extra
Variables in it
(yours will have
Nothing below
Value but yours
Will look like this
After you follow
The next
Instructions)
Yes Your Poor Model Will Look
Like This
What MSOPT Wants
The routine we will use to find the ultimate pit
requires us have these variables in the model
VALPB (the value of the block)
VALPT (the value per ton of material)
DEST1 (the destination for the material
considering break even economics)
PUSH (the stage when a block is mined if the
model is working out a sequence)
IPER (when the block is mined
DEST2 (where the material is sent when the
block was mined)
Open Compass and Pick the
Project Tab and Project Editor
Icon as before
The Project File Editor Opens
Pull Down the File Menu and
Select Clone
We are going to
Make a copy of
Our block model
Add the extract
Variables to the
Model and then
Save it back to
Our original block
Model

We all know windows
Has a thing about
Saving to itself.
Clone From Your File 15 (a file
15 is a block model)
Pull down and
Select from the
Menu




Then click on the
Clone button.
Check Edit items
Type in the Extra Variables
Also enter minimum
Maximum and precision
Values as shown here
Left click the
Save icon
When you are
done
It Will Want You to Name Your
File




This file is actually
A temporary copied
File

I named mine
15cp15.dat
(its a 15 meter
Bench height
Project, cp is for
Copy and the second
15 was so I would
Always know this
Was a file 15 (block
Model)
Then I left click on
Save
It Gives You a Jubilant Success
Message
Now We Are Going to Clone our
Added Variables File Back to the
Original
Pull down the file menu and
Select Clone
Select our new file as the clone source
But note I did not check the edit box
This time.
Then hit save.
It Asks You Where You Want to
Save the Result
Select the name of your
Original block model
(file 15) and hit save.
Since You Are About to Overwrite Your
Old File it Gives You Repeated Warnings
that your Children will be Born Naked if
you do this
You Have to Confirm that You Do
Intend to Overwrite
Now We Are Ready to Go!
We will use an
Ultimate Pit
Routine Called
MSOPIT

Left Click the
MineSight tab

On the drop
Down menu
Choose MSEP
(MineSight
Economic
Planner)

On the side menu
Pick MSOPIT
Trouble Shooting Note
If MineSight Economic Planner is
Grayed Out on the pull down tab there
is a problem with your computers
settings
See the System Administrator for help
(your stuck until you do)
MineSight Economic Planner
Comes Up to Help You With Your
Pit
Economic Planner is Mostly New
Routines
The Panel to the Side
Shows you the Steps
You Will be Lead
Through to get to your
Pit design.
(Kind of a nice
Change from the
Wonderings we have
Been doing not
Knowing for sure
Where we were going)
Right Hand Side has input panels it needs
It Has Improved Help Facilities
Pull down the help
Menu

Pick Panel help for
An explanation
Of each panel entry
The Panel Help Gives an
Explanation of the Variables to
be Entered on the Screen
It Needs To Know Where Your
Block Model Is
You probably have
Only one file
15 to choose from
It needs your ore and
Waste density
(ie water =1)

If we assume our
Cu ore and waste
Are about 141lb/ft^3
Thats 2.23 for both
You Identify the part of your block
model that is of mining interest
This would let
You speed things
Up by excluding
Areas that dont
Have ore values
It also provides you
With hints on the
Number of rows,
Columns and levels
In your model in case
You want to look at
Everything.
It lets you specify what to do if it mines to the edge of the
model (warning the program cannot calculate stripping
costs outsideThe model area)
Click on the Next Step When Its
Time to Move On
It Needs to Know About the
Surfaces File It Will Use
.
Click on the pull down arrow to
See the available files.
It is critical that you select the
Special file 13 you made for
MSEP earlier (regular file 13s
Dont contain needed variables)
Trouble Shooting Note
Sometimes when you hit the pull down
choice menu you dont see the files you
expect
You may not see the file 13 you just made
MineSight has the undesirable ability
to get the graphics interface, MineSight
Compass, and MineSight Economic
Planner in different directories
How this could happen is not well
understood
If You Want to Make Sure You Are in the
Right Directory with Economic Planner
Click on the Options Heading
And Pick Manage Variables
From the pull down menu
The Manage Variables Screen
Comes Up
What you really want to see is if the
Path leads to the right directory and
Project file.
(If you are not being allowed to select
Files you know you have this path
Will probably not be pointing to the
Right file)
If you find your in the wrong place the next slides will help you fix it
Get Out Of MSOPIT and Go to
MineSight Compass
Remember You are ONLY doing this
If you have MineSight Economic
Planner off in the wrong directory!
(If life is good and you dont have this problem you
Can skip the slides on fixing the problem)
In Compass Go to File and
Open
Work Around the Directories in Project
File to Find the Right Directory
This directory maneuvering works like
Any other Windows based program.
Double Click the Correct
Directory
It Will Open and Show You the
Project File for that Directory
Left click to
Pick it

Then click on
Open
Getting Back From Our Detour
(If you had to take a Detour Restart
MSOPIT)
It needs to know where the starting
Surface is located
(MSOPIT puts the unmined surface
In pit #0 so we will almost always
Be starting there)
Enter or accept the default value
Of 0.
It Needs to Know About Things That
Would Limit Where it can put the pit
You can limit the
Areas of the model
Used to compute
Earnings (no need to
Do that now)
.
You could tell it not to
Mine below a certain
Depth (no need to do
That now)
You could designate surface areas that
Must not be disturbed. (you would have
To put a code number into the surface file which
We did not do)
Surface areas with the code number entered here
Could not be disturbed.
Where A Plus Is By a File for the
Next Step Click on the Plus to
Expand the Folder
This of course
Is very typical
Windows rules
It Needs to Know How to Get the
Design Variable
Optimum Pits Come
From Building the
Biggest Profit

Our Block Model is
Geologic and contains
Geologic data

We can tell the program
To calculate our earnings
From the geology or
We can tell it we have
Already put a dollar/ton
Value on each block.
(We dont have values
Pre-computed)
The interval is a report diagnostic tool Im putting in 5000
(youll see what it did later in a report)
It Needs to Know Which Variable
Tells it How Much of a Block is Made
of Rock (Remember we do have air blocks above
the surface)
We dont have to deal
With more complex
Optional items here
Use the drop down
Arrow to show you
A menu of choices and
Pick the variable that
Has the % rock in it
(in your case it is
Topo%)
Program Needs the Range of
Block Values and the Precision
You Require
Defaults here are
Probably Ok
The Last Item
Cut-Off in Dollars/ton
Needs a little more
Explanation.
(Its the cost
For removing the
Worst junk and value
Of your best block)
Default here is ok.
The Program Now Needs Costs
For Creating an Economic Block
Model from the Geologic
You can import these
Parameters from
Another project or
Export the values
You determine for use
In later projects
It Needs to Know the Assay
Value to Track and Density of
Ore
Im going to look at
Cu and Moly for
Determining block
value

I already have the
Rock density picked

Remember the variable names are selected
From a pull down menu.
Enter My Material Types
Many deposits have
More than one type
Of ore or perhaps
An ore and waste

A variable in the
Block model will have
That code number
In it.

It will usually be the
Type variable which
Your block model is
Required to have.
But I Didnt Ever Set Material
Codes in the Block Model!??
Thus the type variable
Has nothing in it.

The next item asks for
What to use as a
Default if no value is
Found in the type
Variable.

When I pick 1 this one
Matches the table below
And will have the
Computer calculate
The value of each
Block using the formulas
I will enter.
Enter My Material Types and
Where It Might Go
Since I have
Simple geology I
Have Cu ore

If its high enough
It goes to the Mill

If not it is considered
For leach

If not that good I will
Just dump it
(Note I am putting
Labels on my ore
Types and destinations)
If I Click on a Brown Box In the
Matrix it Will Activate My
Economic Input
Click Here
Note My Economic Input has come alive
It wants to
Know about
Costs and
Earnings
Associated
With ore it
Sends to the
mill
I Enter My Costs for the Mill
Route
$4.24/metric tonne
to mill the ore and
Make concentrates

$3.25/tonne to mine
(your costs may
Be different)
Enter My Returns from Processing
If we figure the value of Cu in concentrates as $1.05
And value of Mo in concentrates as $4.00
89% recovery on
The Cu

And 75% on the
Mo
Where Did Those Numbers
Come From?
Value of Cu in concentrate
Value of metallic Cu (which you estimated
from price history)
Minus refining charge per lb
Minus smelting charge per lb/Cu
Minus transportation charge
Use cost per ton to transport to smelter
Use about 30% Cu in concentrates to get that on a
per lb basis
This will leave you with value of Cu in
concentrates at the concentrator site.
Moly Value Similar
Value per lb of Moly in Moly oxide
Subtract roasting cost per lb
Subtract out the transportation cost per lb
Get the value per lb is sulfide concentrate
at the mine site
Where did the recovery values come
from
Typical recoveries from mineral processing
handbooks and articles.
Enter the Factors and Click
Apply
Click apply when data entry is complete for this material and
destination
Factors account for
Prices in lbs,
Grades in percents
Volumes in cubic
Meters and costs in
$/metric tonne
How Did You Get That Factor
net value/ ton= (x/100)*2204.603lbs/ton (metric) * ($/lb) where, $/lb is the price of the cu
It Now Declares it has part of the
Information Matrix Ready to Use
We now click our leach ore
Input My Leach Ore Parameters
Mining Costs I Assumed
constant
Leach Cu Recovery is
Lower (say 70%)

I put in $1.15/lb
For Cu since
Electrowin is only
About $0.15/lb

I used $1.65 per
Metric Tonne for leach
operations
I assumed no moly recovery
Now I Input My Dump Parameters
Distinctive no processing costs (unless you have a special dumping cost)
With waste you
Also will get no
Recovery.
What Will the Computer Do With
This Stuff
It will calculate the value of each block from its
recoverable metal content (or lack there-of)
If the value is greater than the mining and processing cost
the block will become a mining target and the model will
look at what has to be moved to get it.
If the block will cost more to mine and process than it
will make then the block is not a mining target but it
might still be in the way of something that is.
If the block has to be moved to get to something else
the computer will look at whether it has enough value
to justify processing
If more than one process is available the model will
look for what ever gets the most net value of a block
Steps Not Required Remain
Grayed Out
Another Fast Way to Bring in
the Cost Matrix is to Import It
Click on Import
(Obviously somebody
Has had to export
Their matrix sometime
Previous)
Use the Directory to Find and
Open the Economics File
Hows that for a Slick Fast Result
Youd appreciate it even more if you had 6 processes and 7 types of ore.
We Now Deal With Overburden
Mining Costs
Some of our blocks
Dont even have
A Cu or Mo grade
Estimated to exist
These will be just
In the way blocks
What does it cost
Us to mine them

Vs. Ore material that
Does have a grade
-Im using a flat $3.25
Right now
Options We Are Not Using
Mining Costs actually
Increase as we mine
Deeper.

If we wanted to
Include this detail
We would check
Off the box.

Then a grayed out
Screen on mining
Cost with depth
Would come to life
And we would have
To fill it out.
A Quarry Option
Sometimes we
Mine all of a top
Bench and work
Down a bench
At a time.

We can designate
What portion of a
Year it takes to
Mine a bench
(5 benches in a
Year enter .2. 1
Bench every 5
Years enter 5 etc)
When you mine top down the future earnings will be discounted with time
So you enter your discount rate for economic analysis
Next We Tell It About Our Pit
Slopes
Im using a constant
Slope with a
Minimum value of
57 degrees (like
Cannanea Mex)
Slope Issues
In Rock Mechanics You Learn about Slope Stability in
Open pits
If an over-all pit slope daylights significant fracture patterns
the whole side of the pit can slide in (potentially loosing you
your investment)
In many cases it makes a difference which side of the pit
A fracture that could daylight near the toe of benches on one
side would be pointing up on the other side
The program allows you to adjust pit slope by azimuth
Sometimes different materials will support different
slopes
Can enter complex slopes that depend on material type
Obviously material type would have to be coded into the block
model
It Needs to Know the Numeric
Technique to Use to Find the
Largest Profit increasing Pit
This set determines
Whether you are
Doing ultimate pits
Or nested pits
(right now we are
After base ultimate
Pit)
You Choose Between
Floating Cone and
Learch Grossman
The Pit Design Choice
A floating cone picks a block cones up and
sees whether the cone makes money.
If it does it mines it
Simple Coding and Explanation
Considered a Heuristic trial and error approach
Lerch Grossman uses powerful math to solve
a transformed problem
Much more computer intensive
Can do some strange things at times
Is considered an analytical solution
I Picked Floating Cone for this
example (its faster)
I could
Specify a
Minimum pit
Bottom radius
(real equipment
Needs room to
Work)

Im not going to
Impose that
Detail right now.
Set the Area Where the Routine
Can Look for a Solution Pit
For an ultimate pit I can default on everything and give the entire block model
Area as the place to look for a pit
Output Destination
I can also specify
A limiting surface
That the pit must
Be within.
(right now I am
Going to default
To the starting
Topography
(pit 0)
There are 50 storage bins you can specify where you want to store your result
(default is location 1 for the ultimate pit)
I Can Tell the Program to Save Me Some
Example Calculations on Specific Blocks
or Groups of Blocks (so I can check on it)
Right now Im not going to audit.
Give It My Output Preferences
I need to say were
The program will
Keep track of where
Mined blocks were
Sent. Thats were
Those Dest1, Dest2
Variables come in.
(I picked Dest1)

It needs to know where
To store the value of
A block. (Thats were
Valpb comes in).
It also will keep track of
The value per ton of
Rock (Thats were the
Valpt variable comes in)
Specifying Output Files
Name of the
Run

Output file will
Be called
Rptopt. What ever
You put here
Prepare to Run the Procedure
Pull down the file
Menu

Select Run Procedure
From menu
The Procedure Runs
This can take just a little while
There is your report extension
name and the name you gave the
run
You Can Check to Make Sure
Key Inputs Read in Correctly
Mining Cost

Pit Slope

Density

Minimum and
Maximum
Value

Cut-off Value
Per ton
You Can Check Your Key Metal
prices and recoveries
Remember that $5000 Spacing I
Entered?
Here is an
Output table
Showing how
Many blocks
In each value
Range were
Found.
(If you get
Really strange
Answers this
Is a place to
Look and see
If things make
Sense)
This is a Very Crucial Table
It shows
Blocks going
To the mill,
The leach,
And the dump
And what the
Average
Grade was
(if you have
Mined blocks
Delivered to
Destinations
It at least
Really ran)
Here is the Over-All Money We
Made and Spent
Oh Yes and the Precious Bottom
Line
Now We Want to See a Picture of
Our Lovely Pit
Highlight were
You want to put
The model
Views
Now Lets Create a New Model
View to Display Our Handy-work.
Pull down the File
Tab and pick
New

On the pop-out
Menu pick Model
View
Name Your Model View
I thought Ultimate Pit was a good name for the view of my ultimate pit
Link it to Your Project Control
File
Pick Your File to Display
For me that will be Opti13.dat (thats where I put my new pit surface)
It Gives Me an Opportunity to
Initialize Multiple Model Views
It useful to have
Separate
layers you can have
For a staged
Mining out of a Pit

Im going to pick yes
Set My Model Views Checking
Off What I Want to be Able to
See
I could
Give them
Special
Names if
I wanted to
The New Views Appear in the
Data Manager
Now Turn On Ultimate Pit 1 to See
How Far the Ultimate Pit Went
Can Turn On Initial Topog to Get an
Idea of Where Our Cuts Effected.
Of Course We Can Use Cut-Offs to
Make the View less Gray and Dreary
On the Cut-Off Menu Select
Intervals
We will probably set intervals to bench heights
Set My Vertical Range and
Bench Height and Then Ok
Things
Select the Entire Range and
Click Properties
Pick Set Color By Range
Now Hows That For Ultimate
Cool!
And Now An Assignment for
You
Get the initial assignment file
It contains a block model, a GSF file for
Economic planner and a cost matrix to
import
Set up MSOPIT and create an ultimate pit
Set up a model view to display your open
pit
Turn in your project files