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Introduction
Mine Planning software. What do they optimize?
Introduction of optimization models in the 60s
Ultimate Pit Limit, Lane, Lerchs-Grossmans Algorithm
Johnson 1968
More details: Newman et al. (2010) and Osanloo et al.
(2008)
Literature Review
Stockpile has great importance in mining operations
Few authors include the stockpile option in long-term optimization models
Bley et al. (2012a)
Difficulty in modelling stockpiles: mixing behavior
Literature Review
Tabesh et al. (2015)
Shows a non-linear model with stockpile option
Linear model: uses a lot of stockpiles with predefined metal grades
Metal Grade:
Time period
If block is extracted in : ,
{0,1}
Block destination: , + ,
,
,
1
t
t+1
Finally the amount of Ore and Metal in stockpile a the end of period is:
,0
,0
=0
1
+
=
>0
=0
1
+
>0
1
1
1 2 3 4 5
1 2 3 4 5
Stockpile
Precedence constraint
Extraction Capacity
Processing Capacity
Expenses
L-Bound model
Blocks sent to stockpile must have a metal grade above
s
xb,t
=0
b B t. q. :
mb
<L
wb
L-Average model
The cumulative average metal grade of the blocks sent to the
stockpile must be at least
s
xb,
s
xb,
Results
Instance 1: Marvin (MineLib)
Solved with a fixed extraction sequence (so we can solve the nonlinear model with SCIP)
Solution Analysis
L-Average
L-Bound
Mill
Stockpile
Waste dump
Results
Instance 2: Tampakan
Great Size Instance, we couldnt use the non-linear model
High presence of arsenic contaminant capacity constraint for this
element
Stockpile used for lowering arsenic average level in material sent to
mill
Model
Upper Bound
L-Average
L-Bound
No Stockpile
NPV
$ 4,848,040,000
$ 4,677,720,000
$ 4,451,700,000
$ 4,296,550,000
% difference
-3.51%
-8.18%
-11.38%
Solution Analysis
80.000.000
160
70.000.000
140
60.000.000
120
50.000.000
100
40.000.000
80
30.000.000
60
20.000.000
40
10.000.000
20
Arsenic Grade
Tonns of Material
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50
Period
Destination of blocks
extracted on first
period
Cut-off grade: 0.21%
Arsenic Grade
L-Average
4000
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
Planta
Mill
Stockpile
Desecho
Waste
Dump
0
0,5
1,5
Metal Grade
2,5
NPV
Variation
Whittle
$ 847,035,400
Whittle + L-average
$ 855,442,430
+0.99%
Optimal schedule
(no stock)
$ 877,732,900
+3.62%
Optimal schedule
(with L-average stockpile)
$ 911,356,530
+7.59%
Solution Analysis
70.000.000
60.000.000
Tonns of Material
Destination
of Extracted
Material
50.000.000
40.000.000
Waste Dump
30.000.000
Sento to Stock
Sent to Mill
20.000.000
10.000.000
1
10 11
Period
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
70.000.000
1,6
60.000.000
1,4
19
20
1,2
50.000.000
40.000.000
0,8
30.000.000
0,6
20.000.000
0,4
10.000.000
0,2
0
0
8
9
Period
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
Metal Grade
Material
sent to
mill, and
metal
grade in it
Tonns of Material
Stock to Mill
Sent to Mill
Conclusions
Stockpile use increases NPV of mine operations
Linear model with stockpile option
Practical way, can be used in large instances
Behaves similar than non-linear models