Drilling and blasting research at the Noranda Technology Centre
CIM Bulletin, Vol. 93, No. 1039, 2000
A. Piché, Q. Liu, H. Tran, L. van Hijfte Noranda Technology Centre, Pointe-Claire, Quebec
Drilling and blasting are fundamental operations in the mining cycle and constitute an important component of the mining costs. Problems associated with improper drilling and blasting practices can create losses of several millions of dollars per year. For this reason, a Blasting Technology program was initiated in 1984 at the Noranda Technology Centre (NTC). In this paper, advances made at NTC in drill and blast technology are reviewed. Impacts of drilling and basting for Noranda are assessed in terms of dilution and ore losses. Future challenges are addressed.
Keywords:
Blasting, Drilling, Noranda Technology Centre, Research, Technology.
