Towards formalizing qualitative operations input into mine planning

2011

Erin Lampard,

Mine planning and scheduling cannot remain static tools used by the mining industry. Mining is highly variable and is affected by both internal and external factors that can limit or dictate the rate of ore production which can be achieve at a site. Adjusting the mine plan and schedule more frequently using qualitative operations and external input will allow both the plan and schedule to more accurately reflect the current operational status and ability to achieve an annual production target. The frequency at which a plan should be reviewed is site specific and is dependent upon the severity of a delay for internal factors and the degree of impact and availability of resources for external factors. The application of mine plan revision will allow the planners to respect and manage the variation of day-to-day operations by increasing flexibility in the planning process and provide a detailed basis for evaluating the impact of changes to the mine plan stemming from external factors.

Keywords: Planning, Production, weather, external factors, qualitative, Operations