Optimisation Setup

The Stope Optimisation and Pit Optimisation modules enable you to determine the most profitable stope layouts, or sequence of nested pits, for a block model using the integrated mathematical programming solver in conjunction with discounted cash-flow analysis. It's features include:

• Built-in material flow model with support for material bins defined by simple filters or complex expressions.

• For Stope Optimisation: Build stopes by combining either (i) entire blocks at suitable positions, or (ii) slices of tubes extruded from a reference grid.

• Optimisation based on pre-assigned block values or those derived from built-in material flow model.
• Support for sub-blocked models.
• Inclusion/exclusion of zones defined by polygons/wireframes.
• Support for multiple regions with different pit or stope parameters – including sizes, orientations and planes, DTMs or centreline strings to which they should be bound.
• Processes multiple elements from multiple rock types with multiple processing methods.
• Support for dilution and recovery.
• Accepts element prices and mining, processing, rehabilitation, sales, general and administration costs, capital expenditure and discount rates.
• Produces pit or stope wireframes and/or coordinates of blocks comprising an optimum solution.
• A detailed suite of reports that can be customised, summarised and have unit conversions applied using new Report Generator.
• Scenario analysis using charts.

Except for the design parameters, which are different for stopes and pits, the user experience for the Stope Optimiser is very similar to that for the Pit Optimiser – if you can use one, you can use both.

Applications

Using appropriate combinations of design parameters in conjunction with suitable economic parameters, the Pit Optimiser Stope Optimiser can be used to analyse a variety of scenarios and mining methods, including:

• Identifying regions within a resource that can be mined profitably using sublevel open stoping, cut-and-fill stoping, shrinkage stoping, bighole stoping, vertical crater retreat, room-and-pillar mining, sublevel caving or block caving;
• Optimum sizing and staging of underground mining operations using standard pit optimisation methodology and discounted cash flow analysis;
• Optimum sizing and staging of surface mining operations using standard pit optimisation methodology and discounted cash flow analysis;
• Determining the optimum outer envelope for profitable mining subject to a minimum mining volume;
• Determining the optimum dig line for an open-pit bench subject to a minimum mining width;
• Planning locations of underground access drives; and
• Identifying ore and waste envelopes for use in ring design.