Open Pit Mine Scheduling Workflows
FAQ
Bench solids are formed from the intersection of the nested pits and the benches. They allow you to schedule using nested pit increments on benches instead of mining blocks - essentially a simple form of automated pushback scheduling. Since you will typically end up with significantly fewer bench solids than mining blocks, it's quicker to build the schedule with them - provided that they give you the granularity that you require.
You will probably use mining blocks extensively - both with pit optimisations and Direct Block Scheduling (DBS). Mining blocks divide the shells (either block model outer or pit stages) into a 3D grid of blocks that can then have dependencies applied and be scheduled individually. As you'll see from the workflow summaries, there isn’t much difference between scheduling from pit optimisations and DBS - it all comes down to how you define your boundaries. Effectively, the mining blocks reblock the block model within the confines of the specified shells. If you have a pit optimisation and you're happy that the inherent NPV objective is not going to constrain the schedule adversely, use the nested pit shells. If not, use DBS, create mining blocks as required from the block model outer shell and schedule those.
If you require Scheduling only to work within the constraints of the final pit shell, specify the appropriate Stage Solid. If you require Scheduling to understand and sequence within the structure of the nested pits, specify the ordered list of corresponding Incremental Solids. The Pit Optimiser includes output options for both. Use Incremental Solids if you want to force the stages into Scheduling. Use the final Stage Solid if you want Scheduling to work them out.
Single Open-Pit Mine Scheduling Workflows
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Resource model(s)
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Multiple alternative workflows
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Multiple resource models supported for each
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Final object (solid) in each workflow becomes task in schedule
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Dependencies between tasks to support each workflow
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Slope angles, bench solids, or simple 1:1 step
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Multiple Alternative Open-Pit Workflows
# |
Open-Pit Workflow Option |
Summary |
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1 |
Resource model -> Mining Blocks (#1 Direct Block Scheduling) |
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2 |
* Equivalent to #1: Direct Block Scheduling using pit shell instead of outer shell of block model |
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3 |
* Similar to #2: Pit Optimisation -> Mining Blocks using multiple stage shells instead of only final pit shell |
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4 |
#4 Pit Optimisation -> Nested Pits -> Bench Solids
Pit Optimisation -> Bench Solids |
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5 |
#5 Pit Optimisation -> Nested Pits -> Pit Designs -> Incremental Solids -> Mining Blocks |
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6 |
#6 Direct Block Scheduling -> EOP Surfaces -> Pit Designs -> Incremental Solids -> Mining Blocks |
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Summary of Alternative OP Workflows (1)
FROM … |
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Pit Optimisation |
Direct Block Scheduling |
Pit Optimisation |
Resource Model Outer Shell |
(Direct Block Schedule) |
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End-of-Period Surfaces |
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Pit Shells (Stage Solids) |
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Pit Designs |
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Incremental (Stage Solids) with Extraction Numbers |
Summary of Alternative OP Workflows (2)
WITH … |
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Mining Blocks |
Bench Solids |
Create Mining Blocks
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Create Bench Solids
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Attribute Solids from Resource Model
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Dependencies for Mining Blocks |
Dependencies for Bench Solids |
Optimisation |
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Animation |
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Reports and Charts |