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Conference Proceedings

Eighth Underground Operators' Conference 2002

Conference Proceedings

Eighth Underground Operators' Conference 2002

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Mass Blasting for Mine to Mill - The AT04 Mass Blast, Kanowna Belle Gold Mine

Mass Blasts are generally required at the completion of longhole stoping cycles to maximise the recovery of ore from a specific orebody. During the course of mining, the practice is to leave pillars of ore to support the opening left by extracted ore and to mitigate stresses from working areas of the stope. These pillars usually contain ore that has been included in the resource evaluation and is highly valuable to the mining operation. Due to their stressed nature, the removal of pillars by conventional blasting techniques, through small blasts, can result in pillars being reduced beyond their critical size and ultimately failing, rendering the ore unrecoverable. The AurionGold Kanowna Belle Gold Mine operates a Mine to Mill philosophy. This philosopy requires the fine tuning of blasting to provide the best possibe ore feed at the highest grade for mill productivity. This means that ore to the mill must be well fragmented from blasting that provides high extraction rates from draw points, with minimal dilution from overbreak or fall off, and sized to maximise SAG mill throughput. The AT04 Mass Blast contained significant ore reserves which were required to meet gold production targets. KBGB needed the AT04 Mass Blast to perform as well as if not better than conventional stope blasts to maintain mill production. This paper describes the circumstances, planning philosophy, techniques, including the use of Electronic Initiation Systems and Bulk Emulsion Explosives, and results that provided a highly successful outcome.
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  • Mass Blasting for Mine to Mill - The AT04 Mass Blast, Kanowna Belle Gold Mine
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  • Published: 2002
  • PDF Size: 1.369 Mb.
  • Unique ID: P200205003

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