Application of Blast-Pile Image Analysis in a Mine-to-Crusher Model to Minimize Overall Costs in a Large-Scale Open-Pit Mine in Brazil

• Published in: Mining (Basel) 2024-11, Vol.4 (4), p.983-993
• Main Authors: Navarro Torres, Vidal Félix, Ferreira, Fabiano Veloso, de Carvalho, Victor Albuquerque, Veras, Eltton, Sitônio, Felipe França
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Blasting; Calibration; Carbon dioxide emissions; cost minimization; Cost reduction; Drilling; Efficiency; Energy consumption; Iron compounds; iron ore mine; Iron ores; Mathematical models; mine to crush; Mines; Mining; Operating costs; Particle size; Rainforests; Trucks; vibration control; Water pollution
• ISSN: 2673-6489; 2673-6489
• DOI: 10.3390/mining4040055

Amazon rainforests have many hidden treasures; thus, a balance between mine activities and the environment must be maintained. In the northern region of Brazil, there is a large diversity of metal ore deposits, the exploitation of which requires innovative and sustainable mining operations. Historically, mining operations have caused various environmental issues, such as landscape deterioration, damage to natural structures due to detonations, and soil and water pollution, and have also contributed to CO2 emissions from diesel trucks. Here, to estimate and minimize the operating expenses of a large-scale open-pit iron mine, a mine-to-crusher model was developed. The calibration of the mine-to-crusher model was based on rock fragmentation from the blasting phase through the primary crushing phase from an analysis of pictures of the fragmented pile. A reduction in cost was determined for an optimum 90% passing size (P90). The calibration was performed with technical and economic parameters from 2 years before. For the studied iron ore mine site, an optimum P90 value between 0.29 and 0.31 m was determined.