Stope mine design optimisation using various algorithms for the Randgold Kibali project

Stope mine design optimisation using various algorithms for the Randgold Kibali project

Sens, J.J.

Buxton, M.W.N. (mentor)

Civil Engineering and Geosciences

Resource Engineering

2011-12-06

In current practice stope mines are designed using simple rules of thumb or using algorithms that do not find the true optimisation. Therefore a combinatorial optimisation algorithm was developed for optimising stope boundaries for sublevel stope mines. The profitability of a stope and the feasibility of a mine depends on the infrastructure that is needed to reach and operate the stope. An algorithm using Ant Colony Logic was developed for designing the access and longer sections of infrastructure. A third algorithm using hill climbing optimisation was developed for generating an optimised ore hauling system. For this thesis, the developed algorithms were used for generating an optimised design for the Kibali project underground sublevel stope mine. This design is then compared to the design by Randgold. It can be seen that the mining locations in both designs match. Because the optimisation algorithm takes the stope shapes into account a higher percentage of dilution is found.

Stope
Mine
optimisation

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:3d864408-d3fa-46c4-82f3-6a9270bd7edf

2014-12-06

Student theses

master thesis

(c) 2011 Sens, J.J.