REDUCING MINING TAILINGS AND OPERATIONAL DILUTION: A NEW APPLICATION OF THE ROOM AND PILLAR MINING METHOD
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17159/Abstract
The selection of an underground mining method stems from a multivariate analysis that considers geomechanical, geological, economic and operational parameters. Even after identifying the most compatible method, there is no assurance that the mining company will achieve the best performance. The geological complexity of some deposits requires adaptations of methods described in the literature to obtain more selectivity and reduce mining waste. There are some studies on geometry of underground structures, but a methodology that describes an adaptation of a room and pillar mining method for ore bodies with down-dip varying from 20° to 25° is novel. The present work aims to reduce dilution by adapting the traditional room and pillar mining method (TRP) to inclined ore bodies. This new method is entitled short hole room and pillar (SHRP). The equations that measure the dilution were defined according to the geometry of stopes and openings. The results are composed of comparative analyses between the operational and planned dilutions to measure the performance of the SHRP method. The average operating dilution of the SHRP method was more than five times lower than the planned dilution according to the TRP method. Low operational dilution indicates high selectivity of the method and its potential to reduce underground mining tailings.Downloads
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Copyright (c) 2024 Edmo Rodovalho, Thammiris Mohamad El Hajj, Giorgio de Tomi, Jorge Alberto Soares Tenório
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