Ultimate pit limit determination for semi mobile in-pit crushing and conveying system: a case study

ABSTRACT

Semi mobile in-pit crushing and conveying systems have different pit shape requirements to traditional truck haulage systems due to the inclusion of a conveyor flight in the pit. As the shape of a pit is heavily influenced by the ultimate pit limit, it is desirable to have the additional shape requirements included in the ultimate pit limit determination process. This paper introduces in-pit crushing and conveying systems and discusses their differences and benefits. The differences and requirements of pit design between truck haulage and semi mobile in-pit crushing and conveying systems are then highlighted. A method of including the additional requirements during the ultimate pit limit determination is presented. A case study has been included that shows the method working successfully, with scheduling of the pits to further highlight semi mobile in-pit crushing and conveying viability. This case study shows that through the reduced mining costs, a semi mobile in-pit crushing and conveying pit can return a higher Net Present Value, despite being smaller than the traditional truck and shovel pit for the same deposit. The development of this method provides the opportunity for the metalliferous industry to accurately determine ultimate pit limits for a mines considering the use of semi mobile in-pit crushing and conveying systems.