Optimisation in open-pit mine planning

Abstract

Mining has played an important role in the growth of civilisation. Migration, and economic and industrial revolutions have been based on the availability of mineral resources. Open-pit mines are surface excavations created to extract valuable material that is located below the surface by means of an excavation. Open-pit mining is commonly used for extracting near to surface metallic and non-metallic ore deposits. Large scale ore deposits can benefit from the economies of scale offered by the open-pit mining process. Open-pit mines are excavated in phases often referred to as pushbacks or cutbacks, which are mineable units designed to maximise the financial return from the mine. Strategic mi..