Gold mine in Western Australia

Debottlenecking an underground mine with dynamic simulations

Confidential | Australia | 2014

1,000+

dynamic simulations conducted in 2 months

50% increase

in production targeted in long-term strategy

16-week study

to identify and fix bottlenecks

Challenges

  • Help ensure the continued viability of the gold mine by increasing haulage from underground operations.
  • Address logistical bottlenecks preventing the company from reaching its five-year capacity goal for the mine.
  • Improve efficiency by improving throughput without adding new equipment.

Solutions

  • Mapped the mine's design, including haulage routes and stockpiles.
  • Linked a dynamic model to the mine's planning software, tracking the flow of goods, people, and machinery on site, including scheduling, decision rules, and fine details.
  • Identified jumbo operations to be the main bottleneck, and found opportunities to improve prioritization of stoping and production activities.
  • Used a dynamic model to empower the company, enabling it to challenge traditional operating and planning practices in a workshop environment.

Highlights

  • Numerous productivity improvements and strategic expansion options evaluated in just two months.
  • Simulations tested fleet-configuration options and capabilities of jumbos, boggers, and haul trucks.
  • Complex rules and interdependences for this operation were shared, collecting knowledge to help the company make better decisions.
  • Dynamic model is being used to target a five-year, 50% increase in production through underground mine expansion options.

Project numbers

1,000+ dynamic simulations
16-week study

Services & technologies provided

Gold

Engineering

Mining

Operational Performance


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