Automated

Automated Sampling
Sampling Systems
Systems
To
To Minimize
Minimize Mine-Mill
Mine-Mill
Conciliation
Conciliation Problems
Problems

Three parts:
• Sampling problems lead to
conciliation problems.
• Structural problems lead to
conciliation problems.
• New automated sampling systems
must be structurally correct.
 Conciliation
Conciliation Problems
Problems
==
Devastating
Devastating Money
Money Losses
Losses

Dilution

Sampling
Weighing
Protocol

Conciliation
Problems

Implementing
Laboratory
the Protocol

Variability
 SAMPLING
SAMPLING PROTOCOL:
PROTOCOL:
IN-SITU
IN-SITU NUGGET
NUGGET EFFECT
EFFECT
 SAMPLING
SAMPLING PROTOCOL:
PROTOCOL:
FUNDAMENTAL
FUNDAMENTAL ERROR
ERROR

0.5
 1 1  2.5 d0 
S 2
FE = −  Kd z=  
MS M L  d 

b
 1 1  α  d0 
S 2
FE = −  Kd z=  
MS M L  d 

 1 1  f Au g Au λ Au d Au
3
2
S FE = − 
M
 S M L aL
 SAMPLING
SAMPLING PROTOCOL:
PROTOCOL:
GROUPING
GROUPING and
and SEGREGATION
SEGREGATION
ERROR
ERROR

2
S GE = YZS FE
2

1. Minimize the variance of FE

2. Minimize Y by Collecting more

increments

3. Minimize Z by Homogenizing
IMPLEMENTATION
IMPLEMENTATION OF
OF THE
THE
SAMPLING
SAMPLING PROTOCOL:
PROTOCOL:
SAMPLING
SAMPLING CORRECTNESS
CORRECTNESS

DE

WE Bias
generators EE

PE
DELIMITATION
DELIMITATION ERROR:
ERROR:
BLAST-HOLES
BLAST-HOLES

Former Sub-drill

Current Sub-drill
DELIMITATION
DELIMITATION ERROR:
ERROR:
BLAST-HOLES
BLAST-HOLES
 DELIMITATION
DELIMITATION ERROR:
ERROR:
CROSS-STREAM
CROSS-STREAM SAMPLING
SAMPLING

Falling
stream

Width of cut
Sample Sample kept constant
increment increment

Stream

Top view
Cutter
direction
 DELIMITATION
DELIMITATION ERROR:
ERROR:
LABORATORY
LABORATORY SUB-SAMPLING
SUB-SAMPLING

LABTECH-ESSA
 EXTRACTION
EXTRACTION ERROR:
ERROR:
GEOLOGICAL
GEOLOGICAL MODEL
MODEL

Tender material in fractures

or contacts is selectively lost.

100% recovery
65% recovery
97% recovery

3-meter sample

The Extraction Error could have been called the sample

Recovery Error.
 EXTRACTION
EXTRACTION ERROR:
ERROR:
BLAST-HOLES
BLAST-HOLES

Fugitive dust

Curtain Curtain

Fugitive dust Fugitive dust

 EXTRACTION
EXTRACTION ERROR:
ERROR:
CROSS-STREAM
CROSS-STREAM SAMPLING
SAMPLING

Conditions likely to play an important role:

1. Straightness of the cutter edges
2. Thickness of the cutter edges
3. Shape of the cutter edges
4. Length of the cutter opening
5. Inclination of the cutter opening
6. Cutter width
7. Cutter speed
8. Depth, capacity and general design of the
cutter
9. Stream turbulences and stream velocity
 EXTRACTION
EXTRACTION ERROR:
ERROR:
LABORATORY
LABORATORY SUB-SAMPLING
SUB-SAMPLING

Do not feed riffle splitters too fast.

Correct Incorrect
 PREPARATION
PREPARATION ERROR:
ERROR:
LABORATORY
LABORATORY SUB-SAMPLING
SUB-SAMPLING

Prevent the use of very dusty,

old technology machinery:

Jaw Crushers

Roll Crushers

Riffle splitters (DE and EE)

Disc pulverizers
 WEIGHTING
WEIGHTING ERROR:
ERROR:
PROPORTIONAL
PROPORTIONAL SAMPLING
SAMPLING

All modern sampling systems should

be proportional.
It is an unsolvable problem for any
kind of manual sampling, or any
kind of incorrect sampling system.
All intermittent sampling systems
are affected by WE.
Proportional sampling is the future
of sampling systems.
 The
The Mining
Mining Industry
Industry
has
has been
been very
very slow
slow to
to minimize
minimize
structural
structural problems.
problems.

Answers to all conciliation

problems are given by a clear
understanding of the two
concepts:

• Structural Properties
(i.e., Causes of problems)

• Circumstantial Properties
(i.e., Effects of problems)
STRUCTURAL
STRUCTURAL PROPERTIES
PROPERTIES
EXAMPLE
EXAMPLE #1
#1

Drilling diameter too small

Large variance of in-situ Nugget

Effect

Large spread of precision

ellipse

Geological model-reality
conciliation
 STRUCTURAL
STRUCTURAL PROPERTIES
PROPERTIES
EXAMPLE
EXAMPLE #2
#2

Poor sampling/subsampling
protocol

Large variance of Nugget Effect

Large spread of precision ellipse

Geology-mine-plant conciliation
problems, and massive money losses
 STRUCTURAL
STRUCTURAL PROPERTIES
PROPERTIES
EXAMPLE
EXAMPLE #2:
#2: Financial
Financial Loss
Loss

Large Copper mine

in northern Chile:

US $ 134 000 000 loss difference

between a bad sampling and sub-
sampling protocol and a better one,
over a 10-year period.

P. Carrasco: WCSB1, Denmark 2003

STRUCTURAL
STRUCTURAL PROPERTIES
PROPERTIES
EXAMPLE
EXAMPLE #3
#3

Poor installation/maintenance of
weightometers

Large tonnage errors

Massive mine-plant conciliation

 STRUCTURAL
STRUCTURAL PROPERTIES
PROPERTIES
EXAMPLE
EXAMPLE #4
#4

Use of incorrect sampling stations

Introduction of DE, EE, PE,

and WE biases

Unreliable metallurgical
accounting

Mine-plant conciliation problems and

false metal recovery statements
 STRUCTURAL
STRUCTURAL PROPERTIES
PROPERTIES
EXAMPLE
EXAMPLE #4: #4:
No
No sampling
sampling station
station == Financial
Financial loss
loss

Example of a large Copper mine in

Chile:

US $2 000 000 000 loss through

tailings over a 20-year period

P. Carrasco: WCSB1, Denmark 2003

 PROBLEMS
PROBLEMS WITH
WITH
BLAST-HOLE
BLAST-HOLE SAMPLING
SAMPLING

8 Other problems

7
4 Segregation
6

1 Former Sub-drill

Ideal
sample
2
Actual
sample

3 Current Sub-drill
Exploration:
Exploration: Reverse
Reverse Circulation
Circulation
Grade
Grade control:
control: Blast-holes
Blast-holes
Metal
Metal Craft
Craft
Exploration:
Exploration: Reverse
Reverse Circulation
Circulation
Grade
Grade control:
control: Blast-holes
Blast-holes
Metal
Metal Craft:
Craft: Rotary
Rotary Splitter
Splitter
 Grade
Grade control:
control: Blast-holes
Blast-holes
Harrison
Harrison R.
R. Cooper
Cooper system
system

Sample
 Grade
Grade control:
control: Blast-holes
Blast-holes
Codelco
Codelco IM2
IM2 system
system

VISTA 3D MC2K, PROTOTIPO PILOTO

Problems
Problems with
with Sampling
Sampling Stations:
Stations:
Cutter
Cutter of
of primary
primary sampler
sampler

Very hard steel,

perfectly symmetrical
cutter blades

<20•

TEC PRO MIN

PROCESS CHILE
HEATH and SHERWOOD
Problems
Problems with
with Sampling
Sampling Stations:
Stations:
Vezin
Vezin secondary
secondary sampler
sampler

Stream

u ≥3d

Stream

Cutter direction Width of cut

kept constant
Sample
Stream increment

Top view

Point 1: Closest stream point from center of rotation

Point 2: Farthest stream point from center of rotation.

 Problems
Problems with
with Sampling
Sampling Stations:
Stations:
Vezin
Vezin secondary
secondary sampler
sampler

Usual, unacceptable inspection door

Motor Recommended inspection door

Stream

TEC PRO MIN

PROCESS CHILE
 Problems
Problems with
with Sampling
Sampling Stations:
Stations:
An
An excellent
excellent process
process control
control system
system

Underflow inducing
turbulence

Five Cutters

Z
Y

X
Sample stream going
Main stream
to a similar, smaller
sampling stage

Thermo Gamma-Metrics Anstat System.

• Dimension X is sampled all the time.

•Dimension Y is completely represented.
• Dimension Z is represented by grouping several increments
minimizing the effect of across-the-stream segregation.
Problems
Problems with
with Sampling
Sampling Stations:
Stations:
The
The Future
Future of
of Plant
Plant Sampling
Sampling
 Problems
Problems with
with Subsampling
Subsampling
at
at Laboratories:
Laboratories:
Automated
Automated sample
sample preparation
preparation

A
ROCKLABS
DIAVIK SYSTEM

D
 Problems
Problems with
with Subsampling
Subsampling
at
at Laboratories:
Laboratories:
Use
Use aa JIS
JIS shovel,
shovel, spoon,
spoon, or
or spatula.
spatula.

A B

Incomplete, Complete,
incorrect correct
increment increment
 Conciliation
Conciliation Problems
Problems
WCSB2
WCSB2

The next World Conference on Sampling

and Blending will be held in Brisbane,
Australia, in May 2005 and organized by
the CSIRO.
Objectives:
• Creation of improved standards on
Sampling
• Review of new sampling technologies
• Review of good sampling economics
• Review of good blending economics