Strategic Mine Planning for Industrial Mineral

Deposits using RM Scheduler

Introduction

Generating the optimal strategic plan for an industrial mineral deposit requires solving
complex mathematical problems which are bound by various constraints such as:
• The geological realities of the deposit, e.g. structure, grade distribution,
contaminants etc.
• The economic conditions for mining, e.g. mining and processing costs, commodity
value, discount rate, capital costs
• The engineering requirements for pit slope, product specification , minimum
mining width etc.

RM Scheduler addresses these constraints to produce a viable

and practical strategic mine plan for industrial deposits
RM Scheduler

Long term planning software written specifically for the

industrial materials industry
• Maximizes blendable reserves using unique optimization algorithms
• Maximizing resources is the main criterion, not NPV, although NPV can
be considered when appropriate
• Very similar architecture to NPV Scheduler
• Introduced to the market in 2000
Resource Maximization
 Achieve consistent feed
• Tonnage
• Quality within user defined specifications (Lime Saturation Factor, Silica Modulus, contaminants, etc.)
 Blending of extracted mineral with external sources and stockpiles

 Quarry Design and Scheduling criteria

• Physical limits and boundaries
• Pit wall slopes
• Position and direction of mining
• Number and length of active mining faces

 Adaptable to market conditions

• Change in product specification by period
• Product pricing
• Multiple product opportunities
Cement Industry
3 of the 5 largest cement companies use RM Scheduler
• Lafarge
• Cemex
• Italcementi

Main benefits
• Management of Natural Resource Assets
• Sustainability Management – protecting natural capital by
Maximising the life of the reserve by blending
Reduce negative impacts by blending, planning and restoration
Reducing the cost of extraction to the natural capital
Reducing the cost of processing
Scheduling goals

• Maximise quarry life ensuring that production and

blending targets are met throughout the quarry’s life

• Produce yearly scheduling alternatives that will

provide a framework for the short-term schedules
 Mineral Processing Settings
• Mining costs defined by material type
• Processing costs for each material
type and product defined by
o Fixed value
o Formula
• Ability to upgrade raw material
o Mass reduction
o Quality upgrade
Pit Optimization Settings

• Maximize resource or use existing

•  design
• Sequence blocks with Blending
• Slope Modelling
• Limited to property boundaries
Blended Pit and Blended Sequence

• Blended Pit
• Blended Sequence
• Make Pits…
• Next steps
Pushbacks

• Generated within the Blended Pit

• Controlled by
• Minimum Mining Width
• Mass variables
• Closed outlines
 Schedule
• Use blending target
• Can use Stockpiles
• Can use External Sources

• Questions and Live Demo