Block Models and Rough Open

Pits
2012 Dr. B. C. Paul
Note These slides contain many screen shots from the program MineSight
developed by Mintec. Credit for the program is given to its developers. These
slides draw on previous material prepared by the author and some of the
topics covered are also found in Mintec training courses.

Representing Ore Bodies

So far we have used contour lines and the
linker tool to set bounds on ore bodies
Disseminated deposits lack firm orebody edges
Even vein deposits with clear edges usually have
grade variations within their limits

Orebodies can be expressed digitally by

breaking the ground up into large numbers of
little cubes
This representation is called a Block Model
Because very large numbers of blocks the
technique if for computer based analysis

Block Model Identification Begins

When You Start MineSight
You must have an idea
Of what the coordinates
Are for your ore body
And what units because
You have to specify
Project limits.
You also need to have
An idea of block size.

We Will Look at Block Models

with Open Pit this Time.
Splitting blocks with benches is a mathematical complexity
Try to make block height correspond to bench height
Bench height is related to equipment size

Shovels have to be able to dig to top of bench

A big shovel goes with a big truck
Big shovels and trucks go with big deposits (obviously you need an
idea of how big your deposit is)

Also related to homogeneity of ore

A Bench will generally mix all ore over its vertical height if you need
vertical selection you need shorter benches

Taller benches usually more economic

Fewer levels to maintain
Larger drills and more drill hole spacing

Load Your Assay and Drill Hole

Data into the Program

Composite Samples to Bench

Height

Use Chosen Interpolation Routine to

Estimate Block Grades in Model
As Mining
Engineers we
Will often be
Given block
Models that
Our geologists
Have already
Developed.

Where We Are At
We Have a Geologic Block Model (stored as a
File 15)
We have Geologic reserves and grade and tonnage
This is where we will begin our work (at least in this class)

Common Procedure is to Find Out How Much

is Economically Minable given the overburden
This is done with a computer routine that tries to select the
largest set of blocks that keeps adding to the pits value
This is where we go next

Preparing Files to Receive

Data
The Pit Optimization Procedures We
Will Use Require Specialized Places to
Store Information
They must follow naming conventions used
by the computer codes
The program therefore contains file
initiation routines to ready files for that
purpose

What Is Required
You Must Have a Gridded Surface
Model of Your Current Topography
A gridded surface file is a digital
representation of the surface
The surface is broken up into little squares
and each square is assigned an average
elevation

You Must Use Minesight Compass

Routines for setting up the files

What We Are Going to Do

Start Compass
(If compass is being run first time in project
have to set things up)
We create a Project Control File PCF
We create a Project File

Next We Create a Gridded Surface File

Then we create a model view in

MineSight 3D
While creating we load data into our GSF

Continuing Our Plan

We will use our regular GSF to create a
special GSF for MineSight Economic
Planner
We will use our block model to create a
special block model for Economic Planner

We will ask Economic Planner to Find

Our Ultimate Pit
The largest set of blocks to mine that keeps
making us more money as we expand

Lets Start By Getting Those Initial

Files and the GSF Files Ready

We Open MineSight
Compass

The First Time You Use Compass

You Will Likely Get a Protest
Speech

Start by Acknowledging the

Complaint Say Ok

MineSight Compass Starts

(But almost everything is grayed out because it
is protesting the missing files)

MineSight Likes to Have Two

Files
A MineSight Project Control File

It lists off all the different files and objects the

program has to keep track of
(its a table of contents for a computer to read)

A Project File

Contain identification, name and basic dimension

information for the project

We have to Pacify MineSight before we will

be allowed to proceed (unless someone
already did this which they might have to
create a block model).

Use the Compass File Drop

Down to Create a new PCF

It Ask to Verify It is In the Right

Directory for Your Project

After verifying click Ok

Project Initialization Starts

Identify your measurement
units

You need to explain what

Project type you have you
Will almost always be 3-D
Pick a 4 letter ID for your
Project. Most of your data
Files will begin with this
4 letter name.
When finished with the
Panel click the arrow to move on.

The mineral type and

Description will be for output
Reports this helps you
Not the computer.

Next It Wants to Know About the

Coordinate System for Your
Block Model

Commentary
This will set the area for your block
model
Often this will be the same size as your
project area

But what if the orebody is just a small

part of your project design area
You could save a lot of space and speed if
you only built a block model in your
orebody area.

Im not doing a different size

block model
If I were I would need
To check this box

I click to move on after

Filling in the screen.

It Tells You Thanks and Indicates

it is starting to make your PCF

A Dos Window Opens and You

See Something Run

Then It Lays A Report on You as

it Proclaims Success
The report indicates what
Your input was and how
It used that information
To lay out the PCF

MineSight Likes Putting Out

Reports on Everything
Why Reports are important in Industry

Fraud including fake mines have long been a

problem
Since most mining projects will enter investor
markets in some way laws have been devised to
try to suppress fraud
The size of an ore reserve and how a mine is
designed greatly influence project value
Thus this work must be documented

Organizing and keeping copies of the reports

MineSight keeps will help you meet
documenting requirements for the things you
do.

Next We Create Our Project File

To Create the File It Needs One

Piece of Info
Where is your project control
File?
Your project control file has
The 4 letter name you gave
When you set it up and the
Number 10.
I need to find a file called
Demo10, click on it and then
Click open.

MineSight Compass Comes Alive

(You have given it the PCF and Project files)

Now We Can Get Back to Our

Mission
We wanted to create a gridded surface
model of our topography
(ultimately we will use this file to create a
special gridded surface file for use by our
open pit mine creation algorithms)

Click on the Project Tab

Now Click to Open the
Project File Editor

The Project File Editor Opens

Now click
On the
File
Dropdown

I Want to Create A New File

It Wants to Know What Kind

Lets see If I want to create a
Gridded Surface File or a GSF
I bet that 13-GSF will work.
Highlight it with the curser and
Left click.

It Proposes to Create a File with

Just Information on Elevations
Thats right.
Just click the save
Icon and you have
Your file 13.

It Asks for a File Name

Suggest using
4 letter project ID
And #13
Then click save.

It Pops Up a Success Message

Well You Have Your File 13 Sort

Of
Its current weaknesses are
It contains no data
And You Cant See It

When Can Solve Both Problems at

Once
This is done by creating a Model View
A Model View is a Set of Instructions that
Allows MineSights 3D Viewer to graphically
display the contents of a file

Create a Model View Using the

Data Manager
Pick the Directory
Right Click to drop down the menu
Move the curser over new and when
The side menu opens move the
Curser over model view and left
Click.

It Asks You To Name the Model

View
Enter your name
And then click ok

It Needs to Know Which File to

Use for the Model View
Block Model and
Gridded Surface Files
Are not shown in the
Data Manager, but
They are listed in the
Project Control File
(PCF).
Thus the first thing you
Must do is to identify
The PCF

The PCF is a 4 Letter Name and

the Number 10

Usually the selection

Is obvious
Click on the PCF
Then Click Open

Now You Are Given a List of

Invisible File 13s and 15s in the
PCF

Click on the one you will make a model view of.

Clicking Will Cause the Chosen

File to Turn Blue

Then left click on Ok

The Model View Editor Turns On

One of the first issues to be dealt with is which

Number field in the file 13 (or file 15) to display.
In our case there is only one field in the file 13
So its a non-issue. You can click on the blue
List to get a drop down of all fields in the file
That might be used for display

Until I Have Something In the File

My Display Set-Up is not too
Important

I will select a Geometry Object (ie my topography) to use in creating a

Digital representation of the surface.
I start by picking the Geometry Tab and then the Red Box to search for my
Geometry object.

Pick a Geometry Set

I can pick a set of geometry objects to use in coding my Gridded Surface.

I will be allowed to name that set later.
At this point I am ready to select the geometry objects for my geometry set.
Start the selection with clicking on the Red Dot Box.

Another Window Open

This is a picking window.
I click the red box (again) to go
To a list of geometry objects.

I Pick My Topo Surface from a

Directory and Click Ok

Note That My Pick List Now

Contains a Geometry Object

Now I can see what kinds of things

Are in the geometry object and
Pick the ones I want.
If no list of object contents appears then
Click the blue worm to make it appear

Pick and Click Ok

The Geometry Set Window

Activates
Note there is now a set of geometry
Sets available to name
(the purpose of naming geometry
Sets is to avoid the need to repick
Things all over if you ever need this
Set again)
I name the geometry set
Click Save Set
Click Ok

The Model View Editor Now Has

a Geometry Set to Use In
Gridding the Surface

Click Grid
(It will then average elevation of little digital squares and
Put the result into the file 13 GSF)

It Jumps to the Gridding Detail

Tab
(I could also have just picked this tab myself)

The first thing I need to do is to say which variable in

The file to send the result to. Pick the Blue list box for
A list of variable names there is only one in this file 13
So it will be a tough pick.

The Grid Button Lights Up

Click the Grid Button (there will normally be

A short calculation delay as the program gets
Average elevation in each grid square)

Now I Have Data In My File 13 I

Want to Control the Display

The little color box allows me to color code a range

Of values in this case elevation. Click on the
Color code box.

The Color Coding Box Comes Up

I happen to know the topo is between about
6400 and 7500 feet so the default intevals are
Dumb.
I will click intervals to use my greater wisdom.

Ill Put My Limits In the Intervals

Box and Click Ok

Now I Will Drag and Highlight the

Elevation Range to Color Code

I will then click color range to set the range

Of colors.

Ill Pick and Neon Color Range

If I wanted to use
Only part of the range
I would click on the
Color range editor.
In this case Im happy
So I will click Ok

I Close Windows and Look at My

Surface
The elevation range
Was less than I
Thought so Im not
Seeing a big range
Of color.
(I could go back and
Reset that if I
Wanted).

Our Story So Far

We set up MineSight Compass with a
PCF and a Project File
We created our basic gridded surface
file (GSF)
We Gridded Our Topography Into It
We Set Our Display.

Thinking Ahead to Our Next

Move
We will use our basic GSF to create a
specialized GSF for use by Economic
Planner
(We in this case will assume our
geologists have supplied us with a block
model).
We will then tell Economic Planner to
Find Our Ultimate or Final Pit
We will display that final pit.

Getting the Special File 13

You need an a special file 13 (gridded
surface file) that allows for multiple pit
surfaces and some control variables
You need to have a file 15 (block model)
with extra-variables to store information
about block values and material destinations
The pit generation routines will send material to
various processing facilities.

Lets Start Out Getting That

Special File 13
Left Click the
MineSight Tab
To pull down
The menu
On the pull down
Menu left click
Compass
(this will start
MineSight
Compass which
Is a big collection
Of programs for
Doing stuff)

MineSight Compass Starts

Left Click on the
Project Tab
(This selects
The project
Screen in
Compass)
Left Click the
Little folder open
Icon to start
The project file
editor

We Are Going to Create a New

File 13 with Extra Stuff in it
Left click file to
Pull down the
menu
Left click new to
Select the
new file option.

The Pop-Up Menu Wants to Know

What Kind of File We Will Create

Different types of
Files have
Identifying numbers
We want to create
A file 13 (which
Means the type
Of file that
Contains gridded
Surface
Information)
Left click on
13 - GSF

We Now Tell it We Want a Special

GSF for MineSight Economic
Planner
Left click on the
Little box for
MS-EP GSF
Note the
Check mark
That appears

It Needs to Know Where to Find

the Surface Initialization Data
Left click the
Little down arrow
Beside the file
Location area.
A drop down
Menu shows all
Existing file
13s (this is why
You needed to
Have an existing
File 13)

Select the existing

File 13 for the
Unmined
Surface.

Tell it Where the Current Topography

is in the File You Selected
From the down
Arrow select
Topog (or what
Ever variable
You stored
Topo data in)
As you can
See it has
Now initialized
Our special file
13 for MineSight
Economic
Planner
Now click the
Save icon to
Save the file.

The Save Menu Comes Up to Ask You

What Name to Save the File Under
You are limited
To 6 characters
Before .dat
And the last
Two should be
13 so you and
The program
Can see it is a
File 13.
I named mine
Opti13.dat
Now I left click
Save.

The Program Proclaims that the New File

has been listed in the Project Control File
This is a good
Thing. Left
Click ok.

Now Exit Out of Compass

Left click
File and from
The pull down
Menu select
Quit

Making Sure Our Block Model is

Ready
It already has our ore grades and rock
items in
But the routines we will use need to have
some extra variables to store info in.
One thought is why didnt I fix the model
right to begin with
Other reality is you will never foresee all
needs so lets just learn how to fix the
variable problem when it happens

To Open My Block Model Go to the

Data Manager and Select Block
Model

With Block Model Highlight Click

the Right Mouse Key
This will cause a
Menu to pop up
Left Click the Open
Option on the menu

The Block Model Shows Up

I am going to use
The Query
Function to ask
What variables
Are in the model
To do this I
Click on the little
Question mark
Icon.

A Dialog Box Opens at the Bottom and

Advises me to click on anything I want to
know about
Since all I want
Is to know
What variables
Are in the block
Model I can
Really click it
anywhere
I happened to
Click it here

The Query Report Box Pops

Up
Im going to check
The variables in
The block model.
Since Im a cool
Person my model
Already has the
Key extra
Variables in it
(yours will have
Nothing below
Value but yours
Will look like this
After you follow
The next
Instructions)

Yes Your Poor Model Will Look

Like This

What MSOPT Wants

The routine we will use to find the ultimate pit
requires us have these variables in the model

VALPB (the value of the block)

VALPT (the value per ton of material)
DEST1 (the destination for the material considering
break even economics)
PUSH (the stage when a block is mined if the
model is working out a sequence)
IPER (when the block is mined
DEST2 (where the material is sent when the block
was mined)

Open Compass and Pick the

Project Tab and Project Editor
Icon as before

The Project File Editor Opens

Pull Down the File Menu and

Select Clone
We are going to
Make a copy of
Our block model
Add the extract
Variables to the
Model and then
Save it back to
Our original block
Model
We all know windows
Has a thing about
Saving to itself.

Clone From Your File 15 (a file 15

is a block model)
Pull down and
Select from the
Menu
Check Edit items

Then click on the

Clone button.

Type in the Extra Variables

Left click the

Save icon
When you are
done

Also enter minimum

Maximum and precision
Values as shown here

It Will Want You to Name Your

File

This file is actually

A temporary copied
File

I named mine
15cp15.dat
(its a 15 meter
Bench height
Project, cp is for
Copy and the second
15 was so I would
Always know this
Was a file 15 (block
Model)
Then I left click on
Save

It Gives You a Jubilant Success

Message

Now We Are Going to Clone our

Added Variables File Back to the
Original

Pull down the file menu and

Select Clone

Select our new file as the clone source

But note I did not check the edit box
This time.
Then hit save.

It Asks You Where You Want to

Save the Result
Select the name of your
Original block model
(file 15) and hit save.

Since You Are About to Overwrite Your

Old File it Gives You Repeated Warnings
that your Children will be Born Naked if
you do this

You Have to Confirm that You Do

Intend to Overwrite

Now We Are Ready to Go!

We will use an
Ultimate Pit
Routine Called
MSOPIT
Left Click the
MineSight tab
On the drop
Down menu
Choose MSEP
(MineSight
Economic
Planner)

On the side menu

Pick MSOPIT

Trouble Shooting Note

If MineSight Economic Planner is
Grayed Out on the pull down tab there
is a problem with your computers
settings
See the System Administrator for help
(your stuck until you do)

MineSight Economic Planner

Comes Up to Help You With Your
Pit

Economic Planner is Mostly New

Routines
The Panel to the Side
Shows you the Steps
You Will be Lead
Through to get to your
Pit design.
(Kind of a nice
Change from the
Wonderings we have
Been doing not
Knowing for sure
Where we were going)

Right Hand Side has input panels it needs

It Has Improved Help Facilities

Pull down the help
Menu
Pick Panel help for
An explanation
Of each panel entry

The Panel Help Gives an

Explanation of the Variables to be
Entered on the Screen

It Needs To Know Where Your

Block Model Is
You probably have
Only one file
15 to choose from
It needs your ore and
Waste density
(ie water =1)
If we assume our
Cu ore and waste
Are about 141lb/ft^3
Thats 2.23 for both

You Identify the part of your block

model that is of mining interest
This would let
You speed things
Up by excluding
Areas that dont
Have ore values

It also provides you

With hints on the
Number of rows,
Columns and levels
In your model in case
You want to look at
Everything.
It lets you specify what to do if it mines to the edge of the
model (warning the program cannot calculate stripping
costs outsideThe model area)

Click on the Next Step When Its

Time to Move On

It Needs to Know About the

Surfaces File It Will Use
Click on the pull down arrow to
See the available files.
It is critical that you select the
Special file 13 you made for
MSEP earlier (regular file 13s
Dont contain needed variables)

Trouble Shooting Note

Sometimes when you hit the pull down
choice menu you dont see the files you
expect
You may not see the file 13 you just made

MineSight has the undesirable ability to

get the graphics interface, MineSight
Compass, and MineSight Economic
Planner in different directories
How this could happen is not well understood

If You Want to Make Sure You Are in the

Right Directory with Economic Planner
Click on the Options Heading
And Pick Manage Variables
From the pull down menu

The Manage Variables Screen

Comes Up
What you really want to see is if the
Path leads to the right directory and
Project file.
(If you are not being allowed to select
Files you know you have this path
Will probably not be pointing to the
Right file)

Get Out Of MSOPIT and Go to

MineSight Compass

Remember You are ONLY doing this

If you have MineSight Economic
Planner off in the wrong directory!
(If life is good and you dont have this problem you
Can skip the slides on fixing the problem)

In Compass Go to File and

Open

Work Around the Directories in Project

File to Find the Right Directory

This directory maneuvering works like

Any other Windows based program.

Double Click the Correct

Directory

It Will Open and Show You the

Project File for that Directory
Left click to
Pick it
Then click on
Open

Getting Back From Our Detour

(If you had to take a Detour Restart
MSOPIT)
It needs to know where the starting
Surface is located
(MSOPIT puts the unmined surface
In pit #0 so we will almost always
Be starting there)

Enter or accept the default value

Of 0.

It Needs to Know About Things That

Would Limit Where it can put the pit
You can limit the
Areas of the model
Used to compute
Earnings (no need to
Do that now)
You could tell it not to
Mine below a certain
Depth (no need to do
That now)

You could designate surface areas that

Must not be disturbed. (you would have
To put a code number into the surface file which
We did not do)
Surface areas with the code number entered here
Could not be disturbed.

Where A Plus Is By a File for the

Next Step Click on the Plus to
Expand the Folder
This of course
Is very typical
Windows rules

It Needs to Know How to Get the

Design Variable
Optimum Pits Come
From Building the
Biggest Profit
Our Block Model is
Geologic and contains
Geologic data
We can tell the program
To calculate our earnings
From the geology or
We can tell it we have
Already put a dollar/ton
Value on each block.
(We dont have values
Pre-computed)
The interval is a report diagnostic tool Im putting in 5000
(youll see what it did later in a report)

It Needs to Know Which Variable

Tells it How Much of a Block is Made
of Rock (Remember we do have air blocks above
Use the drop down
surface)
Arrowthe
to show
you
A menu of choices and
Pick the variable that
Has the % rock in it
(in your case it is
Topo%)

We dont have to deal

With more complex
Optional items here

Program Needs the Range of

Block Values and the Precision
You Require
Defaults here are
Probably Ok
(Its the cost
For removing the
Worst junk and value
Of your best block)
The Last Item
Cut-Off in Dollars/ton
Needs a little more
Explanation.

Default here is ok.

The Program Now Needs Costs

For Creating an Economic Block
Model from the Geologic
You can import these
Parameters from
Another project or
Export the values
You determine for use
In later projects

It Needs to Know the Assay

Value to Track Remember
and Density
ofareOre
the variable names
selected
From a pull down menu.

Im going to look at
Cu and Moly for
Determining block
value
I already have the
Rock density picked

Enter My Material Types

Many deposits have

More than one type
Of ore or perhaps
An ore and waste

A variable in the
Block model will have
That code number
In it.

It will usually be the

Type variable which
Your block model is
Required to have.

But I Didnt Ever Set Material

Codes in the Block Model!??
Thus the type variable
Has nothing in it.
The next item asks for
What to use as a
Default if no value is
Found in the type
Variable.
When I pick 1 this one
Matches the table below
And will have the
Computer calculate
The value of each
Block using the formulas
I will enter.

Enter My Material Types and

Where It Might Go
Since I have
Simple geology I
Have Cu ore
If its high enough
It goes to the Mill
If not it is considered
For leach
If not that good I will
Just dump it
(Note I am putting
Labels on my ore
Types and destinations)

If I Click on a Brown Box In the

Matrix it Will Activate My
Note My Economic Input has come alive
Economic Input

Click Here

It wants to
Know about
Costs and
Earnings
Associated
With ore it
Sends to the
mill

I Enter My Costs for the Mill

Route
$4.24/metric tonne
to mill the ore and
Make concentrates
$3.25/tonne to mine
(your costs may
Be different)

Enter My Returns from Processing

If we figure the value of Cu in concentrates as $1.05
And value of Mo in concentrates as $4.00

89% recovery on
The Cu
And 75% on the
Mo

Where Did Those Numbers

Come From?
Value of Cu in concentrate
Value of metallic Cu (which you estimated from
price history)

Minus refining charge per lb

Minus smelting charge per lb/Cu
Minus transportation charge
Use cost per ton to transport to smelter
Use about 30% Cu in concentrates to get that on a per lb
basis

This will leave you with value of Cu in

concentrates at the concentrator site.

Moly Value Similar

Value per lb of Moly in Moly oxide
Subtract roasting cost per lb
Subtract out the transportation cost per lb
Get the value per lb is sulfide concentrate at
the mine site

Where did the recovery values come from

Typical recoveries from mineral processing
handbooks and articles.

Enter the Factors and Click

Apply
Factors account for
Prices in lbs,
Grades in percents
Volumes in cubic
Meters and costs in
$/metric tonne

Click apply when data entry is complete for this material and
destination

How Did You Get That Factor

net value/ ton= (x/100)*2204.603lbs/ton (metric) * ($/lb) where, $/lb is the price of the cu

It Now Declares it has part of the

Information Matrix Ready to Use

We now click our leach ore

Input My Leach Ore Parameters

I assumed no moly recovery

Leach Cu Recovery is
Lower (say 70%)
I put in $1.15/lb
For Cu since
Electrowin is only
About $0.15/lb
I used $1.65 per
Metric Tonne for leach
operations

Mining Costs I Assumed

constant

Now I Input My Dump Parameters

With waste you
Also will get no
Recovery.

Distinctive no processing costs (unless you have a special dumping cost)

What Will the Computer Do With

This Stuff
It will calculate the value of each block from its recoverable
metal content (or lack there-of)
If the value is greater than the mining and processing cost the
block will become a mining target and the model will look at what
has to be moved to get it.

If the block will cost more to mine and process than it will
make then the block is not a mining target but it might still
be in the way of something that is.
If the block has to be moved to get to something else the
computer will look at whether it has enough value to justify
processing
If more than one process is available the model will look for
what ever gets the most net value of a block

Steps Not Required Remain

Grayed Out

Another Fast Way to Bring in

the Cost Matrix is to Import It
Click on Import
(Obviously somebody
Has had to export
Their matrix sometime
Previous)

Use the Directory to Find and

Open the Economics File

Hows that for a Slick Fast Result

Youd appreciate it even more if you had 6 processes and 7 types of ore.

We Now Deal With Overburden

Mining Costs
Some of our blocks
Dont even have
A Cu or Mo grade
Estimated to exist
These will be just
In the way blocks
What does it cost
Us to mine them
Vs. Ore material that
Does have a grade
-Im using a flat $3.25
Right now

Options We Are Not Using

Mining Costs actually

Increase as we mine
Deeper.
If we wanted to
Include this detail
We would check
Off the box.
Then a grayed out
Screen on mining
Cost with depth
Would come to life
And we would have
To fill it out.

A Quarry Option
Sometimes we
Mine all of a top
Bench and work
Down a bench
At a time.
We can designate
What portion of a
Year it takes to
Mine a bench
(5 benches in a
Year enter .2. 1
Bench every 5
Years enter 5 etc)

When you mine top down the future earnings will be discounted with time

Next We Tell It About Our Pit

Slopes
Im using a constant
Slope with a
Minimum value of
57 degrees (like
Cannanea Mex)

Slope Issues
In Rock Mechanics You Learn about Slope Stability in
Open pits
If an over-all pit slope daylights significant fracture patterns the
whole side of the pit can slide in (potentially loosing you your
investment)

In many cases it makes a difference which side of the pit

A fracture that could daylight near the toe of benches on one
side would be pointing up on the other side
The program allows you to adjust pit slope by azimuth

Sometimes different materials will support different slopes

Can enter complex slopes that depend on material type
Obviously material type would have to be coded into the block
model

It Needs to Know the Numeric

Technique to Use to Find the
Largest
Profit
increasing
Pit
This set determines
Whether you are
Doing ultimate pits
Or nested pits
(right now we are
After base ultimate
Pit)
You Choose Between
Floating Cone and
Learch Grossman

The Pit Design Choice

A floating cone picks a block cones up and sees
whether the cone makes money.
If it does it mines it
Simple Coding and Explanation
Considered a Heuristic trial and error approach

Lerch Grossman uses powerful math to solve a

transformed problem

Much more computer intensive

Can do some strange things at times
Is considered an analytical solution

I Picked Floating Cone for this

example (its faster)
I could
Specify a
Minimum pit
Bottom radius
(real equipment
Needs room to
Work)
Im not going to
Impose that
Detail right now.

Set the Area Where the Routine

Can Look for a Solution Pit

For an ultimate pit I can default on everything and give the entire block model
Area as the place to look for a pit

Output Destination
I can also specify
A limiting surface
That the pit must
Be within.
(right now I am
Going to default
To the starting
Topography
(pit 0)

There are 50 storage bins you can specify where you want to store your result

I Can Tell the Program to Save Me Some

Example Calculations on Specific Blocks
or Groups of Blocks (so I can check on it)

Right now Im not going to audit.

Give It My Output Preferences

I need to say were
The program will
Keep track of where
Mined blocks were
Sent. Thats were
Those Dest1, Dest2
Variables come in.
(I picked Dest1)
It needs to know where
To store the value of
A block. (Thats were
Valpb comes in).

It also will keep track of

The value per ton of
Rock (Thats were the
Valpt variable comes in)

Specifying Output Files

Name of the
Run

Output file will

Be called
Rptopt. What ever
You put here

Prepare to Run the Procedure

Pull down the file
Menu
Select Run Procedure
From menu

The Procedure Runs

This can take just a little while

There is your report extension

name and the name you gave the
run

You Can Check to Make Sure

Key Inputs Read in Correctly
Mining Cost
Pit Slope
Density
Minimum and
Maximum
Value
Cut-off Value
Per ton

You Can Check Your Key Metal

prices and recoveries

Remember that $5000 Spacing I

Entered?
Here is an
Output table
Showing how
Many blocks
In each value
Range were
Found.
(If you get
Really strange
Answers this
Is a place to
Look and see
If things make
Sense)

This is a Very Crucial Table

It shows
Blocks going
To the mill,
The leach,
And the dump
And what the
Average
Grade was
(if you have
Mined blocks
Delivered to
Destinations
It at least
Really ran)

Here is the Over-All Money We

Made and Spent

Oh Yes and the Precious Bottom

Line

Now We Want to See a Picture of

Our Lovely Pit
Highlight were
You want to put
The model
Views

Now Lets Create a New Model

View to Display Our Handy-work.
Pull down the File
Tab and pick
New
On the pop-out
Menu pick Model
View

Name Your Model View

I thought Ultimate Pit was a good name for the view of my ultimate pit

Link it to Your Project Control

File

Pick Your File to Display

For me that will be Opti13.dat (thats where I put my new pit surface)

It Gives Me an Opportunity to
Initialize Multiple Model Views
It useful to have
Separate
layers you can have
For a staged
Mining out of a Pit
Im going to pick yes

Set My Model Views Checking

Off What I Want to be Able to
See
I could
Give them
Special
Names if
I wanted to

The New Views Appear in the

Data Manager

Now Turn On Ultimate Pit 1 to See

How Far the Ultimate Pit Went

Can Turn On Initial Topog to Get an

Idea of Where Our Cuts Effected.

Of Course We Can Use Cut-Offs to

Make the View less Gray and Dreary

On the Cut-Off Menu Select

Intervals

We will probably set intervals to bench heights

Set My Vertical Range and

Bench Height and Then Ok
Things

Select the Entire Range and

Click Properties

Pick Set Color By Range

Now Hows That For Ultimate

Cool!

And Now An Assignment for

You
Get the initial assignment file
It contains a block model, a GSF file for
Economic planner and a cost matrix to
import
Set up MSOPIT and create an ultimate pit
Set up a model view to display your open
pit
Turn in your project files