The invention is directed to a method of strip mining that involves dividing the pit into blocks in a diamond shape arrangement with an angular advancing strike face and removing waste material from each diagonally adjacent block so as to minimize the amount of waste material pushed by dozers and maintain the incline of ramps to gradients of 10% or less so that trucks can take mined ore from the pit.

A blast plan control system and method used to control a drill and blast event is disclosed. The system and method customizes results for specific conditions. The system can receive certain inputs, such as conditions of the area to be blasted and the desired rock fragment size, and use these inputs to output a plurality of blast plans characterized by a set of characteristics that achieve the desired fragmentation size. A user can select a blast plan for execution from the plurality of blast plans. When the control system receives a selected blast plan, the control system can generate a work order for the selected blast plan and communicate the work order to operators and/or drilling equipment associated with execution of the drill and blast event. The operators and/or drilling equipment can then prepare for and execute the selected blast plan.

A blast plan control system and method used to control a drill and blast event is disclosed. The system and method customizes results for specific conditions. The system can receive certain inputs, such as conditions of the area to be blasted and the desired rock fragment size, and use these inputs to output a plurality of blast plans characterized by a set of characteristics that achieve the desired fragmentation size. A user can select a blast plan for execution from the plurality of blast plans. When the control system receives a selected blast plan, the control system can generate a work order for the selected blast plan and communicate the work order to operators and/or drilling equipment associated with execution of the drill and blast event. The operators and/or drilling equipment can then prepare for and execute the selected blast plan.

The invention relates to a method of monitoring the movement of an ore body resulting from blasting, the method comprising: positioning a plurality of blast movement monitors in a blast zone in the ore body, each of the blast movement monitors having a monitor identifier; attributing pre-blast coordinates to said blast movement monitors; blasting the ore body; attributing post-blast coordinates to said blast movement monitors; collating said post-blast coordinates and transmitting said post-blast coordinates to a data collector, wherein post-blasting said blast movement monitors form a sub-surface mesh network and said step of collating said post-blast coordinates comprises communicating said post-blast coordinates between blast movement monitors within said sub-surface mesh network.

The invention relates to a method of monitoring the movement of an ore body resulting from blasting, the method comprising: positioning a plurality of blast movement monitors in a blast zone in the ore body, each of the blast movement monitors having a monitor identifier; attributing pre-blast coordinates to said blast movement monitors; blasting the ore body; attributing post-blast coordinates to said blast movement monitors; collating said post-blast coordinates and transmitting said post-blast coordinates to a data collector, wherein post-blasting said blast movement monitors form a sub-surface mesh network and said step of collating said post-blast coordinates comprises communicating said post-blast coordinates between blast movement monitors within said sub-surface mesh network.

Apparatus and methods for preparing a blast hole in a rock face during a mining operation are disclosed. An exemplary method comprises: deploying a first tool toward the blast hole in the rock face via a common tool outlet of a feed unit using a first tool station of the feed unit; retracting the first tool from the common tool outlet using the first tool station of the feed unit and retaining the first tool in the first tool station; and while the first tool is retained in the first tool station, deploying a second tool toward the blast hole in the rock face through the common tool outlet of the feed unit using a second tool station of the feed unit.

Apparatus and methods for preparing a blast hole in a rock face during a mining operation are disclosed. An exemplary method comprises: deploying a first tool toward the blast hole in the rock face via a common tool outlet of a feed unit using a first tool station of the feed unit; retracting the first tool from the common tool outlet using the first tool station of the feed unit and retaining the first tool in the first tool station; and while the first tool is retained in the first tool station, deploying a second tool toward the blast hole in the rock face through the common tool outlet of the feed unit using a second tool station of the feed unit.

A process for improved blast design including the steps of: acquiring geological data about a blast site from multiple data sources; extracting one or more blastability labels from the geological data; mapping the blastability labels in two or three dimensions; designing a pattern of blast holes based on the mapping; designing explosive for each blast hole based on the blastability label for that blast hole; loading each blast hole in the pattern of blast holes with the designed explosive for that blast hole; and detonating the explosive. Also, a method of extracting valuable resources from an area using the process and a visualisation tool for blasting operations that displays data from the process.

The invention relates to a microwave-mechanical fluidization mining system and a mining method for metal mines. The microwave-mechanical fluidization mining system comprises a microwave pre-splitting mechanical mining system, a microwave separation system, a high-power microwave focused melting system and a goaf, wherein ore-waste rock mixtures mined by the microwave pre-splitting mechanical mining system are transported to the microwave separation system through a conveyor I and an elevator on the microwave pre-splitting mechanical mining system, separated ores are transported to the high-power microwave focused melting system, and separated waste rocks are transported through a conveyor V to the goaf for filling. Microwave pre-splitting mechanical mining is adopted instead of a traditional blasting mining method to increase an excavation speed and avoid the influence of blasting on the stability of surrounding rocks.

The invention relates to a microwave-mechanical fluidization mining system and a mining method for metal mines. The microwave-mechanical fluidization mining system comprises a microwave pre-splitting mechanical mining system, a microwave separation system, a high-power microwave focused melting system and a goaf, wherein ore-waste rock mixtures mined by the microwave pre-splitting mechanical mining system are transported to the microwave separation system through a conveyor I and an elevator on the microwave pre-splitting mechanical mining system, separated ores are transported to the high-power microwave focused melting system, and separated waste rocks are transported through a conveyor V to the goaf for filling. Microwave pre-splitting mechanical mining is adopted instead of a traditional blasting mining method to increase an excavation speed and avoid the influence of blasting on the stability of surrounding rocks.