Patent ID: 8342609
Filing Date: 2013-01-01
Classification: E21C,F42D

Abstract:
1. An open cast mining method which includes sinking a blasting borehole for receiving an explosive charge into a ground body which is to be mined; taking an initial measurement of one or more borehole conditions, including at least a temperature inside a bottom half of the borehole; loading the borehole with a base explosive charge only if the initial measurement of all of the one or more measured borehole conditions are within predefined limits indicating that the borehole will not be subject to uncontrolled detonation of the base explosive charge; continuing to measure one or more borehole conditions, including at least said temperature, after the base explosive charge has been loaded and monitoring the measurements; and providing an alarm signal external of the borehole if any of the one or more measured borehole conditions are not within predefined limits so that there is a risk of uncontrolled detonation of the explosive charge.