Increased Productivity Through Improved Blast Design
Document type: Case Study
Categories: Case Study

CASE STUDY

INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY THROUGH IMPROVED
BLAST DESIGN
 SUMMARY
DRILL TO MILL PROJECT LEADS TO 15%
INCREASE IN THROUGHPUT
DynoConsult’s Drill to Mill optimization project led to an
increase of approximately 15% in Sag mill throughput at
a gold mine.

BACKGROUND
THE PORGERA GOLD MINE REQUESTS HELP
This project evolved in 2000 during a time of depressed PROJECT GOALS
gold prices, rising costs and significant power constraints
to the mine. IMPROVED BLASTING PRACTICES AND
 MILLING SOLUTIONS FOR A GREATER
DynoConsult was contracted to advise engineers at the
 OPPORTUNITY FOR PROFIT
Porgera Joint Venture (PJV) gold mine in the Highlands
of Papua New Guinea. PJV recognized that the optimization of drill and blast
 results could contribute significantly to the mine’s
Porgera Gold Mine profitability. DynoConsult specialists were located on-site
 • Open-cut mining started in 1988 from project planning to completion of test work. The
 • 18-year mine life project team consisted of members from DynoConsult,
 • PJV mines over 210,000 tonnes per day PJV, and alliance partners the JKMRC. • Produces over of 700,000 ounces of gold per year
 Close to a 15% increase in Sag mill throughput was
Instead of looking at each sub process as a separate recognized during the field trials of the Drill to Mill
cost centre, DynoConsult, the consulting arm of Dyno optimization project led by the DynoConsult team. This
Nobel, looks at the whole operation and provides resulted in a greater opportunity for profit through
solutions to improve overall productivity.

optimization project led by the DynoConsult team. This
Nobel, looks at the whole operation and provides resulted in a greater opportunity for profit through
solutions to improve overall productivity. improved blasting practices and milling solutions that
 revealed the potential to boost grinding circuit efficiency. Improved blasting practices and milling solutions have
shown potential to boost grinding circuit efficiency at the
Porgera Joint Venture (PJV) gold mine in the Papuan
Highlands.

Approximately 15% increase in Sag mill throughput was
recognized during the field trials of Drill to Mill
optimization project lead by DynoConsult.

TECHNOLOGY APPLIED VALUE ADDED
NEW BLAST PATTERNS AND EXPLOSIVE TYPES 15% INCREASE IN THROUGHPUT
The initial benchmark blast trials in mid 2000 and According to Mark Fisher, Mine Superintendent PJV,
simulation studies explored the impact of blasting “What I am excited about is the fact that not only is there
alternatives, changing blast patterns and explosive potential to improve mill throughput, but we are starting
types. Subsequent trial blasts resulted in ROM to see a better focus on how we do our drilling in the pit
fragmentation being clearly finer at the primary crusher. and how we design our blasting.”
Compared to the benchmark trial, this resulted in
approximately 15% more throughput for the test case Improvements in throughput equal improvement in profit. with all other conditions, including rock strength, being Drill to Mill optimization projects are viable in many
similar. open-pit operations, and the PJV project has significant
 implications for the entire mining industry. The project team have developed and implemented a
system to maintain the quality of the new designs and
track the benefits of mine-to-mill blast optimization. DynoConsult also provides on-going blast optimization
training for the blast crew and PJV engineers.

CASE STUDY

maintain the quality of the new designs and
track the benefits of mine-to-mill blast optimization. DynoConsult also provides on-going blast optimization
training for the blast crew and PJV engineers. More
recently, PJV and Dyno Consultants are also
concentrating efforts on minimizing the potential for ore
dilution and wall damage resulting from the use of higher
powder factors as part of the Drill to Mill project work.

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