Mine Utilizes BlastWeb to Initiate Mine-Wide Central Blasting
Document type: Case Study
Categories: Case Study

TECHNOLOGY APPLIED
A SAFE, CENTRALIZED BLASTING SYSTEM
TO INITIATE LONG HOLE BLASTS AS WELL AS
DRIFT ROUNDS WITH PYROTECHNICS
Early in 2018 the mine approached Dyno Nobel and
inquired if they had a safe centralized blasting system. PROJECT GOALS
Dyno Nobel presented the mine with a proposal to switch REDUCE OVERTIME HOURS NEEDED FOR FOR
their existing electric detonator based system to the BLAST INITIATION
BlastWeb system with capabilities of initiating multiple
Dyno Nobel electronic initiation products. The mine has seen significant growth in recent years
 which led them to the point of upgrading the central
The mine was already using the DigiShot Plus electronic blasting method. Before the switch to BlastWeb, the mine
detonator to blast all the long hole production rounds. would have all the miners drive up to surface and tag out
When the mine was shown that BlastWeb can centrally and have two main designated blasters return down to
blast the long hole blasts as well and initiate drift rounds the portal where they have the high voltage central blast
with the use of pyrotechnics they were very interested location. This central blast location was situated outside
moving forward to a BlastWeb based solution. the portal which exposed the miners to all the types of
 adverse weather conditions.

CASE STUDY

MINE UTILITIZES BLASTWEB™ TO INTIATE MINE-
WIDE CENTRAL BLASTING

BACKGROUND
LARGE GOLD MINE WITH DEEP ORE BODY
The Black Fox Complex is in the well-established Timmins
Gold Mining Camp in North Eastern Ontario, Canada. It is
positioned approximately 10 kilometres East of the town
of Matheson, 85 kilometres East of the city of Timmins,
adjacent to Provincial Highway 101.

The Black Fox Mine is a gold mine which had two operations
running at one time, open pit and underground. Currently
the site is only mining underground due to the depth of the
ore body, accessing the underground workings by a portal
driven at the bottom of the open pit.

VALUE ADDED $100k
 salary
BLASTWEB SYSTEM SAVES TIME, IMPROVES savings
SAFETY AND AVOIDS COSTS
The BlastWeb system was installed at the mine site, with
2 permanent Blast Control Units (BCUs) and 1 portable
BCU for secondary blasting during shift for oversize rock.
The method of communication between the Surface Blast
Controller (SBC) and the BCUs underground is via their
fiber optic based Ethernet network. Each BCU has a static
IP address and unique ID which is used by the SBC to
identify and communicate to each of the BCUs.

The mine has already seen the benefits of utilizing the
BlastWeb initiating DriftShot Starters such as:

Saving Time:
 • No lost time after end of shift
 • Quicker clearing time for gasses
 • More production time

Safety:
 • Workers are no longer have to be exposed to outdoor
 elements and the safety hazards of any misfired
 rounds

Costs:
 • No overtime payment required at the end of each shift:
 Cost savings of +-$100,000 per year

CASE STUDY

The most significant implication to their historical firing The mine is extremely pleased with the BlastWeb setup
method was the overtime paid to the two miners and and rapid, seamless deployment of the system, converting
a supervisor who had to remain on site to initiate the the mine with ease without any safety concerns, lost time
blasts every day. Due to the system’s inefficiency it would or unforeseen costs.
cost the mine an extra 2 hours a day having workers on
overtime and initiating the blast from outside the portal The mine has also acknowledged the troubleshooting
away from the main shifters wicket. This overtime equates benefits and to date no misfires have been encountered
to an approximate total cost of $100,000 per annum for compared to the original central firing system where they
the 3 workers required to stay on after regular hours twice
a day (at the end of each 10-hour shift). With the switch to
BlastWeb, the $100,000 saving was effective right away as
no overtime needed to be paid to workers staying behind
to initiate any blasts.

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