Electronic Initiation Sparks a Surge in Safety and Efficiency at George Fisher Mine
Document type: Case Study
Categories: Case Study

ly Hilton North). Another major goal was to improve productivity. This could
The George Fisher orebody is an economic sulphide be achieved through flexible timing allowing bigger, more
mineralisation. It is distinct from the nearby Mount complex blasts and designs to increase conventional
Isa deposit due to its lack of breccia-hosted copper mucking and reduce stope cycle times.

After evaluating the potential safety benefits, production
increases and ability to redesign stopes to better manage
a thinly bedded hanging wall, the mine fully embraced the
technology. To improve personnel safety, in November
2009 George Fisher became Australia’s first mine to fire
the SmartShot® initiation system underground using its
leaky feeder radio system as the communication medium
from surface. mineralisation. The deposit is composed of a series of 11
 stratiform orebodies striking near N-S and dipping west
The safety benefits, which came as the mine planned between 30°-90°. George Fisher South uses a combination
to expand its operations, included reduced exposure of of modified retreat benching and continuous fill benching
personnel to vertical edges, less overbreak and improved methods, while George Fisher North uses retreat benching
post-blast ground conditions. The main production and transverse open stoping. Until 2009 George Fisher
benefits were a more flexible stope design process, larger Mine relied on traditional pyrotechnic blasting methods. blasts resulting in more conventional dirt for the mucking
units, fewer re-drills and quicker stope cycle times.

CASE STUDY

ELECTRONIC INITIATION SPARKS A SURGE IN
SAFETY AND EFFICIENCY AT GEORGE FISHER MINE

PROJECT SUMMARY
IMPROVED SAFETY, BLAST EFFICIENCY AND
PRODUCTION
In 2009, George Fisher Mine began to seriously consider
moving from pyrotechnic to electronic initiation systems.
Initially, the new system was used for complex crown
shots or areas where ground conditions had the potential
for excessive overbreak.

e stope design process, larger Mine relied on traditional pyrotechnic blasting methods. blasts resulting in more conventional dirt for the mucking
units, fewer re-drills and quicker stope cycle times. PROJECT GOALS
 BETTER SAFETY, EFFICIENCY AND
 BACKGROUND PRODUCTIVITY
 Over the past 10 years there have been intensified efforts
AN UNDERGROUND ZINC-LEAD-SILVER MINE to bring underground mining standards into line with those
George Fisher Mine (previously Hilton mine) is an on the surface. One such initiative was to remove personnel
underground zinc-lead-silver mine about 25 kilometres from high risk situations, for example, vertical edges. north of Mt Isa in Queensland. It is wholly owned and Radical changes in blast design were required and could
operated by Xstrata Zinc, a subsidiary of Xstrata PLC, and only be achieved using electronic initiation, which has
has two separate mining areas. The older Hilton mine is revolutionised employee safety, efficiency, visibility and
now known as George Fisher South and the newer mining control in mines world-wide. area is George Fisher North (previously Hilton North). Another major goal was to improve productivity. This could
The George Fisher orebody is an economic sulphide be achieved through flexible timing allowing bigger, more
mineralisation.

When implementing the SmartShot system, a final goal At George Fisher Mine, these changes allowed larger
was to remove the shotfirers from underground whilst blasts resulting in more broken ore on the ground and
blasting takes place. Initially, the shotfirer had to fire the a less disrupted production mucking cycle with more
stope from a safe location in the orebody, as there was no conventionally mucked tonnes. Stope cycle times fell from
remote system to fire underground. This was overcome an average of 29 days to 22 at George Fisher North and 23
using an electronic initiation option developed in Canada to 11 at George Fisher South. which communicated via a leaky feed radio system. Firing larger blasts has resulted in fewer blasts and an
 associated reduction in redrills. Since the transition from
 pyrotechnic to electronic detonators, redrills at George
 TECHNOLOGY APPLIED Fisher mine have fallen from over 3000 m per month to
 less than 500 m per month on average. This has improved
LATEST ADVANCES IN ELECTRONIC INITIATION the utilisation of these assets in regards to primary drill
The SmartShot system facilitates advanced blast design metres, as opposed to time consuming rework. and implementation by providing 20,000 timing options in
1ms increments, coupled with a total burning front.

tShot system facilitates advanced blast design metres, as opposed to time consuming rework. and implementation by providing 20,000 timing options in
1ms increments, coupled with a total burning front. This In a very short period of time, the mine was able to alter
provides timing flexibility not possible with pyrotechnic designs that had been stagnant for years, improving
delays. Flexible timing and longer available delays mean safety, ground conditions and blasting results, boosting
larger and more complex blasts can be fired. conventional production and reducing stope cycle times.

The SmartShot system ensures that detonators cannot To top it off, in November 2009 George Fisher became
fire unless they receive the correct instructions via a Australia’s first mine to fire SmartShot™ underground
secure, digitally coded signal, as well as the correct using its leaky feeder radio system as the communication
blasting voltage. With the SmartShot system unknown medium from surface. Removing personnel from
misfires and the risk of unintended initiation are effectively underground during blasting is a significant step forward
eliminated. in safety.

erage. George Fisher North, design changes almost completely • Improved post-blast ground conditions with fewer
eliminated exposure to vertical edges. Additionally, at overbreak and underbreak issues. George Fisher South, the stope design was reversed, with
the rings firing toward the drawpoint instead of the back of
the stopes, increasing conventional mucking and almost
eliminating the need for personnel to work at the edge of
a bench.

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Results:
 • Removal of personnel from underground when
 blasting. VALUE ADDED • Reduced exposure of personnel to vertical edges. • More flexible stope design process; ability to redesign
A BLASTING REVOLUTION stopes to better manage a thinly bedded hanging wall. The transition from pyrotechnic to electronic initiation has • Larger blasts resulting in more conventional dirt for
revolutionised George Fisher Mine. With plans to expand the mucking units and reducing line of sight and
from 3.5 to 4.5 Mt/a by 2014, the need to improve teleremote mucking operations. practices, efficiencies and production systems was crucial • Reduced ore dilution with ore fired into ore rather than
in reaching these goals safely. waste. • Faster stope cycle times with reductions of 24 per
Electronic initiation, especially the increase in delay times cent and 52 per cent for George Fisher North and
and complete flexibility in allocation, allowed for a total South respectively. stope redesign for the transverse stoping in George Fisher • Improved drilling performance, with redrills falling by
North and for the benches in George Fisher South. For about 85 per cent on average. George Fisher North, design changes almost completely • Improved post-blast ground conditions with fewer
eliminated exposure to vertical edges. Additionally, at overbreak and underbreak issues.

CASE STUDY