Drill to Mill Project adds $58.1 Million for Metals Mine by Optimizing Mill Throughput
Document type: Case Study
Categories: Case Study

We hit new
PROJECT GOALS throughput
 milestones at the
IMPROVE MILL THROUGHPUT BY INCREASING FINES
 concentrator in the second
PERCENTAGE
 half of the year, averaging
The primary goal for this project was to improve mill throughput for above 100% met table rates
their hard ore by increasing the mine’s fines percentage in the -1/2” size
 consistently for the first time
fraction. In order to achieve this goal, Dyno Nobel would examine the entire
mining process in a Drill to Mill initiative to identify areas for improvement,
 ever.”
optimize drilling and blasting, and ensure the desired results were met. -Site General Manager

CASE STUDY

DRILL TO MILL™ PROJECT AT A GLANCE
ADDS $58.1 MILLION FOR
METALS MINE BY OPTIMIZING $58.1 MILLION IN
 VALUE ADDED
MILL THROUGHPUT
 15% INCREASE IN MILL
BACKGROUND THROUGHPUT

to the mills would significantly improve overall mill analyze and optimize blasting to
throughput, thereby adding value to the operation in pounds of copper increase the -1/2" size fraction
produced. Dyno Nobel’s “Beyond the Bench” approach views the entire and overall mill throughput
mining process from drill to mill as a value stream with small changes
in drilling and blasting contributing to large value-adds by the time OUTCOME
the blasted material reaches and is run through the processing circuit. • Up to 10% increase in -1/2" size
In a partnership with the customer, Dyno Nobel deployed its people, fraction
processes, and technology and executed a Drill to Mill initiative yielding • 15% increase in mill throughput
significant value to the operation over the past year with continued value • $58.1 million in value added
added for several years to come.

IDENTIFYING VALUE-DRIVING OPPORTUNITIES
A surface metal mine identified an opportunity to improve mill throughput
for their hard ore as a significant value driver. Several rock types posed 5-10% INCREASE IN
a challenge to mill throughput due to their hardness and grindability -1/2" SIZE FRACTION
characteristics. The mine plan showed that the tons of the rock types
classified as hard ore would increase significantly throughout the next
several years, so the mine engaged Dyno Nobel to execute a Drill to Mill CHALLENGE
initiative with a focus on increasing the fines percentage (particularly the • Increase mill throughput by
-1/2” size fraction) going to the SAG mill circuit by 10% through improved increasing -1/2" fines percentage
and optimized blasting practices. SOLUTION
Mill modelling showed that even the slightest improvement in the -1/2” • Execute a Drill to Mill initiative to
size fraction reporting to the mills would significantly improve overall mill analyze and optimize blasting to
throughput, thereby adding value to the operation in pounds of copper increase the -1/2" size fraction
produced.

The Drill to Mill process for this customer was structured to optimize
drill and blasting, gather baseline data before making changes, gather
results after optimization, compare and validate the data gathered, initiate
discussions with the customer to help them continuously improve, and Optimized Material Fragmentation
ensure that the optimization scenarios implemented were sustainable
long-term.

Blasts were executed at the new optimized design over several months
during the Control and Measure phase. A second round of sampling,
photo analysis, and screening concluded the Control and Measure phase
and were used to measure the results of the optimized blasts compared to
the baseline. Mill modelling was then re-run with the new optimized blast
PSD curve to predict mill throughput improvements. In addition, current
and historical mill through put data was used to verify the throughput
improvements predicted by the mill modelling and achieved throughout
the initiative.

TECHNOLOGY & PROCESSES APPLIED
 Baseline Material Fragmentation
DRILL TO MILL AND DYNO NOBEL PRODUCTS
TITAN® 5000G emulsion with DIFFERENTIAL ENERGY2 (∆E²) technology
was used on all of the Drill to Mill blasts. The ability to vary emulsion density
from hole to hole as well as vertically within each individual blasthole
allowed Dyno Nobel to place the explosive energy where it was needed
most. The DigiShot® Plus.4G Commander electronic initiation system
allowed for safe, accurate, and precise blast initiation with the sequence
designed specifically to optimally fragment the rock type blasted.

CASE STUDY

PRODUCTS/
PROCESS
 TECHNOLOGY &
OUTCOME-BASED FRAGMENTATION USING DRILL TO MILL SERVICES USED
The Drill to Mill process has four steps: 1) Baselining, 2) Analysis, 3)
Optimization, and 4) Control and Measure. During baselining, rock
characteristics were collected from geologic data along with current
 DYNOCONSULT +
customer drilling and blasting designs. Blasted material was gathered DRILL TO MILL
from the hard ore and then stockpiled and screened to establish the
baseline particle-size distribution (PSD) curve for each material type of
interest. Photo fragmentation analysis was also performed during this
phase. TITAN 5000G + ∆E²
With the baseline established, the initiative moved to the Analysis phase.
Several Dyno Nobel fragmentation models were calibrated using the
baseline PSD data and then re-run at different design parameters to
optimize the fragmentation in each rock type, targeting an improvement DIGISHOT PLUS 4G
in the -1/2” size fraction. The site then chose the design they wanted to COMMANDER
use to start the Optimization phase.

CASE STUDY

VALUE ADDED
15% INCREASE IN MILL THROUGHPUT FOR $58.1 MILLION IN VALUE ADDED
Using the Drill to Mill process, the site achieved and exceeded its mill throughput goals for the first time in its history.
Changes to burden and spacing, explosives density, stemming length, blast initiation timing, and priming practices
produced measurably better rock fragmentation, particularly in the targeted -1/2” size fraction. Conservative estimates by
the customer show a minimum of a 15% increase in mill throughput by increasing the -1/2” size fraction by ~5% to nearly
10% over the course of the year.

Based upon the customer’s calculations, the Drill to Mill process over the past year showed a monetized value-add to the
operation of $58.1 million. Additional downstream benefits in truck and shovel cycle times, bucket fill factors, extended
GET and shovel rope wear, crusher power consumption, and mill power consumption are anticipated.

By gathering the data throughout the Drill to Mill process, several future opportunities for optimization were discovered.
The primary focus of the Drill to Mill initiative at this site moving forward is to continue to optimize fragmentation in the
other rock types identified as hard ore and use customer Smart Drill data to optimize pattern loading. The Dyno Nobel
hardness algorithm and DIFFERENTIAL ENERGY² technology will be used to take advantage of available drilling data and
further optimize energy distribution throughout every blasthole in a shot.

Optimized Blast Results vs. Baseline

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