Patent ID: 8261664

Claim:
A system for loading a flowable explosive into blast holes, the system including a mobile explosives supply unit having at least one explosives feed line for feeding a flowable explosive from the supply unit into a blast hole and a plurality of reservoirs or containers for holding a flowable explosive or flowable explosive components, the mobile explosives supply unit also including a plurality of explosive component feed means to feed flowable explosive components from their respective reservoirs for mixing to form a flowable or pumpable explosive, and a flowable explosive feed means for feeding a flowable explosive through the at least one explosives feed line into blast holes; a global positioning system (GPS) unit operable to determine the position of a blast hole; and a blast hole identification processor in communication with the GPS unit operable to receive from the GPS unit a blast hole co-ordinate position and configured or programmed uniquely to identify the blast hole based on the co-ordinate position of the blast hole, the blast hole identification processor being in communication with one or more of the explosive component feed means, and/or with the flowable explosive feed means and being configured or programmed to control the feed means to load a predefined or calculated amount of explosive of a desired composition into at least some blast holes.