Salmi, EF & Sellers, EJ 2024, 'Enabling resilient long ore pass design for sustainable deep mass mining', in Daniel Johansson & Håkan Schunnesson (eds), MassMin 2024: Proceedings of the International Conference & Exhibition on Mass Mining, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå, pp. 819-930.
(https://papers.acg.uwa.edu.au/p/2435_F-01/)
Abstract: Our study addresses a significant knowledge gap by focusing on the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of long ore passes exceeding 300 m in length, in deep mining environments. Initiated by the International Consortium of Cave Mining 2040 Horizon One and further developed by CSIRO, this research serves as a technical guideline for ultralong and long ore pass design and highlights scenarios where their use should be cautioned against. The research journey began with a thorough desk study and a technical survey of Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). We summarise the conclusions from SMEs worldwide to identify the primary risk factors and critical design and optimisation parameters. These insights were carefully analysed to focus on the factors causing cascading effects and intensifying risk categories through the Rock Engineering System. After identifying the key risks and effective control parameters, we conducted a comprehensive examination of the effective factors to determine the control parameters for risk management and mitigation. This study presents considerations for the resilient design of long ore passes, noting the importance of statistically based design methods capable of sustainable operation and quick recovery from disruptions, aligning with our commitment to net-zero energy transitioning in mining.