Past learnings focus innovative solutions to future cave mining

Authors: Stegman, C; van As, A; Peebles, E Download Paper Open access courtesy of:

DOI https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_rep/1815_0.3_Stegman

Cite As:
Stegman, C, van As, A & Peebles, E 2018, 'Past learnings focus innovative solutions to future cave mining', in Y Potvin & J Jakubec (eds), Caving 2018: Proceedings of the Fourth International Symposium on Block and Sublevel Caving, Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Perth, pp. 37-42, https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_rep/1815_0.3_Stegman



Abstract:
Over the past 20 years, Rio Tinto have developed and managed five block cave mines, each presenting their own unique set of challenges. Every cave has demanded innovative solutions to manage the challenges at the time, whilst all have provided invaluable learnings that Rio Tinto has leveraged into the designs and operational plans of its future super caves. This paper describes some of the key learnings and challenges that Rio Tinto has faced over the past 20 years and how these have shaped cave design, cave management and cave operations, as well as helped focus on the innovative solutions currently being implemented at its Oyu Tolgoi mine in Mongolia and being planned for its Resolution project in the United States of America.

Keywords: block caving, orebody knowledge, mine design, innovation

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