MINE 615 - Surface Mine Design

(3 units)

Design of surface mining operations including optimization techniques. Lab uses integrated mine design software for layout and drawing of concepts covered in lecture.

Maximum units a student may earn: 3

Grading Basis: Graded
Units of Lecture: 2
Units of Laboratory/Studio: 1
Offered: Every Spring

Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. recognize characteristics of a deposit, choose the best surface mining method, and identify technical and economic restrictions of a mining project to select the best layout of proj facilities by applying math, physics, and other science and engineering techniques.
2. incorporate the operational restrictions of a complex engineering problem in their design by generating a long-term surface mine production plan including mining and milling rates, cut-off grade, stripping plan, schedules, health and safety, etc.
3. analyze technical complexity of a haulage system to pick out the most appropriate mining equipment using Excel and haulage simulation software, Talpac.
4. apply mine design software, Surpac and Whittle, to create a comprehensive block model, detailed final pit limit design, annual mine development, optimized cut-off grade and stockpile policies and finally generate discounted cash flow model of the project.
5. produce a standard mine design report based on their deliberated production schedule, equipment selection, location specifications of the project according to the NI43-101 technical report format.

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