
Gold mine in Western Australia
Debottlenecking an underground mine with dynamic simulations
Confidential
|
Australia
|
2014
1,000+ dynamic simulations conducted in two months.
50% increase in production targeted in long-term strategy.
16-week study to identify and fix bottlenecks.
Challenges
- The client needed help to ensure the continued viability of the gold mine by increasing haulage from underground operations.
- The project needed to address logistical bottlenecks preventing the company from reaching its five-year capacity goal for the mine.
- It was also necessary to increase efficiency by improving throughput without adding new equipment.
Solutions
- Mapped the mine's design, including haulage routes and stockpiles.
- Linked a dynamic model to the mine's planning software, tracking the flow of goods, people, and machinery on site, including scheduling, decision rules, and fine details.
- Identified jumbo operations to be the main bottleneck and found opportunities to improve prioritization of stoping and production activities.
- Used a dynamic model to empower the company, enabling it to challenge traditional operating and planning practices in a workshop environment.
Highlights
- Evaluated numerous productivity improvements and strategic expansion options in just two months.
- Simulations tested fleet-configuration options and capabilities of jumbos, boggers, and haul trucks.
- Shared complex rules and interdependences for this operation, collecting knowledge to help the company make better decisions.
- Used dynamic model to target a five-year, 50% increase in production through underground mine expansion options.
Project numbers
1,000+ dynamic simulations16-week study