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Optimal cut-off grade determination based on variable capacities in open-pit mining
| Content Provider | Semantic Scholar |
|---|---|
| Author | Abdollahisharif, Jafar Bakhtavar, Ezzeddin Anemangely, Mohammad |
| Copyright Year | 2012 |
| Abstract | Ore and waste are defined by means of cut-off grade, such that material with a grade less than the cut-off is transported to waste, and that with a grade higher is transported to the processing plant. However, blending opportunities between highand low-grade ore mean that the determination of the optimum cut-off grade not only dominates mining economics, but is also a crucial decision in the efficient and effective utilization of the mineral resources. Determination of too high a cut-off grade will result in a smaller overall resource as well as economic material being send to the waste dump, whereas conversely, the mine and processing plant capacity will be unjustifiably overextended in case of too low a cut-off (Bascetin and Nieto, 2007). Therefore, optimization of cut-off grade is the most significant economic parameter in mining. Cut-off grade optimization in open-pit mining has been the subject of much research, but more work is needed if it is to cover all essential practical mining considerations. The original algorithm introduced by Lane (1964), which has been applied frequently, is based on the maximization of net present value (NPV) in which the mine, processing plant, and refinery capacities are considered constant. During the past decade, much research effort has been devoted to optimizing cut-off grade of monoand polymetallic deposits, especially in open-pit mining. In this study, the most significant researches, which are modified versions of the original Lane's algorithm emphasising the cut-off grade optimization in the monometallic deposits, have been reviewed. Several computer packages were developed using Lane's original algorithm in order to determine optimal cut-off grade (Lane, 1988; Dagdelen, 1992; Whittle, 1999). Dagdelen (1992) stated that breakeven cut-off grades in open-pit mine planning may maximize the undiscounted profits. Therefore, the cut-off grade can be introduced as a function of economic parameters and the grade distribution within the deposit, together with mining, milling, and refinery capacity limitations. Whittle and Wharton (1995) proposed the idea of opportunity cost utilization in cut-off grade optimization in monometallic deposits by introducing two pseudo costs, named delay and change costs. Majorly, Cairns, and Shinkuma (2003) represented a model to determine the influence of certain economic factors, such as price net of interest rate on cut-off grade and grade distribution. For this Optimal cut-off grade determination based on variable capacities in open-pit mining |
| Starting Page | 1065 |
| Ending Page | 1069 |
| Page Count | 5 |
| File Format | PDF HTM / HTML |
| Volume Number | 112 |
| Alternate Webpage(s) | http://www.scielo.org.za/pdf/jsaimm/v112n12/15.pdf |
| Language | English |
| Access Restriction | Open |
| Content Type | Text |
| Resource Type | Article |
