Sublevel Caving Technique: Simplicity and Low Cost are the Essence

Sublevel caving techniqueSimplicity and low cost are the essence

SUBLEVEL CAVING TECHNIQUE
SIMPLICITY AND LOW COST ARE THE ESSENCE Author: Partha Das Sharma, B.Tech(Hons.) in Mining Engineering, E.mail: [e-mail], Blog/Website: http://miningandblasting.wordpress.com/ 1. Introduction - Sublevel caving is usually carried out when mining of the orebody through an open pit method is no longer economically feasible. Mining now proceeds underground, underneath the open pit. At first, both a raise and a network of tunnels are made. At different sublevels, jumbos are used for long hole drilling, drilling directly upwards into the roof. These holes are then charged with explosives and blasted. As the roofs cave in, the rock from the ground surface will cave in to the underground as well. Scoop trams or Load Haul Dump (LHD) vehicles transport the muck, loosened rocks, to an ore pass where the rocks are lifted to the surface. Drilling and blasting takes place at different underground levels of the mine at the same time. As the blasted rock, muck, is continuously transported to the ore pass, more blasting will encourage the roof to cave in to the void and further into the drift. This is repeated until blasting, caving and transporting depletes the entire orebody.

2. Modern day Sublevel caving - The sublevel caving technique, as the method is applied today, the whole quantity of ore between the different sublevels is broken using ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Author: Partha Das Sharma, E.mail: [e-mail], Blog/Website: http://miningandblasting.wordpress.com/ 1

Sublevel caving techniqueSimplicity and low cost are the essence controlled drilling and blasting. Sublevel caving is in many respects simple. It can be used in orebodies with very different properties and it is easy to mechanize. In sublevel caving, ore is developed from a series of sublevels spaced at regular intervals

References: * Kvapil, R , "Subleve l Caving", Underground Mining Methods Handbook. 2"d Edit ion, Vol. 2., H.L. Hartman, ed., SME. Littleton, CO, 1992, p. 1789. * Geddes, P.J., "Swedish Drilling and Blasting Practice", Trans. Int. Min. Metail., 1 986, Sect. A., V. 95, p. 204-207. * Alatalo. R., Heden, H. and Ronnback, L., 'large Scale Sublevel Caving in LKAB Malmberget Mine", Proc. Int. Sym. Large Scale Underground hfining, Nov. 1985, V. 7. Lulea, p. 139- 145. * Baase, R.A., Diment, W.D., and Petrina, A.J., "Sublevel Caving at Craigmont Mines Ltd.", Underground Mining Methods Handbook, W.A. Hustrulid, ed.. SME, New York, 1982, p. 898. * Chatterjee, P.K., Just, G.D., and Ham, G.I.. 'Sub-level caving simulation of 3000 pillar-recovery operation at Mount Isa mine. Australia". Tram inst . min. & Met.. Sect. A., V. 88.. Oct. 1979, p. Al47-Al55. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 Author: Partha Das Sharma, E.mail: [e-mail], Blog/Website: http://miningandblasting.wordpress.com/ Sublevel caving techniqueSimplicity and low cost are the essence * Cox, LA., "Latest Developments and Draw Control in Sublevel Caving", Trans. Int. Min Metall., 1967, V. 76, p. A149-159. * Hustrulid. A., "Sublevel Cave Mining at LKAB Kinina Mine". iNCO presentation Aug. 1995. * Bull, G. and Page, C.H. (2000) Sublevel caving – today’s dependable low-cost ‘ore factory’, in Proceedings MassMin 2000, G. Chitombo (ed), 29 October to 2 November 2000, Brisbane, Australia, Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, Melbourne, pp. 537–556. * Hustrulid, W. and Kvapil, R. (2008) Sublevel Caving – past and future, in Proceedings 5th International Conference and Exhibition on Mass Mining, MassMin 2008, H. Schunnesson and E. Nordlund (eds), 9–11 June 2008, Luleå, Sweden, Luleå University of Technology Press, Luleå, pp. 107–132. * Kvapil, R. (2004) Gravity Flow in Sublevel and Panel Caving – A Common Sense Approach, Luleå University of Technology Press, Luleå, 152 p. * Moss, A., Russell, F. and Jones, C. (2004) Caving and fragmentation at Palabora: prediction to production, in Proceedings MassMin 2004, Santiago, A. Karzulovic and M. Alfaro (eds), Chilean Engineering Institute, Santiago, pp. 585–590. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Author’s Bio-data: Partha Das Sharma is Graduate (B.Tech – Hons.) in Mining Engineering from IIT, Kharagpur, India (1979) and was associated with number of mining and explosives organizations, namely MOIL, BALCO, Century Cement, Anil Chemicals, VBC Industries, Mah. Explosives etc., before joining the present organization, Solar Group of Explosives Industries at Nagpur (India), few years ago. Author has presented number of technical papers in many of the seminars and journals on varied topics like Overburden side casting by blasting, Blast induced Ground Vibration and its control, Tunnel blasting, Drilling & blasting in metalliferous underground mines, Controlled blasting techniques, Development of Non-primary explosive detonators (NPED), Hot hole blasting, Signature hole blast analysis with Electronic detonator etc. Author’s Published Book: "Acid mine drainage (AMD) and It 's control", Lambert Academic Publishing, Germany. (ISBN 978-3-8383-5522-1). Currently, author has following useful blogs on Web: • http://miningandblasting.wordpress.com/ • http://saferenvironment.wordpress.com • http://www.environmentengineering.blogspot.com • www.coalandfuel.blogspot.com Author can be contacted at E-mail: [e-mail], [e-mail], ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Disclaimer: Views expressed in the article are solely of the author’s own and do not necessarily belong to any of the Company. *** ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11 Author: Partha Das Sharma, E.mail: [e-mail], Blog/Website: http://miningandblasting.wordpress.com/