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abstract
The Grasberg Block Cave (GBC) Mine is one of the future underground mines of PT Freeport
Indonesia (PTFI). Located in the remote highlands of Papua, Indonesia, the GBC mine is scheduled
to start production in 2017 reaching its peak production capacity of 160 000 t/d in 2023.
In order to reach planned production capacity, the GBC mine will utilise an ore handling system
consisting of rail haulage, crushing and conveying. The rail haulage system will utilise over 20 km
of track while crushing is accomplished by way of three gyratory crushers each with a capacity of
3300 t/h. Nine conveyors operating in two parallel systems, each system over 3 km in length, will
move the ore from the crushers to the stockpiles. These systems require a network of larger tunnels
and mass excavations to accommodate the planned production facilities.
This paper will describe the ore handling system, tunnel and mass excavation methodology as
well as some of the challenges encountered with ground conditions and excavation quality during
the execution of the project. A combination of lateral and vertical development methodologies
and equipment, including drill jumbos, mechanised raise climbers and specialised ground support
equipment, have proven successful in the development of a quality ore handling system.
introduction
PT Freeport Indonesia (PTFI) operates a copper and gold
mining complex in the Ertsberg mining district in the province
of Papua, Indonesia (Figure 1). The Ertsberg district is located
in the Sudirman Mountains at an elevation of 3000–4500 m
above sea level.
PTFI plans to transition from open pit to underground
mining by 2017. Four underground mines are being developed
to meet future production requirements: Big Gossan (BG),
Grasberg Block Cave (GBC), Deep Mill Level Zone (DMLZ)
and Kucing Liar (KL). Development of the GBC began in 2004
with initial access drifting.
The GBC orebody has a large footprint with a diameter of
approximately 1 km. Once it is fully developed, the extraction
level will utilise approximately 2400 drawpoints. The mine
will be a mechanised block cave operation with production
from caving expected to begin in 2017 and achieve the planned FIG 1 – Project area.
peak production of 160 000 t/d by 2023.
In general, GBC development consists of lateral grasberg block caVe ore handling
development, chamber excavation and vertical development. systeM
Total preproduction lateral development will amount to The GBC ore handling system will consist of primary crushing
210 000 m. Figure 2 is a perspective view of the Grasberg final plants receiving run-of-mine ore from the rail haulage level
pit and underlying GBC orebody, showing the various levels, and delivering minus 200 mm (8-inch) crushed product to the
ore handling systems and key facilities. conveyor system. Three independent crushers will feed two
1. Engineering Superintendent, PT Redpath Indonesia, Tembagapura, Papua 99930, Indonesia. Email: made.pasek@redpathmining.com
2. Engineering Superintendent, PT Freeport Indonesia, Tembagapura, Papua 99930, Indonesia. Email: hadi_firdausi@fmi.com
3. Engineering General Foreman, PT Redpath Indonesia, Tembagapura, Papua 99930, Indonesia. Email: terry_chenier@fmi.com
SEVENTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION ON MASS MINING / SYDNEY, NSW, 9–11 MAY 2016 599
I Pasek, H Firdausi and T Chenier
main conveyors via a series of feed conveyors and transfer conveyor inclines are accessed from the GVDs at regularly
chutes. Crushed ore will be transported via incline conveyors spaced crosscuts. Primary access to the ore flow GVDs is from
to the surface ore stockpiles through the planned and existing surface at the Amole and Deep Ore Zone (DOZ) portals.
Grasberg (GRS) 70 and 71 conveyors (Figure 3). Development and construction of the first ore handling
A rail haulage system consisting of more than 20 km of track system needs to be completed in order to start undercutting
will be utilised to transport ore to the underground crushers. for production. The first system consists of the following:
To facilitate the planned production, a minimum of 2933 t/h of
•• 2760 haulage level
primary crusher throughput is required. This level of crusher
throughput will require three crushing plants each operating •• BN 601 unloading station
18 h/d. Each of the GBC crushing plants will consist of a •• one rail loop including chute galleries (CG) 33, 44 and
746 kW (1000 hp), 1.52 m × 2.29 m gyratory primary crusher. 45
The crushing plant transfer conveyors will feed twin •• 2730 crusher (CR) level
conveyors leading to the main incline conveyors. The feed •• CR 601 main crusher chamber and tail
conveyors are installed in a common drift and will be fed via •• CR 601 crusher pocket
moveable transfer chutes that can direct full flow from the •• CR 601 coarse ore bin
transfer conveyors to either feed conveyor or, alternatively, •• BC 601 transfer
split the flow sending partial feed to each. The feed conveyors
•• CR 601 dust collector
will discharge into the twin incline conveyors, which lift the
ore 345 m over 2450 m of belt length, at an average beltline •• 2700 conveyor level
grade of approximately 15 per cent. •• BC 611/615 tail
The incline conveyors will be 1829 mm (72-inch) stainless •• BC 611/615 conveyor line
steel cord construction, running at 3.81 m/s, with a carrying •• BC 615 transfer
capacity of 7000 t/h per belt or 14 000 t/h total. Flow from •• BC 601 conveyor
either conveyor may be diverted past the GRS 70 conveyor •• BC 612 tail
feeding the north–south mill stockpile. •• BC 611 extended line
All moveable transfers will be PTFI-designed transfer chutes •• BC 611 transfer
and all bin and inter-conveyor transfers discharge through
•• BC 612 conveyor line
curved chutes. The crusher stations are currently being
•• BC 613 conveyor line.
developed from inter-level ramp accesses at the haulage level,
and from intermediate elevations along the ramp between PTFI contracted PT Redpath Indonesia (PTRI) in 2008
the top of the crushing plant at the 2775 m elevation and to develop the GBC mine once the detailed design of the
the bottom end of the incline conveyor drifts at the 2685 m crushing facility was completed. At the time, the Ali Budiardjo
elevation. Additional accesses to the crushing plants are being (AB) tunnels were being developed as the main access to the
developed from the Grasberg Ventilation Drift (GVD). The various underground mines.
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Development of the Ore Handling System at the Grasberg Block Cave Mine, Indonesia
FIG 3 – Plan view of one Grasberg Block Cave ore handling system.
DEVELOPMENT OF HAULAGE LEVEL (2760 L) •• secondary support – Axera T08–290, two boom jumbo,
with basket
The GBC will utilise a closed loop rail system to transport
ore from the production areas to the crushing plants. The rail •• haulage – Elphinstone AD 55 articulated dump truck
haulage system will consist of over 20 km of standard gauge •• grouting – IT loader equipped with man basket and GP
track in purpose-built drifts entirely within the underground 2000 grout pump
mining complex (Figure 4). Development of the haulage level •• services and utilities – IT loader, Cat 966 front-end loader,
began in 2010 with the initial access being mined from the Getman scissor truck
GBC decline ramp. •• shotcrete – Maxijet 0400, Jacon Technologies.
Development of the rail haulage drifts have been challenging The ground support regime for rail haulage drift is as
for two reasons: follows:
1. The drifts are long, single heading drives which, from a •• primary support
rate of advance perspective, make them less efficient. •• weld mesh and 3.0 m galvanised split sets with a 1.5 m
2. The drifts have been designed with a horseshoe profile in × 1.5 m pattern on the back and walls to 0.5 m from
place of the normal rectangular, arched shoulder design. final floor
This design change was prompted by poor ground •• secondary support
conditions (lithology and the presence of the Kali fault). •• 4.0 m full column grouted thread bar complete with
The horseshoe profile dimension is 5.2 m W × 6.3 m H and plates and nuts on a 1.5 m × 1.5 m pattern in back and
is being applied in all rail drift development. walls to 0.5 m from the final floor
The development cycle critical path consists of the following •• plain shotcrete to cover all primary support applied at
elements and associated equipment: a thickness of not less than 50 mm
•• drill – Axera T08–360, Tamrock computer aided drilling •• 5.0 m cable bolts fully grouted and tensioned on a
(TCAD), three boom jumbo 1.5 m × 1.5 m pattern on the back to 0.5 m from final
floor.
•• loading and blasting – twin 500 kg ANFO pot loaders
In an effort to improve heading advance rates, PTRI and
•• mucking – Elphinstone R2900G load-haul-dump (LHD)
PTFI analysed the delays in the cycle and introduced a
•• mechanical scaling and primary ground support – Axera number of improvements including the use of the Tamrock
T08–290, two boom jumbo, with basket. Axera T08–360 electric-hydraulic drill jumbo for face drilling.
The following tasks are completed off the critical path of the These units are equipped with the TCAD system and three
mining cycle: TF 500 5.5 m booms (Figure 5). The TCAD system provides
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FIG 4 – 2760 L haulage level development required for the first production in 2017.
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Development of the Ore Handling System at the Grasberg Block Cave Mine, Indonesia
FIG 6 – 2730 L crusher level development required for the first production in 2017.
in a similar manner. Prior to conducting secondary support CR 601 coarse ore bin
activity, i-site scan survey was applied to identify possible
The coarse ore bin was excavated in two sections using a
tights inside the chamber.
pilot raising and benching approach. The final dimensions
Secondary ground support was then installed consisting of
of this chamber are 11 m W × 11 m L × 20 m H. A 3.0 m ×
fully grouted 8 m cable bolts on a 1.25 m × 1.25 m regular
3.0 m rectangular pilot hole was driven by double-drive
pattern spacing on the back and shoulders and 4.0 m fully
mechanised raise climber (MRC) through the coarse ore bin
grouted thread bar on a 1.5 m × 1.5 m regular pattern from
the shoulder to the floor. A 75 mm layer of plain shotcrete access drift (Figure 9). Widening of the coarse ore bin would
was applied to complete the secondary support. Phase two be done by benching in 12 passes.
consisted of excavating the south side pass to a dimension of As the benching proceeded downwards, primary and
6.2 m W × 5.5 m H × 53.0 m L using similar methodology of secondary ground support was installed which consisted of
excavation and ground support. 1.8 m galvanised split sets on a spacing of 1.5 m × 1.5 m on the
Wall plates and geotechnical monitoring instruments sidewalls, 4.0 m long grouted 20 mm thread bar on 1.0 m ×
were installed at the first chamber to accommodate future 1.0 m spacing, and 50 mm shotcrete for each pass. Secondary
construction work. Phase three included benching of the support was completed with five rings of 6.0 m long grouted
12.4 m W × 5.5 m H × 53.0 m L middle section (Figure 7). cable bolts on a 1.0 m × 1.0 m spacing. Once excavation of the
Secondary ground support for this section was put in place
coarse ore bin was completed, the west and east walls were
prior to bottom pass benching. The final phase of the top
slashed utilising the drill jumbo. Figure 10 shows the detailed
chamber development was completed with one pass to
an excavated dimension of 12.4 m W × 4.3 m H × 53.0 m L development sequence for the coarse ore bin.
(Figure 8).
FIG 7 – CR 601 main chamber development sequence. FIG 8 – CR 601 main chamber excavation looking north.
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The second included a rectangular excavation for a manway indicated depths. The second and third benches followed this
between the top crusher and eccentric drift, with a dimension cycle. The final octagonal bench, which had been predrilled
of 11.0 m W × 14.0 m L × 10.3 m H. from the eccentric drift, was then loaded, blasted and mucked
The octagonal excavation started in February 2014 with the out from the eccentric drift.
crusher pocket floor first being thoroughly cleaned using a Once the final floor elevation was reached, the remaining
backhoe and compressed air. The first octagonal bench was development and permanent support was installed on
then drilled, blasted and blow-piped to a dimension of 14.8 m descent benching following the same approach. Figure 12
wide. Development support consisting of wire welded mesh shows CR 601 crusher pocket excavation.
and 2.1 m split set bolts was wrapped over the top edge of the
bench and onto the walls within the first bench. Secondary DEVELOPMENT OF CONVEYOR LEVEL (2700 L)
support was then installed consisting of 3.0 m fully grouted Two main drifts were mined to reach the conveyor level, one
thread bar on a 1.0 m × 1.0 m regular pattern and a 50 mm from Grasberg Ventilation Drift 8 (GVD8) starting on the
thick layer of plain shotcrete. Table 1 shows the recommended 2960 level and the other from the GBC ramp at 2700 level.
ground support for each excavation sequence. To ensure a In order to compress the timeline for development of the
smooth sidewall of the complete excavation, it was required conveyor level, conveyor access was developed from both the
to drill around the wall perimeter at 0.5 m spacing to the north and south ends of GVD8. In addition to providing access
TABLE 1
Grasberg Block Cave crusher ground support recommendation.
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FIG 13 – 2700 L conveyor level development required for the first production in 2017.
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