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
activity, i-site scan survey was applied to identify possible
tights inside the chamber.
Secondary ground support was then installed consisting of
fully grouted 8 m cable bolts on a 1.25 m × 1.25 m regular
pattern spacing on the back and shoulders and 4.0 m fully
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
was applied to complete the secondary support. Phase two
consisted of excavating the south side pass to a dimension of
6.2 m W × 5.5 m H × 53.0 m L using similar methodology of
excavation and ground support.
Wall plates and geotechnical monitoring instruments
were installed at the first chamber to accommodate future
construction work. Phase three included benching of the
12.4 m W × 5.5 m H × 53.0 m L middle section (Figure 7).
Secondary ground support for this section was put in place
prior to bottom pass benching. The final phase of the top
chamber development was completed with one pass to
an excavated dimension of 12.4 m W × 4.3 m H × 53.0 m L
(Figure 8).
FIG 7 – CR 601 main chamber development sequence.
SEVENTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION ON MASS MINING / SYDNEY, NSW, 9–11 MAY 2016
CR 601 coarse ore bin
The coarse ore bin was excavated in two sections using a
pilot raising and benching approach. The final dimensions
of this chamber are 11 m W × 11 m L × 20 m H. A 3.0 m ×
3.0 m rectangular pilot hole was driven by double-drive
mechanised raise climber (MRC) through the coarse ore bin
access drift (Figure 9). Widening of the coarse ore bin would
be done by benching in 12 passes.
As the benching proceeded downwards, primary and
secondary ground support was installed which consisted of
1.8 m galvanised split sets on a spacing of 1.5 m × 1.5 m on the
sidewalls, 4.0 m long grouted 20 mm thread bar on 1.0 m ×
1.0 m spacing, and 50 mm shotcrete for each pass. Secondary
support was completed with five rings of 6.0 m long grouted
cable bolts on a 1.0 m × 1.0 m spacing. Once excavation of the
coarse ore bin was completed, the west and east walls were
slashed utilising the drill jumbo. Figure 10 shows the detailed
development sequence for the coarse ore bin.
FIG 8 – CR 601 main chamber excavation looking north.
603
I Pasek, H Firdausi and T Chenier

outside the perimeter of the bin. The ore bin development

required a different approach due to the shape and size and
that no top access was available. Two tuggers were mounted
above and used to raise and secure work platforms 1 and 2.
This would allow easy movement up and down as well as
provide access to the bottom of the raise (Figure 11). In order
to achieve the final required dimensions of the crusher pocket,
the two raises were slashed out utilising benching techniques
(Figure 10).
Each pilot raise is used as a muck pass for the two sections.
The first section is an octagonal shaped excavation for the
crusher with a dimension of 14.8 m W × 13.5 L × 10.3 m H.

FIG 9 – CR 601 coarse ore bin development sequence.

CR 601 crusher pocket

The crusher pocket was also developed in two sections
using a pilot raising and benching approach. Two pilot
raises were driven from the eccentric drift, which had been
simultaneously excavated with CR 601 main chamber to
optimise the development schedule.
Due to the large dimensions of the chamber, the excavation
was divided into two sections. Excavation began with two
3.0 m × 3.0 m pilot raises located 7 m apart. Once the pilot
raising was completed, the MRC was removed and a safety
barricade was installed around the final perimeter. Tugger
hoists, to be used for the handling of material and for raising FIG 11 – Suspended platform for the CR 601
and lowering the pilot raise cover, were mounted on the bench crusher pocket excavation looking north.

FIG 10 – CR 601 crusher pocket development sequence.

604 SEVENTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION ON MASS MINING / SYDNEY, NSW, 9–11 MAY 2016
 Development of the Ore Handling System at the Grasberg Block Cave Mine, Indonesia

The second included a rectangular excavation for a manway
between the top crusher and eccentric drift, with a dimension
of 11.0 m W × 14.0 m L × 10.3 m H.
The octagonal excavation started in February 2014 with the
crusher pocket floor first being thoroughly cleaned using a
backhoe and compressed air. The first octagonal bench was
then drilled, blasted and blow-piped to a dimension of 14.8 m
wide. Development support consisting of wire welded mesh
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
support was then installed consisting of 3.0 m fully grouted
thread bar on a 1.0 m × 1.0 m regular pattern and a 50 mm
thick layer of plain shotcrete. Table 1 shows the recommended
ground support for each excavation sequence. To ensure a
smooth sidewall of the complete excavation, it was required
to drill around the wall perimeter at 0.5 m spacing to the
indicated depths. The second and third benches followed this
cycle. The final octagonal bench, which had been predrilled
from the eccentric drift, was then loaded, blasted and mucked
out from the eccentric drift.
Once the final floor elevation was reached, the remaining
development and permanent support was installed on
descent benching following the same approach. Figure 12
shows CR 601 crusher pocket excavation.
DEVELOPMENT OF CONVEYOR LEVEL (2700 L)
Two main drifts were mined to reach the conveyor level, one
from Grasberg Ventilation Drift 8 (GVD8) starting on the
2960 level and the other from the GBC ramp at 2700 level.
In order to compress the timeline for development of the
conveyor level, conveyor access was developed from both the
north and south ends of GVD8. In addition to providing access

TABLE 1
Grasberg Block Cave crusher ground support recommendation.

Area Excavation sequence Excavation Ground support recommendation

Volume Tonnage Primary support Secondary support
(m3) (t) Galvanised split set Shotcrete Cable bolt Thread bar
and welded mesh
Top level
First and second cuts 1916 5691 3.0 m long, 75 mm 8.0 m fully grouted, 4.0 m fully grouted,
Top pass 1396 4147 1.5 × 1.5 m spacing 1.25 × 1.25 m regular 1.5 × 1.5 m regular pattern
CR 601 pattern, back to shoulder spacing shoulder to floor
main
chamber Middle and bottom levels
Benching 3037 9023 3.0 m long, 75 mm Not required 4.0 m fully grouted,
Middle pass 1419 4226 1.5 × 1.5 m spacing 1.5 × 1.5 m regular pattern
Bottom pass spacing shoulder to floor
Pilot hole
Pilot raise 3 × 3 m 180 535 1.8 m long, Not required Not required Not required
1.5 × 1.5 m spacing
Bench down
CR 601
coarse Bench sequence 1–12 2240 6653 2.4 m long, 50 mm Not required 4.0 m fully grouted
ore bin 1.5 × 1.5 m spacing 1.0 × 1.0 m regular
pattern spacing
Slash left and right wall 226 672 3.0 m long, 75 mm 8.0 m fully grouted, 4.0 m fully grouted,
Slash back 391 1162 1.5 × 1.5 m spacing 1.25 × 1.25 m regular 1.5 × 1.5 m regular pattern
pattern, back to shoulder spacing shoulder to floor
Excavation
First cut (eccentric access) 1816 5394 3.0 m long, 50 mm 5.0 m fully grouted, 4.0 m fully grouted,
1.5 × 1.5 m spacing 1.20 × 1.20 m regular 1.5 × 1.5 m regular pattern
pattern, back to shoulder spacing shoulder to floor
Pilot hole
Raise opening Slot 1 146 434 1.8 m long, Not required Not required Not required
and 2 (3.1 × 9.8 m) 1.5 × 1.5 m spacing
CR 601 Benching down
crusher
Bench 1 (excavate 4.5 m by 509 1512 2.4 m long, 50 mm 6.0 m fully grouted, 3.0 m fully grouted
pocket
hand-held drill and stagging) 1.5 × 1.5 m spacing 1.0 × 1.0 m regular 1.0 × 1.0 m regular
pattern, for top brow pattern spacing
Bench 2 and 3 (excavate 384 1141 2.4 m long, 50 mm Not required 3.0 m fully grouted
2.0 m by hand-held 331 983 1.5 × 1.5 m spacing 1.0 × 1.0 m regular
drill and stagging) pattern spacing
Bench 4 (excavate 1.8 m by 454 1349 2.4 m long, 50 mm 6.0 m fully grouted, 3.0 m fully grouted
hand-held drill and stagging) 1.5 × 1.5 m spacing 1.0 × 1.0 m regular 1.0 × 1.0 m regular
pattern, for bottom brow pattern spacing

SEVENTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION ON MASS MINING / SYDNEY, NSW, 9–11 MAY 2016 605
I Pasek, H Firdausi and T Chenier
FIG 12 – CR 601 crusher pocket looking south.
for development, GVD8 provides for ventilation and routing
of mine utilities during the development phase. The GVD8
connection is expected to break through by late 2015. Initial
GBC production requires connection of the BC 613 Conveyor
Line and BC 612 Conveyor Lines by the third quarter of 2016.
The typical profile for the conveyor decline/incline is
7.0  m  W × 5.8 m H, with arched shoulders. The specified
tolerance of the finished surface, after shotcrete and support,
is 0 to +150 mm. The profile of GVD8 is 6.8 m W × 9.0 m H,
with arched shoulders. This drift is mined in two passes. The
first pass is excavated to a dimension of 6.8 m W × 6.0 m H,
which is then followed by the installation of secondary
support and a 3 m high bench of the floor.
The conveyor level is configured with twin drifts (BC 612,
BC 613 and BC 616, BC 617) at a 15 per cent grade with GVD8
running between the two conveyor drifts. Cross-cuts every
150 m serve as muck bays during development enabling
haulage to occur off the critical path (Figure 13).
FIG 13 – 2700 L conveyor level development required for the first production in 2017.
606 SEVENTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION ON MASS MINING / SYDNEY, NSW, 9–11 MAY 2016
Plans for the conveyor line development focused on
maximising advance rates utilising a fleet of standard
mechanised rubber-tyred mine equipment. The fleet used for
lateral and mass excavation development includes: Tamrock
Axera D07 jumbos, Caterpillar 1700G and 2900G LHDs and
AD30 and AD55 haul trucks, Getman 1248 remixer trucks
and Jacon shotcrete maxijets, along with lifting and service
equipment.
The host rock is classified as fair ground with Q range =
6.5–8.3 and RMR = 60–63 for tunnel excavation in Intrusive
Diorite (Te) Ertsberg Diorite. Primary development support
of the conveyor drift consists of friction bolts wire mesh.
Secondary support consists of grouted thread bar and plain
shotcrete. To increase efficiency, posimix (resin) bolts were
introduced in the conveyor level by PTFI and PTRI. Resin
bolting offers an immediate one-pass permanent support
system. Acceptance of resin bolting was not immediate.
Upon introduction of the system, less than adequate quality
assurance and quality control (QA/QC) led to an unacceptable
number of bolt failures. After a thorough review, required
changes and a higher degree of QA/QC the resin bolting
system has proven successful.
Development of the conveyor level is ongoing with more
than 17 000 equivalent metres being excavated through to
August 2015. This development has also been undertaken from
two directions. As of Q2 2015, development from the north
has almost reached cross-cut #8. Development from the south
will begin following completion of the GVD8 connection.
Due to a high intensity of blocky ground, overbreak control
in BC 612 Conveyor has been one of the most challenging
issues encountered during the development phase. The TCAD
jumbo has been employed to improve drilling accuracy.
Improvements in compliance to design focused on both
drilling and blasting. Confining perimeter holes by 300  mm
(versus final profile) and specialised charging techniques
have proven effective in reducing overbreak by as much as
ten per cent.
 Development of the Ore Handling System at the Grasberg Block Cave Mine, Indonesia
CONCLUSIONS
Despite the best studies and plans, challenges are inevitable
when undertaking a mining project of this magnitude. The
size and irregular shape of the GBC crusher chamber was one
of the most challenging aspects of this project undertaken
to date by PTFI and PTRI. The various excavation methods,
involving mechanised raise climbers and jumbo drills, as
well as the sequence of development at the various elevations
required diligent planning and communication between
groups.
As discussed, the haulage and conveyor levels are on the
critical path of the GBC plan. With many of these headings
being longer, single headings, providing access from more
than one direction and elevation has proven effective in
compressing the schedule.
The introduction of in-cycle resin bolting has also proven
effective in compressing the critical path schedule by reducing
‘re-work’ (ie two-pass ground support). Although not
immediately successful, changes to the system and a higher
degree of QA/QC eventually provided acceptable results and
this remains so.
Some delays during the mass excavation development were
attributed to the drift excavation design compliance prior
SEVENTH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION ON MASS MINING / SYDNEY, NSW, 9–11 MAY 2016
to commencing the next phases. A final site scan survey, to
double check for any tights as per design requirement, and
a dedicated survey team, to ensure the planned excavation
design specifications were met, was found essential to support
the development crews in reducing delays.
It is expected that approximately 87 514 m will have
been excavated for the ore handling system by the time of
production commissioning in October 2017.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors would like to thank the management of
PT Freeport Indonesia and PT Redpath Indonesia for
permission to prepare and publish this paper. The positive
completion of this challenging project was a result of the
determination and commitment of the project team and
management to deliver a quality product. We would like to
express our thanks and appreciation to all involved.
Information contained in this paper has been obtained from
actual project experience as well as certain internal documents
of PT Freeport Indonesia and PT Redpath Indonesia including
progress reports, engineered design layouts and the Grasberg
Block Cave Mine plan.
607