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Ultra-High Intensity Blasting (UHIB)

Blasting for Comminution

Background
Mine-to-mill studies have shown modest increases in explosives lead to
significant improvements in milling

Increases in comminution circuit throughput

can increase mine production

Milling energy & consumables are major costs

Milling electricity & media are largest contributors to mining greenhouse gas
emissions

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Objective
Use explosive energy for in-pit comminution

Increase mine production at existing operations

Decrease overall mine costs, energy, consumables and emissions

Step-change in explosives energy to achieve this

Modelling of powder factor increase by factor 3 - 4 :

JKSIMBLAST - much finer fragmentation
JKSIMMET - >60% increase in mill throughput

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 Large increase in
Only a marginal mill throughput
change in for P.F. increase
throughput of 2.8 times

Conclusion:
A step change
in blast energy
is required to
obtain benefit

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Economic evaluation - Two mines
assessed
Two current operations
• Large Chilean Cu mine
- 90 mt/yr ore milled
- Mill Energy Consumption - 20.5 kWh/t
- Energy Cost - $0.156 per kWh

One future operation

• Large Aus mine
- 60 mt/yr ore milled
- Mill Energy Consumption - 30.0 kWh/t
- Energy Cost - $0.045 per kWh

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Economic evaluation - Approach
Data Source
• ‘Cost Mine’ Spreadsheets (Wood MacKenzie Research)
• Other published data

Assumptions
• pf of 4.5
• 20% increase in mill throughput
• 20% reduction in mill wear consumables
• 20% improvement in excavation rate

Benefit Calculation
• Additional profit due to change in cost base (improved margin)
- Existing production rate
• Additional return due to increased cash flow
- Increased production
- Reinvested at 15% IRR
- yearly average over 5 years

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 Economic evaluation
Drill and Blast Assumptions
Pattern Hole Diameter Powder factor D&B Cost ($/t)
(m) (mm) (kg/bcm)
Mine Conventional UHIB Conventional UHIB Conventional UHIB Conventional UHIB

Large
3.1 X
Chilean 9.5 X 9.5 270 270 0.4 4.5 0.20 1.74
3.1
Cu Mine
Large Aus 3.1 X
8X7 270 270 1.0 4.5 0.44 2.09
Mine 3.1

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Economic evaluation
Results
Margin Addition Addition Cash Flow Cash Flow Total
Improvement Profit Profit Improvement Benefit Benefit
($/lb) ($pa) ($pa) ($pa) ($pa) ($pa)
Normal New New Production New New
Production Production Rate Production Production
Mine Rate Rate Rate Rate

Large
Chilean $ 0.033 $ 56m $ 92m $ 758m $ 264m $ 355m
Cu Mine
Large Aus
$ 0.027 $28m $ 43m $ 306m $106m $150m
Mine

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 The potential prize is
huge….

But can it be
done….?

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Base Case - 0.8 PF
12 m bench, 6.8 by 8.7 m pattern, 229 mm hole
• Blastholes defined by coloured lines, cross denoted primer location with
associated number the delay in milliseconds. Red region is buffer material.

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Base Case - 0.8 PF

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Conventional Design - PF 4
12 m bench, 3.1 by 3.1 m pattern, 229 mm hole
• Note last two rows revert to the conventional pattern of 6.8 by 7.8 m to
protect the back wall.

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Conventional Design - 4 PF

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Conclusion

Conventional blasting cannot be

done at such high powder factors

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Novel Orica Blast Design -
Patented
• Use electronic delays

• “Dual” layer blast

• first blast layer provides protective “blast blanket” for second blast layer

• Mechanistic blast model shows it can control movement

• No flyrock, all material within blast area

• Either “centre lift” or “corner initiation”

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Novel Blast Design- Centre Lift
P.F. 4.0 kg/m3 in high energy layer
Overall blast PF increase by 2.8 times
Standard energy layer
fires first - protective layer
High energy zone P.F 4.0
Buffer rows for wall control Fires several seconds later

Stand-off for floor control

CONFIDENTIAL
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Novel Blast Design
Powder Factor of 4 in high energy layer
Overall blast P.F. increase by 2.8 times

CONFIDENTIAL
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Ultra-High Intensity Blasting (UHIB)

Orica’s Progress in Developing Technique
UHIB Development Trials
Orica has been undergoing trials at Codelco’s Andina mine in South America to prove
the UHIB technique

To date, a number of test blasts have been fired in preparation for firing a UHIB blast.
These tests have been conducted to;
• Confirm that site resources are capable of delivering UHIB blasts
- Drill capability - MMU capability
• Confirm product (initiators and bulk explosive) performance under UHIB conditions
- Confirmed with numerous measurements including (but not limited to) VOD and
Pressure measurements
• Confirm final UHIB design parameters
- Pattern size - Bulk Explosive choice
- Deck size and separation - Primer choice and position
• Develop a vibration Prediction model for the test site
- Orica’s Monte Carlo Vibration Model, enables prediction of peak vibration and
frequency of planned blast events

CONFIDENTIAL
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UHIB Development Trials – Blast 1
Powder factors (kg/m3)
UHIB Top: 0.6
UHIB Bottom: 2.4
UHIB Overall: 1.4

Rest of blast: 0.8

CONFIDENTIAL
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UHIB Development Trials – Blast 1

CONFIDENTIAL
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UHIB Development Trials – Blast 1

CONFIDENTIAL
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UHIB Development Trials – Blast 1
Dual layer test blast (UHIB section) observations
• No misfires
• Well controlled with no fly-rock
• Digging good
• Visual fragmentation good
• Image analyses confirmed finer fragmentation from
UHIB section

CONFIDENTIAL
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UHIB Development Trials – Blast 1

UHIB
Mixto
% -1”

SAG Feed – approximately 30% blend

CONFIDENTIAL
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UHIB Development Trials – Blast 2
Total Blast Volume
approx. 129,000 bcm
approx. 350,000 tonne

UHIB Volume
approx. 29,500 bcm
approx. 80,000 tonne

Standard Blast Volume

approx. 99,500 bcm
approx. 270,000 tonne

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UHIB Development Trials – Blast 2
Design Powder factors (kg/m3)
UHIB Top: 0.74
UHIB Bottom: 3.07
UHIB Overall: 2.10

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UHIB Development Trials – Blast 2
Design Powder factors (kg/m3)
Standard: 0.60

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UHIB Development Trials – Blast 2

Post Blast

Pre Blast

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UHIB Development Trials – Blast 2
Dual layer test blast (UHIB section) observations
• No misfires
• Dual layer concept proven, satisfactorily contained
high energy lower layer, despite lower layer
containing over 5 times the usual energy utilised in
this rock domain

• To date, block has not been mined so no further

evaluation possible

CONFIDENTIAL
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