Resue Mining with eDev™ Electronic

Detonators at Stawell Gold Mines

C Hamilton1 and B Degay Jr2

ABSTRACT
Stawell Gold Mines (SGM) is an underground mining operation located in Victoria, Australia. The
mining method employed is long hole retreat stoping, utilising up and downholes and artificial
concrete pillars. Stawell is currently mining the Golden Gift and Magdala orebodies.
Access to the Magdala and Golden Gift deposits is via 6.0 m wide by 5.5 m high declines developed
at a gradient of one in eight to one in seven from the surface to a depth of 1500 m, with a planned
depth of 1650 m. From the declines, cross cutting drives are developed to intersect the orebodies.
Orebodies in the Gift system are discrete lodes which are generally mined from a bottom up centre
retreat to minimise geotechnical stresses.
Ore development fronts are currently located between 1000 m and 1500 m below surface, with
all ore being hauled to the surface using a fleet of 60 tonne underground trucks. With the use
of conventional pyrotechnic long period (LP) delays, broken rock of combined ore and waste is
thrown 10 m from the face and the materials hauled to the surface. The majority of the mullock
from development is consumed in the underground as backfill.
With the use of Orica Mining Services eDev™ Electronic Blasting System for Tunnelling, the
waste is thrown up to 40 m from the face, while majority of the ore is left 5 - 10 m from the face,
effectively segregating ore and waste. This enables significant recovery of gold values with minimal
loss and significantly reduced dilution. By using this technique in ore drives with a 30:70 waste to
ore ratio, SGM is able to haul 24 000 tonnes less mullock to the surface annually. Resue mining
is applied to narrow vein headings and gives a 40 per cent grade increase at the faces as well as
increasing the economic footprint of development. This will also contribute to an improved grade
profile for the year from 3.98 - 4.16 g/t Au and allow extra capacity for ore haulage from stoping
and for milling.
This paper describes the application and the successful blast outcomes achieved using the eDev™
Electronic Blasting Systems for resue mining at SGM. Results to date, since commencement
in March 2010, have been achieving significant benefits in terms of ore grade as confirmed by
geologists grab sample grades. Face advance have also shown improvement with better breakage of
perimeter holes giving improved face profile. These benefits are delivering increased productivity
and safety performance when compared to other resue firing techniques.

INTRODUCTION
The Stawell Gold Mines Operation is located 150 km west of
Melbourne in the Australian state of Victoria (Figure 1) and is
serviced by the rural town of Stawell with a population of 6500
people. The mine is owned by NAVCO Australia, a wholly owned
subsidiary of Northgate Minerals Corporation of Canada.
Gold was first discovered in the Stawell area in 1853, with
2.7 million ounces produced in the 65 years to the 1920s. This
mining was first through alluvial workings, before working
hard rock sources underground to depths of 700 m below the
surface
Modern mining of Stawell Gold Mines (SGM) was
commenced in 1981 under WMC, with 29 continuous years
of production winning two million ounces in the modern era.
Access to the underground working is via 6.0 m × 5.5 m
decline. Ore is hauled to the surface using 60 tonnes capacity
trucks, with majority of waste consumed underground as
backfill.
GEOLOGY
The Stawell gold field is located in the western Stawell zone
of the Lachlan fold belt, which consist of deformed meta-
sedimentary rocks. Three principal rock types make up
the formation with Magdala Basalt, Albion formation and
Leviathan formation. Ore from the Magdala and Golden Gift
orebodies are hosted by subparallel faults and shear zones on
the western flank of the Anticline basalt dome. Fredericksen
and Miller (2008) describes the Golden Gift ore types having
typical widths of 8 - 12 m with shoots ranging from 150 m
to 400 m in strike. Magdala lode mineralisation is located
in a quartz shear with width of between 0.5 and 10 m, with

1. MAusIMM, Senior Operations Engineer, Stawell Gold Mines, Leviathan Road, Stawell Vic 3380. Email: Chris.Hamilton@northgateminerals.com.au
2. Senior Technical Services Engineer, Orica Mining Services, Gate 6, Tilburn Road, Deer Park Vic 3023. Email: bonifacio.degay.jr@orica.com

11TH UNDERGROUND OPERATORS’ CONFERENCE / CANBERRA, ACT, 21 - 23 MARCH 2011 73

C HAMILTON AND B DEGAY JR
FIG 1 - Stawell Gold Mines location in Victoria, Australia.
economic vertical shoots from 30 m to 350 m in strike. Ore
mineralisation at the fringes of both the Golden Gift and
Magdala lode vertical shoots have the potential to be mined
economically through selective mining techniques such as
resue mining, while accessing through to the next ore shoot.
MINING TECHNIQUE
Stawell Gold mines use a sublevel uphole retreat stoping
technique. Approximately 65 000 tonnes are mined each
month, from stopes and development headings at depths
of around 1400 m below the surface. Reserves have been
delineated to around 1650 m below surface. The SGM fill
balance allows all waste mined from development operations
underground to be consumed within stope backfilling
operations.
The stoping method used at Stawell requires the development
of the tunnels at the base of the ore blocks. These tunnels are
developed in ground that may have a marginal ore value due
to the tunnel size including small to large volumes of waste
and changes in ore geometry. This waste, when mixed with the
ore, reduces the value of the ore recovered and in cases makes
it uneconomic and therefore is handled as waste. Figure 2
shows a typical tunnel with approximately 50 per cent ore and
50 per cent waste content as determined by the mine geologist
and a typical pyrotechnic detonator delay firing sequence that
may have been used.
The waste region is shaded dark while the ore region is
shaded light to enhance clarity. This is applied consistently on
the succeeding face figures. Explosives used at SGM include
both Ammonium Nitrate Fuel Oil (ANFO) and Orica Emulsion
products, initiated with Orica Senatel™ Magnum™ primers.
The use of long period delay detonators results in broken ore
and waste mixed together and heaved 10 - 15 m from the face
making the segregation of ore and waste during the bogging
process impossible.
Single pass resue mining using millisecond detonators have
been practiced since the 1990s with Bock (1996) referring
to segregation of ore and waste in narrow vein gold reefs in
South Africa. It is a process of casting the waste in the first
74
FIG 2 - Conventional long period (LP) pyrotechnic delay system as
used on the face.
part of the blast and firing the ore in the second part of the
blast to provide segregation for dilution minimisation.
SGM recognised that resue mining using single pass resue
mining had been identified as a way of high grading marginal
headings while advancing the heading as per the normal cycle
time. The advantage of single pass resue mining is allowing
marginal headings to be profitable, as well as reducing cost of
hauling and treating mullock, especially as the mine continues
to develop to depth because of significant haulage costs.
Orica have developed the eDev™ blasting system for use
in civil tunnelling applications to maximise pull, minimise
blast vibrations and improved perimeter profile. A secondary
objective is to have a system that is simple to use and
comparable with the use of pyrotechnic delay detonators using
the delay number system. The eDev™ system has proven to be
beneficial in resue development mining.
Other alternatives considered
Electronic detonator systems on the market such as Orica’s
i-Kon™ detonators and Daveytronic™ systems were both
considered due to product knowledge of these systems at
SGM from production firing. These were both rejected,
however, due to the unit sale against eDev™ being more
than twice the price and the user interface of these systems
not allowing for programming of detonators using a system
similar to that familiar with operators using nonel systems.
The 0.1 per cent accuracy of the eDev™ system was considered
sufficient against i-Kon™ with accuracy of 0.01 per cent (Orica
Australia Pty Ltd, 2010, TDS) as minimum firing delays of
15 milliseconds (ms) were used.
Use of pyrotechnic long period delays (LP) and millisecond
series detonators combined were given initial consideration,
but rejected due a number of factors. The primary concern
was the inflexibility to change the firing sequence at the face
when the ore profile in the drive changes or the ability to
modify firing delays to gain best results from firings. Concerns
regarding the logistical and financial burden of maintaining
stocks of short lead length detonators were also considered.
Constant in-hole delay detonators with surface delay such as
Orica Excel™ Develdet™ in combination with LP detonators
11TH UNDERGROUND OPERATORS’ CONFERENCE / CANBERRA, ACT, 21 - 23 MARCH 2011
 RESUE MINING WITH EDEV™ ELECTRONIC DETONATORS AT STAWELL GOLD MINES
have been used in industry to achieve resue firing benefits.
These were rejected due to inability to modify parameter
to improve success. Economic benefits from using these
detonators were not enough to justify a trial.
Traditional resue mining
Traditional resue mining ensures reliable segregation of ore
and waste in two separate firings. However, this method
slows down the development advance in a heading as multiple
firing events are required for a single round. This would then
require the next shift to bore and fire the remaining half of the
heading. The potential to expose the charge crew to the fired
half unsupported ground using this technique is also present
which contradicts the SGM safety policy of not working under
unsupported ground.
In short, the best option is to do a single pass firing with
the ability to effectively segregate ore and waste and maintain
or surpass current advance rates including equal or reduced
cycle times.
Technical solutions
The introduction of the eDev™ electronic development
detonators and applying combined Orica and SGM develop-
ment drill and blast skills and experience such as:
 Locating the burn at the waste portion of the face enables
the best segregation of the two distinct broken materials
without loss of ore.
 Sequencing the blast to optimise the advance of the burn
area, while improving the segregation of the ore and
waste. The initial section is fired fast to maximise throw,
the shot is then paused and the section to be left at the face
is fired slowly. A spiralling sequencing has proven that
a better muckpile shape can be achieved (Degay, 2006).
Pyrotechnic detonators do not afford sufficient delays to
permit use of the spiralling sequence.
 Modification of the delay timing to suit explosive product
used. A delay of 15 ms in the thrown material was used
when ANFO was used to charge the holes, while a slower
delay of 20 ms between holes was used for emulsion firing.
 Involvement of geologists to map out the face prior to
drilling to delineate the contact between the ore and waste
at the face. The location for the burn will be indicated in
the waste region, ensuring that the desired firing sequence
can be achieved. Geologists are also required after firing
to clearly identify the boundary between the broken ore
and waste and to guide loader operators during bogging
operations. The geologist will paint a vertical line on the
wall of the drive indicating ore and waste boundaries
within the muckpile.
 Trials showed that the eDev™ system is at least as fast to
load and program as the time spent at the face with the
use of conventional pyrotechnic delays, and averages
50 minutes. A delay table was created using delay number
0 - 25. The waste portion utilises delays 0 - 15 while delays
16 - 25 are used for the ore region. Delay 16 is times to fire
one second after delay 15.
System overview
The eDev™ blasting system consists of the detonators, scanner,
network tester, blastbox and harness wire. The detonator
is a fully programmable detonator with 0 - 10 000 ms firing
time with 1 ms increments and 0.1 per cent accuracy. Each
detonator has unique identity number set at the factory using
a barcode. The detonators have two way communication with
the blast box during programming and firing times.
11TH UNDERGROUND OPERATORS’ CONFERENCE / CANBERRA, ACT, 21 - 23 MARCH 2011
The scanner is used at the tunnel/heading faces to scan
the barcode of the detonator to allocate a delay number
and sequence that enables a complex electronic timing to
be used simply. The scanner assigns times according to its
downloaded program, or according to rules supplied by the
design engineer. The two basic rules assign an inter-shot
delay between detonators of the same delay number, and
another assigned delay between the last of one number and
the first of the next number (or the inter-number delay) are.
This affords a true single-hole firing of the entire round.
Orica describes the scanner as an inherently safe passive
device where the detonator identification is collected and
stored without applying any energy to the detonator. Figure 3
illustrates scanning at the face. The scanner will scan up to
500 detonators.
FIG 3 - Scanning of detonator barcode and allocation of delays at the face
using eDev™ system.
The network tester is another inherently safe handheld
testing device used to test circuit leakage and continuity.
The Network tester does not test the functionality of the
detonators.
The blast box is used to arm and fire the detonators.
Detonator data transfer from the scanner to this equipment
is done via Bluetooth™. Two-way communication to the
detonators is maintained during the programming stage.
The eDev™ system has been developed to include addressing
simplicity and ease of use by tunnellers and miners (Simpson,
2010). A delay table can be generated and loaded into the
scanners that can mimic the delay numbering of conventional
pyrotechnic delay detonators from 0 - 15. The delay table
can be set based on the preference of the end users, to suit
their particular applications be it resue mining like SGM,
advance rates, vibration control, over break reductions, or
combinations of these.
Results
Ore and waste configurations on a heading or face encountered
during the trial period at SGM were quite varied. These
included semi-vertical, vertical, or slanted ore and waste
split at the face. The face illustrated in Figure 4 used SGM’s
existing drill pattern and the round was taken over a 4.5 m
drill length. The figure also shows eDev™ delay numbering
used and firing times showing single hole firing and a pause
of two seconds after firing the waste region and before firing
75
C HAMILTON AND B DEGAY JR
FIG 4 - Semi-vertical ore contact heading with eDev™ firing times, demonstrating fast initial firing of waste in a clockwise spiralling pattern and
following a pause the stripping of the ore into the void.
the ore region. The firing order adopted resulted in spiralling
in a clockwise direction and a concentration of the broken
material on the left side of the drive as shown in Figure 5 and
the waste segregated ahead of the ore as shown in Figure 6.
Grab samples were taken throughout the muck pile and
revealed and average grade of 7 g/t Au of ore removed and
FIG 5 - Blast result for semi vertical ore contact heading in a cross-section using
spiralling blast delay sequence.
76
mullock removed at 0.2 g/t Au. This agrees with the predicted
ore/waste split resulting to a more than 40 per cent increase
in grade. A geologist painted the wall delineating boundary of
broken waste and ore.
Figure 7 illustrates a heading where the waste was occupying
approximately a quarter of the total face. The eDev™ System
was used in this scenario to provide a real test for the
shotfirers using the scanner. This also gave the opportunity
to try a modified delay table to improve the segregation where
the pause was reduced by 500 ms from the initial 2000 ms.
Results as shown in Figure 8 show a clear segregation of ore
and waste with most of the ore left close to the face with the
furthest travelling no more than 10 m.
Grab samples showed the waste portion averaging 0.1 g/t Au
and the ore having a grade of 4.1 g/t Au.
The most dramatic result occurred for a slanted ore and
waste split illustrated in Figure 9. The results, in Figures 10
and 11, show a channel left in the centre of the drive with
enough segregation and space for the loader to limit mixing
the two separate materials together during the mucking
process. Grab samples taken every 2 m along the muck pile
revealed an average waste grade of 0.1 g/t Au and an average
grade of more than 25 g/t Au for the ore region.
Of note, there was no attempt to locate the burn in the ore
region. With the burn located in the waste, the waste material
is thrown the furthest. Locating the burn at the ore may have
the potential to have the ore being buried under the mullock at
the boundary of waste and ore, and the geologist may declare
the material as waste. In short, a slightly diluted ore is a better
option than loss of ore.
Identified points of concern critical for success
 The mapping of the position of the ore and waste on the face
and how it changes through the ‘cut’ is critical to the success
of the process,
11TH UNDERGROUND OPERATORS’ CONFERENCE / CANBERRA, ACT, 21 - 23 MARCH 2011
 RESUE MINING WITH EDEV™ ELECTRONIC DETONATORS AT STAWELL GOLD MINES

FIG 6 - Longitudinal section result of the blast with semi-vertical ore contact using spiralling blast delay sequence.
 increased geology input for mapping of face and muckpile
split for digging,
 the burn of the round needs to be in the waste and there needs
to be enough room to allow for the spiralling of the waste to be
thrown separating it from the ore,
 butts or sockets from the previous shots can restrict position
of the burn and reduce effectiveness of resue firing,
 ensure that rock handling during mucking allows for waste
and ore dispatch,
 a more complex cycle will require training of charging and
mucking crews,
 extra cost – detonators cost an extra $400 per round, and
 potentially increased drilling to suit changes in ore
geometry of face and position of butts in previous face.

Identified improvements to customer needs

specification
 Increased detonator lead lengths will allow the shot to be
scanned and programmed from the ground level;
 modified clips to allow one handed or gloved hook up
which is incorporated on Orica’s next generation of the
system to be released; and
 testability of detonators before firing time, this is again
incorporated into the next generation of the system.

Demonstrated benefits
FIG 7 - Heading showing ore and waste split with face geometry requiring tight The major benefits of the resue mining by blasting method in
mullock removal in bottom quarter of face. development is that ore and waste separation can be achieved

FIG 8 - Result in longitudinal section of tight firing of mullock in quarter of face.

11TH UNDERGROUND OPERATORS’ CONFERENCE / CANBERRA, ACT, 21 - 23 MARCH 2011 77

C HAMILTON AND B DEGAY JR
FIG 9 - A slanted ore and waste split at the face illustrating the burn location
using spiralling pattern to eject the mullock surrounding the burn.
reducing the dilution of ore at the headings and improving ore
recovery where dilution would render the muck uneconomic
or low-grade. The SGM trials resulted in equivalent to a
40 per cent increase in haul grade profile of face dirt, reducing
in downstream haulage and processing costs. By using this
technique in ore drives with a 30:70 waste to ore ratio, SGM
will theoretically be able to haul 24 000 tonnes less mullock
to the surface annually. Also if the general mine grade is
FIG 10 - Result heading in longitudinal section showing ejection of mullock along the drive with slanting ore contact.
FIG 11 - Plan view of heading showing ore on the right and waste on the left of the drive of firing with slanted ore contact.
78 11TH UNDERGROUND OPERATORS’ CONFERENCE / CANBERRA, ACT, 21 - 23 MARCH 2011
improved then overall mined ounces are improved, together
with the addition a dirt which would otherwise be hauled as
mullock. This will also contribute to a theoretical improved
grade profile for the year from 3.98 g/t Au to 4.16 g/t Au and
allow extra capacity for ore haulage and milling.
No split firing steps are required, which would slow
down the development rates considerably. There are also
compromises to safety associated with traditional split firings
due to requirement to re-access a partially fired face to recover
the remaining material.
In terms of advance efficiency, eDev™ fired faces showed
improved perimeter blast performance and measurements
revealed no butts at the centre of the face, with a maximum of
100 mm on the wall holes, while butts measured from 200 mm
to 300 mm on the faces fired with standard firing, indicating
an improvement on advance efficiency.
A time in motion study revealed a charging time of thirty
minutes and a scanning and clipping time of seventeen
minutes for a total of forty seven minutes. This is comparable
to the time consumed with the use of conventional
pyrotechnic initiation. An advantage of the electronic system
is that all holes are loaded with the same detonator, unlike
conventional systems where specific delays need to go in a
certain hole. Therefore, when the detonators are sourced from
the magazine, there is no problem with ensuring that the mix
of delay numbers is correct, and there is no chance of stock
outages of a certain delay number. Extension of lead lengths
together with modification of clip design will in the future will
allow for all hole logging to be conducted from ground level,
increasing utilisation of primary charging functions as they
are not required during hook-up.
Fragmentation with eDev™ fired faces had been recognised
by loader operators to be fine and uniform resulting in ease
and quickness of the bogging/mucking cycle. Load factors in
trucks and use of the waste as road base are potential benefits
that have not been assessed at this stage.
 RESUE MINING WITH EDEV™ ELECTRONIC DETONATORS AT STAWELL GOLD MINES
CONCLUSIONS
Northgate Minerals Corporation, Stawell Gold Mines and
Orica Mining Services have worked together to deliver success
of resue mining by firing in development. The knowledge
of SGM and the expertise and systems of Orica combined
in this ‘resue mining project’ is able to effectively segregate
the ore and waste thereby upgrading the ore delivered to the
mill, allow economic recovery of lower grade headings, while
maintaining optimum advance and delivering acceptable
productivity.
Marginal headings by definition are unknown and can
change grade and geology quickly, which can make resue
mining in these conditions difficult. The extra cost of using
electronic detonators (eDev™) is around $400 per round
which is more than payed for with the reduction of dilution,
waste haulage to the surface, improved head grade, increased
recovery and increased ore haulage capacity not to mention
the increase in advance.
The bottom line for this exercise will be the reduction in the
cost per ounce of gold produced at SGM. Given the estimation
that this method can contribute to upgrading the annual
production grade for the year from 3.98 grams Au/tonne to
4.16 grams Au/tonne, this will be closely monitored.
11TH UNDERGROUND OPERATORS’ CONFERENCE / CANBERRA, ACT, 21 - 23 MARCH 2011
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors wish to acknowledge both Stawell Gold Mines
and Orica Mining Services Management and personnel for
their full support on this project.
To the geology department for providing forecasts and
mapping the faces.
Special acknowledgement is due to Craig Walker for
approving this paper to be published and to Mike Lovitt for
his time and help in writing this paper.
REFERENCES
Bock, I, 1996. Selective blast mining in gold mines, The Journal
of the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy,
pp 183-186 (The Southern African Institute of Mining and
Metallurgy).
Degay, B, 2006. i-Kon Eagles nest tunnel design and spiraling firing
technique, Orica internal report.
Fredericksen, D and Miller, G, 2008. Technical report on Stawell
Gold Mines, Victoria, Australia – Pursuant to National Instrument
43-101 of the Canadian Securities Administrators, 2:31.
Orica Australia Pty Ltd, 2010. Technical data sheet, iKon™ Digital
Energy Control System, Orica Mining Services.
Simpson, L, 2010. eDevtm System user training manual, Orica
internal presentation.
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