ULTIMATE PIT LIMIT – FLOATING CONE ALGORITHM

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PRESENTATION OUTLINE
▪ Introduction
▪ Floating cone algorithm

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INTRODUCTION
▪ Ultimate pit limit identifies the size or extent of extraction
▪ Objective
▪ Maximises the undiscounted value of future cash flows
▪ Constraints
▪ Satisfies the precedence – slope constraint

-10.00 42.73 -10.00 -10.00 -10.00 -10.00 -10.00

-10.00 45.88 42.73 11.23 -10.00

73.60 11.23 -10.00 45° 55°

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FLOATING CONE ALGORITHM – PROCEDURE
▪ Steps of the algorithm
▪ Float the cone from left to right along the top row of blocks. Remove a block with positive economic value

▪ After traversing the first row, move the apex of the cone to the rows below
▪ Float the cone from left to right, stop when it encounters a block with positive economic value

▪ If sum of the economic values of all blocks falling within the cone is positive (or zero), remove these blocks, otherwise, float the cone to find the
next block with positive economic value

▪ Continue the floating process moving from left to right and top to bottom until no more blocks may be removed

-10.00 42.73 -10.00 -10.00 -10.00 -10.00 -10.00

-10.00 45.88 42.73 11.23 -10.00

73.60 11.23 -10.00

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FLOATING CONE ALGORITHM – PROCEDURE
-1 -1 -1 -1 -1 1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 1 -1

-2 -2 4 -2 -2 -2 -2 4 -2 -2

7 1 -3 7 1 -3

Economic block model Third incremental cone – value = +2

-1 -1 -1 -1 -1 1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 1 -1

-2 -2 4 -2 -2 -2 -2 4 -2 -2

7 1 -3 7 1 -3

First incremental cone – value = +1.0 4th incremental cone – value = -2

-1 -1 -1 -1 -1 1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 1 -1

-2 -2 4 -2 -2 -2 -2 4 -2 -2

7 1 -3 7 1 -3

Second incremental cone – value = +1 Ultimate pit – value = +3, SR = 7/3

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PROBLEMS IN FLOATING CONE ALGORITHM
▪ Mining too little – mutual support is missing

-1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1

-2 -2 -2 -2 -2 -2 -2 -2 -2 -2

10 -3 10 10 -3 10

Block Model Possible Second Increment – Value = -1

-1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1

-2 -2 -2 -2 -2 -2 -2 -2 -2 -2

10 -3 10 10 -3 10

Possible First Increment – Value = -1 Optimal Pit – Value = +3, SR = 12/2 = 6

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PROBLEMS IN FLOATING CONE ALGORITHM
▪ Mining too much

-1 -1 -1 -1 -1

5 -2 -2

Block Model
-1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1 -1

5 -2 -2 5 -2 -2

5 5

Large Incremental Pit – Value = +1 Small Incremental Pit – Value = +2

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PROBLEMS IN FLOATING CONE ALGORITHM
▪ Combination of both problems

-1 -1 -4 -1 -1 -1 -1 -4 -1 -1

5 -4 5 5 -4 5

-1 -1 -4 -1 -1
3 3

Block Model Possible First Increment – Value = -1 5 -4 5

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-1 -1 -4 -1 -1 -1 -1 -4 -1 -1

Optimal Pit – Value = +2

5 -4 5 5 -4 5
SR = 5/2 = 2.5

3 3

Possible Second Increment – Value = -1 Possible Third Increment – Value = +1

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REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING
▪ Open pit mine planning and design by Hustrulid and Kuchta, Pages: 388-392, 420-429.