GRADE CONTROL

1. Key Accountability
2. Primary Tasks
3. Grade Control Process Flow
4. Issues & Challenges
 1. Key Accountability
Controlling the ore with grade and chemistry expected.

2. Primary Tasks
• Stripping control to reduce ore losses
• Mining control to make sure the quality (grade and chemistry) of
the ore being mined
• Production sampling supported by MRAL and Trommel facility
• Working very closely with Mine planning group in generating
weekly plan (equipment selection, ore body variability, ore type)
• Working very closely with Mine Operation in executing the plan
(provide stripping and mining direction)
 3. Grade Control Process Flow
Block Model
Confirm Ore type, Ni grade & Chemistry

Mine Planning Equipment selection

Mining method

± 3Kg
Stripping TOR Sampling MRAL
(Mine Rush Assay Lab)

Mining Production Sampling

± 3Kg

Belt cut Sampling Trommel

Official
Screening @500t SSP (±80Kg) ± 77Kg (4 x 78Kg SSP)
Lab
Rep. 2,000t SSP

WOS Allocation based on

SSP Hauling
ore type and chemistry
4. Grade Control Terminology
• OB, Ore, BZ
• Limonite, Saprolite, Bedrock
• East Type
• West Type
• -1” ore type
• -6” ore type
• -18” ore type
• Garnierite
• Silica
• Serpentine
• Low Grade Saprolite
WB PROFILE
Road exposure of typically irregular laterite profile of dark red hematitic
overburden, yellow laterite (limonite) and rocky clay-boulder saprolite
WB BEDROCK EXPOSED
SPHEROIDAL WEATHERING PROCESS OF WB BOULDER
WB HIGH GRADE ZONE
GARNIERITE ON FRACTURE OF WB ROCK
EB PROFILE
EB BEDROCK EXPOSED
EB BEDROCK CLOSED UP
EB BEDROCKS
MEGASCOPIC ROCK TYPE

UNSERPENTINISED
PERIDOTITE LOW-MED
SERPENTINISED

WB TYPE 1 / TYPE 2 WB TYPE 3

MEGASCOPIC ROCK TYPE

MED-HIGH
SERPENTINISED

HIGHLY SERPENTINISED

HYBRID EB PURE
 COLOR & ASPECT ON FRESH BROKEN SURFACES

WEST BLOCK ROCK EAST BLOCK ROCK

0% SERP 80% SERP

Light color Dark color

Glassy & Crystalline Dull & amorphous
0% Serpentine 50% Serpentine

10% Serpentine 80% Serpentine

WB TYPE 1 ORE
WB TYPE 1 ORE
WB UNFRACTURE TYPE 1
WB UNFRACTURE TYPE 1
WB UNFRACTURE TYPE 1
WB UNFRACTURE TYPE 1
WB TYPE 2 ORE
HIGH GRADE ORE IN WB
WB TYPE 3 ORE
EB –1” CONGLOMERATE TYPE
WB HIGH GRADE BRECCIA
WB VERY HIGH GRADE BRECCIA
GARNIERITE CLOSED UP
SERPENTINE CLOSED UP
SERPENTINE IN SAPROLITE AFTER DOZING
VARIOUS TYPE OF SILICA
VARIOUS TYPE OF SILICA
GRADE CONTROL PREPARATION
ORE DISTRIBUTION IN PLAN VIEW
BLOCK MODEL CELL MAP BY BENCH
BLOCK MODEL CELL MAP BY BENCH
BLOCK MODEL CELL MAP BY BENCH
WEEKLY PLAN MUD MAP
WEEKLY PLAN MUD MAP
WEEKLY PLAN MUD MAP (TARGET)
WEEKLY PLAN MUD MAP (MINING SEQUENCE)
DRILLHOLES MAP
DRILLHOLES MAP
STRIPPING PROCESSES
SAMPLER
CONTROL LEVEL
ORE EXPOSED INDICATION
ORE EXPOSED

ORE EXPOSED WIDENING

ORE EXPOSED WIDENING SAMPLER
ORE EXPOSED WIDENING
OVERBURDEN CLEAN UP
INDICATION OF OB AND TOP ORE
WASTE IN SAPROLITE DUE TO SILICA & SERPENTINE RICH
STRIPPING WITH BACK HOE
STRIPPING WITH BACK HOE
BALLAST CLEAN UP WITH BACK HOE
MINING METHODE
MINING PROCESS (DOZER FEEDS THE SHOVEL)

SAMPLERS
MINING PROCESS (ORE LOADED TO THE TRUCK)
MINING BY DOZING + DIRECT DIGGING
MINING BY DOZING + DIRECT DIGGING
MINING BY DIRECT DIGGING
MINING BY DOZING
IDEAL CONDITION OF CIVIL MATERIAL USAGE

WB REJECT USED ON THE OREBODY

SLAGS USED FOR OB

TRUCK IS GOING TO SCREENING STATION
FACE SAMPLING
SAMPLER & HIS SAMPLING TOOLS
 SCREEN 2”
BUCKET
PLASTIC BAG
SPLITTER

SHOVEL
SAMPLES PICK UP ON THE BUCKET USING SHOVEL

BUCKET
SAMPLES PICK UP ON DOZED MATERIAL USING SHOVEL

BUCKET
SAMPLES PICK UP ON DOZED MATERIAL USING SHOVEL

BUCKET
SAMPLES SCREENING TO –2”
SAMPLES SCREENING TO –2”
SAMPLES QUARTERING
SAMPLES QUARTERING
SAMPLES HOMOGENISATION
SAMPLES HOMOGENISATION
SECOND PHASE OF QUARTERING
SECOND PHASE OF QUARTERING
SECOND PHASE OF QUARTERING
SAMPLES PACKAGING
SCREENING STATION
&
BELT CUT SAMPLING
SCREENING STATION

DUMPING POINT
STACKER
18” SCREEN
CRUSHER 6” SCREEN

SSP
SCREENING STATION

DUMPING POINT
STACKER
18” SCREEN
CRUSHER 6” SCREEN

SSP
AUTOMATIC SAMPLER
BELT CUT AUTOMATIC SAMPLING
SCREENING STATION SAMPLING
SCREENING STATION SAMPLING
SCREENING STATION SAMPLING
SCREENING STATION SAMPLING
SCREENING STATION SAMPLING
SCREENING STATION SAMPLING
SCREENING STATION SAMPLING
SCREENING STATION 9
SCREENING STATION 5
SCREENING STATION –18” FEEDER
SCREENING STATION 8 VIBRATING SCREEN OF 6”
BLENDING SLURRY AND SSP
SLURRY RECLAIM
SLURRY RECLAIM
SLURRY RECLAIM
EB –6” ORE EXPOSED
EB –1” CONGLOMERATE TYPE

CONGLOMERATE BOULDER CONGLOMERATE BOULDER

ORE POCKET
CONGLOMERATE

HIGHLY SERPENTINISED ROCK

UNSERPENTINISED ROCK
SAMPLING FACILITIES & PROCEDURES
MICROWAVE OVEN
PULVERIZER
PULPS
X-RAY PORTASPEC
RESULTS OF ANALYSIS
OLD TROMMEL
OLD TROMMEL WITH MANUAL BURNER
NEW TROMMEL
NEW TROMMEL WITH AUTOMATIC BURNER
SCREENING
BOTTOM ORE RECOVERY
ROAD BALLAST CLEAN UP

SAMPLER
MINING AFTER CLEAN UP BALLAST

CLEANED ORE CLEANED ORE

ROAD SIDE CUTTING TO CONFIRM THE QUALITY OF THE ORE
BZ EXPOSED
MINED OUT AREA
 4. Issues & Challenges
• Complexity of Soroako Nickel laterite orebody
• high variation of grade and chemistry
• Irregular TOR and BOR.

• Big shovel with high productivity was not balanced with the
speed of sample analysis

• Representative sampling on the mine face

• How to get samples of –1” equivalent to dryer
• How to get samples of rocks and fines in the EB

• Blending from mining faces to get on spec chemistry of SSP.

•
 OB BZ
ORE

BZ
SILICA POCKET

SILICA

ORE
ORE
SILICA LAYER
PULVERIZER
UNCLEANED ORE EXPOSED
UNCLEANED ORE EXPOSED
UNCLEANED ORE EXPOSED
AFTER CLEANING WITH SMALL BACK HOE & DOZER D6
REVEGETATION