DRILLING AND BLASTING ACTIVITIES

AT SENAKIN MINE PROJECT

Drill & Blast Section

Engineering Department
THIESS CONTRACTORS INDONESIA
SENAKIN MINE PROJECT
 GENERAL
Drilling and Blasting (and related) activities across
Senakin Mine Project are aimed at providing sufficient,
continuous and sustainable supply of blast material for
stripping excavator units.

The blast material has to be maintained in quantities and

rate of generation as such that the production and
productivity rates are still in line with the set target for
each excavator.
 PLANNING
• THE FIRST STEP BEFORE ANY DRILLING & BLASTING OPERATIONS
• PERFORMED BY D&B ENGINEERS OF ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT
• AT RECEIVING FORECAST FROM MINE SCHEDULER, D&B
ENGINEERS WILL THEN PRODUCE D&B FORECAST OUTLINING D&B
REQUIREMENTS. AT SENAKIN, THIS WILL COVER REQUIREMENTS
OF AMMONIUM NITRATE, BOOSTERS AND NON-ELECTIC (SURFACE
AND IN-HOLE) DETONATORS.
• BASED ON MONTHLY FORECAST AND DAY-TO-DAY FIELD
OPERATIONS DYNAMICS, D&B ENGINEERS WILL DEVISE WEEKLY
AND DAILY D&B PLAN.
• TOOLS:
1. TERRAMODEL SOFTWARE FOR INVENTORY UPDATING/
MONITORING AND DRILL PATTERN DESIGNING
2. SHOTPLUS SOFTWARE FOR TYING-UP AND BLASTING
MODELLING
 EXPLOSIVES MAGAZINES
• IN ORDER TO HOUSE ALL DANGEROUS EXPLOSIVE
MATERIALS (AMMONIUM NITRATES & ACCESSORIES), THREE
STORAGE MAGAZINES HAD BEEN CONSTRUCTED.
• MAGAZINE 1 (MAIN):
1. CAPACITY : 500 TONNES OF AMMONIUM NITRATE
2. CONSTRUCTED NEXT TO THE PLANT
3. SUPPLIED DAILY FROM MAGAZINE 3 (TRANSIT)
 MAIN MAGAZINE
(MAGAZINE 1)
 EXPLOSIVES MANUFACTURING
PLANT WITHIN MAGAZINE 1
AREA
 EXPLOSIVES MAGAZINES
• MAGAZINE 2 (HIGH EXPLOSIVES):
1. CAPACITY : 12,960 KGS OF DYNAMITE
44,500 PIECES OF DETONATOR
2. SITUATED ca. 1.5 KM NORTH OF JIG PLANT
MAGAZINE 2

MAGAZINE 2
 EXPLOSIVES MAGAZINES
• MAGAZINE 3 (TRANSIT)
CAPACITY : 1000 TONNES OF
AMMONIUM NITRATE
TRANSIT MAGAZINE
(MAGAZINE 3)
 OPERATIONS
• ALL DRILLING ACTIVITIES ARE DONE
BY THIESS.
• DRILLING CREW ARE ROTATED INTO 2
SHIFTS. EACH CREW CONSISTS ON 2
DRILLING OPERATORS, 2-3 DRILLING
ASSISTANTS, 2 LEADING HANDS,
PLUS 2 SUPERVISORS DURING DAY
SHIFT.
 OPERATIONS: cont’d
• DRILLING OF HOLES IS ACHIEVED
USING 2 UNITS OF INGERSOLL-RAND
DM-50E DRILLING MACHINE.
• THE MACHINES USE A MAGAZINE OF 3
DRILLING RODS OF 6”-7” DIAMETER.
• DRILLING BITS ARE ALIGNED AS SUCH
TO CREATE CONSISTENT 9” (0.229 m)
DIAMETER HOLES.
DRILLING
UNIT
 OPERATIONS: cont’d
• AVERAGE DRILLING (PENETRATION) RATE :
60 m/HOUR.

• BURDEN-SPACING RELATIONSHIP:
1. TRIM HOLES (ESP. NEAR HIGH WALL):
5.75 m x 7.5 m
2. PRODUCTION HOLES : 10 m x 11.5 m
3. PRODUCTION 1 (TRANSITIONAL
HOLES BETWEEN TRIM AND
PRODUCTION HOLES): 8.75 m x 11.5 m
 OPERATIONS: cont’d
• STAGGERED CONFIGURATION OF DRILL HO
LE PATTERN IS UTILISED

• HOLE DEPTHS FOLLOW BENCH GEOMETRY:

1. TRIM HOLES : 9 m
2. PRODUCTION HOLES: 15 m

• SUBDRILL: 1 m
 OPERATIONS: cont’d
• ALL ACTIVITIES INVOLVING SAFE HANDLING
OF EXPLOSIVE MATERIALS
(MANUFACTURING, TRANSPORT FROM
PLANT TO BENCH, GUARDING, CHARGING,
TRANSFER FROM RELOAD UNIT,
STEMMING, TYING-UP OF SURFACE
DELAYS, BLAST FIRING, POST-BLAST
INSPECTION, RE-FIRING IN THE CASE OF
MISFIRES) ARE THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF
BLASTING SUBCONTRACTOR, ORICA
MINING SERVICES
 OPERATIONS: cont’d
EXPLOSIVE PRODUCTS:

1. ENERGAN COAL : USED FOR

DRY BLAST HOLES APPLICATIONS.
2. POWERGEL COAL : USED FOR
DRY, WET OR DEWATERED BLAST
HOLES, AND ALSO DURING SLEEP
BLASTS.
PRODUCTS ARE MANUFACTURED, LOADED AND BROUGHT TO
BENCH ON A BULKMASTER MOBILE MANUFACTURING UNIT (OR
MMU), DESIGNATED BM-123.