AN INTEGRATED GEOLOGY-MINE-PLANT AND ECO-EFFICIENCY SIMULATOR FOR ANGLO PLATINUM’S EVALUATION AND OPERATIONAL IMPROVEMENT INITIATIVES

摘要

Mining operations across the world have targeted significant improvements in energy, water and CO_2emissions. These objectives have been driven by a variety of factors such as limited availability of localresources, cost reduction, improved risk management, environmental considerations and legislativerequirements. To achieve targets in these areas most effectively the design and management of amining operation should be analysed as an integrated extraction process (‘Geology-Mine-Plant’).Assessment of the integrated minerals industry extraction process is not trivial because traditionallydiscrete parts of the extraction process have been managed, evaluated and optimised separately.Capturing the disparate information relating to individual parts of the extraction process into a holisticevaluation tool could therefore prove invaluable in the optimisation of the integrated system.In partnership with Anglo Platinum the W H Bryan Mining and Geology research centre and JKTechhave developed an integrated process optimisation tool that considers key eco-efficiency attributes.The software tool encompasses the functionality of established industry models and simulatorsincluding JKTech’s JKSimBlast, JKSimMet and JKSimFloat software packages and includes energy,emissions and water consumption reporting. This Geology-Mine-Plant software enables evaluationand optimisation on both operational and eco-efficiency measures. Additionally, the softwareprovides the optimisation link between a 3D geometallurgical model and mine evaluation techniques.Ultimately this may change the way mineral deposits are valued and operated.The process optimisation project associated with the development of the Geology-Mine-Plant simulatoris aimed at extending the traditional mine-to-mill model into a holistic analysis of performance, energyconsumption and sustainability footprinting across the breadth of a mining operation. This paperprovides an overview of the research project as well as an introduction to Anglo Platinum’s case studywork. Initial site application has demonstrated significant value for Anglo Platinum, and the paper willdiscuss the benefits associated with Geology-Mine-Plant integration and management.