BLASTING AT THE VALDEZ CREEK PLACER MINE, A COST SAVINGS DESIGN FOR SUB ARCTIC CONDITIONS

摘要

The blasting program at the Valdez Creek Placer Mine must deal with challenging situations throughout the year. During the short summer, extreme water conditions must be confronted, while the winter months present problems of a different nature, where the overburden freezes to a depth of up to 18 feet. These obstacles require techniques borrowed from hardrock blasting combined with creative experimentation to overcome.In the past 18 months, the Valdez Creek blasting program has undergone total renovation, resulting in marked improvements in production, cost savings, and the safety component.