Technology Development for Blasting Based Mining Operations

摘要

A key step in the utilization of either coal or oil shale is the initial mining. Most mining operations are either entirely or partially based on rock fragmentation using chemical explosives. Despite the importance of the blasting step in mining, there remains considerable uncertainty concerning the fundamental mechanisms controlling blast results. The lack of fundamental understanding limits the amount of optimization that can be done for blasting since trial and error must be used which often are cost prohibitive in large scale mining operations. Mining and material handling is one of the major capital and operating expenses associated with oil shale development. It is estimated that the contribution of mining and material handling to total costs will be on the order of 30%-40% for most oil shale operations. The sheer magnitude of the amount of material that must be processed for even a modest oil shale facility will require some of the largest mining operations in the world. Efficient blasting can have a significant impact on the overall economics of a mining operation as has been demonstrated in surface coal mining. The same will be true for oil shale operations whether they are based on surface or underground mining. Examples of areas where this program can impact oil shale mining include: optimizing round design as a function of face geometry, shale grade and explosive type, minimizing pillar damage through timing control and loading factor, adaptation of traditional blast and muck operations to hybrid mining schemes that might involve the use of continuous miners. 7 refs., 8 figs. (ERA citation 13:046269)