CIM Magazine recently interviewed Daniel Andrew, Senior Product Manager for Orica Digital Solutions, and Ankit Saxena, Asia Marketing Manager, discussing two of Orica's most recent innovations.
In every mining operation, blasting and its associated fragmentation are key steps and outcomes that will affect how well a mine operates, how productive it is and how profitable it can be. Blasting is essential because the way a mine’s ore and waste are fragmented directly impacts all subsequent downstream activities, including excavation, transportation, crushing and ore processing. Achieving optimal fragmentation is, therefore, paramount.
DIGITAL ADVANTAGE OVER PAPER
Orica Digital Solutions
BlastIQ™ Underground, is designed to efficiently manage the users’ blasting process, from planning to post-blast analysis, with online access to blast records, reporting and analytics. The technology consists of the following key components: a desktop application for spatial management of drill and blast information while also being connected to the cloud; a mobile app for on-site operators to access design details and document QA/QC; and a web application for all stakeholders that serves as a data visualization platform, blast management portal and centralized document repository.
The BlastIQ™ cloud database stores blast hole data and facilitates data transfer across all system components, which is accessible from any location with an internet connection.
BlastIQ™ Underground
Orica successfully implemented BlastIQ™ Underground at PT Freeport’s Grasberg copper-gold mine in Indonesia. Historically, the mine had relied on a paper-based record system for QA/QC of drilling and blasting operations. However, this approach had its challenges. Daniel Andrew, senior product manager for Orica Digital Solutions, commented "the environment in underground operations, which is often humid, wet and dusty, is not conducive to paper-based record-keeping. Paper tends to get damaged or lost. When it gets lost, it means that QA/QC needs to be redone, so that’s an ineffective use of people resources".
With paper-based systems, an underground operator must also physically travel to the surface to provide drill and blast engineers with the necessary information for the next stage of blast design. However, with the BlastIQ Underground system, as long as the operator has a tablet and access to an internet connection underground, the data can be automatically sent to the engineer.
“Removing paper ensures we have continuity, that we’re eliminating rework and that the right people have access to the right data at the right time to make the decisions they need to make".
Since the introduction of BlastIQ™ Underground at the Grasberg mine, the system has helped reduce the mine’s annual drilling and blasting costs by 38 per cent through improved design compliance. Engineers were able to digitally visualize hole-by-hole under- and over-drill conditions and take proactive measures, while near real-time monitoring capabilities helped the mine minimize deviations from bench targets with alerts.
ENHANCING BLASTING PRECISION
During the blasting phase of mining, various issues can arise, ranging from misfires in blast holes to timing delays that result in noise vibrations, air blasts and fly rock. Vibrations from these blasts can propel loose rocks into the air, posing a risk to machinery and personnel.
“Given the potential hazards that could cause serious harm during blasting, safety and precision were top of mind for Orica when developing detonators", explained Ankit Saxena, marketing manager, Asia.
Orica upgraded two of its electronic blasting systems, the uni tronic™ 600 and the eDev™ II, in October 2023. Orica’s eDev™ II is designed for underground mine development and civil tunnelling operations. It features remote firing capability that enables up to 800 detonators to be fired remotely, and improved firing precision to +/-0.005 per cent, which Orica stated provides greater precision and better blast outcomes.
Meanwhile, the uni tronic™ 600 system, designed mainly for small surface mines, can now allow larger blasts to be fired remotely with synchronized firing capability for up to 1,600 detonators. The system’s firing precision is at +/-0.03 per cent deviation and fully programmable delays of up to one millisecond increments.
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uni tronic™ 600 system was introduced at the Masbate gold mine in the Philippines, which is operated by a joint venture between Filminera Resources Corp. and Philippine Gold Processing & Refining Corp. The companies were looking for a solution that would help to start blasts more efficiently and reduce delays. In the Philippines, remote fire blasting was not common; instead, the typical practice relied on firing lines.
uni tronic™ 600 system, designed mainly for small surface mines
After implementing the uni tronic™ 600 system at the mine, the first remotely fired blast in the Philippines was successfully executed at the Masbate mine’s Montana pit in April 2022. The system helped reduce the risk of firing lines being driven over by mobile equipment and decreased firing line usage by up to 81.25 per cent per blast. The uni tronic™ 600 is now the primary firing method at the Masbate mine, which Orica stated significantly enhances safety and productivity at the mine.
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Orica has also recently migrated the updated eDev™ II and uni tronic™ 600 onto a common blaster platform. This integration brings several new features, such as improved remote firing capabilities, better accuracy and an updated menu with guided blasting workflows.
These electronic blasting systems can now communicate with each other, allowing centralized blasting from a single control point. This means that personnel no longer need to travel to each blasting location at the mine site; Saxena pointed out that this not only saves time but also improves safety by keeping everyone in one place rather than spread out across different areas of the mine.
This article uses quotes from ‘Efficient Blasting,’ a feature in CIM Magazine. The original feature can be read here: ‘Efficient Blasting'.