2025 RTP round - A new integrated approach for optimisation of underground mine planning process.

Status: Open

Applications open: 1/07/2024
Applications close: 18/08/2024

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About this scholarship
Description/Applicant information

 

Project Overview

Current practice of underground mine planning process treats the stope layouts, production scheduling, and infrastructure development as separate and sequential processes, handling each as isolated problems to be solved independently. While this approach may yield satisfactory feasible results in isolation, it fails to capture the interactions and trade-offs inherent in the underground mine planning process. As a consequence,  this process will lead to increase costs or decrease revenues in these areas not included concurrently in the process. Thus, this  will lead to  suboptimal resource utilization, and ultimately hindering long-term sustainability and profitability of mining project. 

The proposed study considers the geologic, economic and operational parameters as an input. The resource model that constitutes thousands of mining blocks and the qualitative (grade) as well as quantitative (tonnage) information in respect of each mining block forms the geologic input. The economic parameters include the commodity price, operating costs (mining, processing and refining) and fixed or period (administrative) costs. Mining, processing and refining production capacities, geotechnical characteristics and the metallurgical recovery form operational and technical parameters. Similarly, the study considers the long-term average values of these inputs, thus it will be restricted to the development and implementation of deterministic methods. Finally, the enormous number of decision variables (unknowns) with the proposed framework would lead to the computational complexity; and consequently, the derivation of exact optimal solution considering a real-size resource model can be impractical. Alternative solution strategies will also be implemented to obtain best quality solutions, if necessary. Furthermore, the development and implementation of the heuristic methods would be the hallmark of this study.

 

Aims

The proposed study aims to offer a paradigm shift in underground mine planning process through an integrated model that solves the stope boundary layout, production scheduling and the corresponding extent of development and infrastructure problems simultaneously, thus achieves a global optimal solution to three distinct areas within the underground mine planning process. This integrated approach recognizes the inherent interdependencies among these components and seeks to leverage them to generate global optimal solutions that maximize the value of the underground mining projects.

 

Objectives

Develop a new framework that integrates the available approaches to solve stope boundary layout, production schedule and mine development network problems into a single or simultaneous process. 
• Develop a new mathematical model that offers solution to the stope boundary layout, production schedule and mine development network problems simultaneously. 
• Implement the new framework and mathematical model through exact and heuristic methods using hypothetical (small-scale) and realistic (large-scale) mineral resource or orebody models. 
• Performance evaluation of the proposed methods against the conventional approaches to underground mine planning. 
• Integration of the strategic (long-term) and operational (short-term) plans for underground mining operations.

 

Significance

• It will provide underground mining operations simultaneously optimise stope boundary layout, production scheduling and the corresponding extent of development and infrastructure which maximises the recovery of a resource and profitability as well as  minimises the associated mining costs while satisfying a variety of mining constraints. 
• The developed mathematical model provides mining operations with the capability to generate high-quality mine plans with relative ease. This empowers mine planners to explore a variety of situations and scenarios, respond to revised or updated data, and adapt their plans accordingly, thereby enhancing flexibility and adaptability in decision-making processes. 
• This project will help to satisfy the growing demand for advanced underground optimisation methodologies and tools as the number of shallow deposits are exploited globally and mining deeper deposits become increasingly valuable and scope within the new era.  
In summary, this project offers a transformative approach to underground mine planning, with the potential to revolutionize how mining operations optimize their resources, manage costs, and meet operational objectives.

The WA School of Mines – Minerals, Energy, and Chemical Engineering has been collaborating and practicing a significant number of demand-driven research projects with the industry. This project would leverage this expertise and further contribute to helping the mining industry in this area.

Student type

• Future Students

Faculty

• Faculty of Science & Engineering
  • Science courses
  • Engineering courses
  • Western Australian School of Mines (WASM)

Course type

• Higher Degree by Research

Citizenship

• Australian Citizen
• Australian Permanent Resident
• New Zealand Citizen
• Permanent Humanitarian Visa
• International Student

Scholarship base

• Merit Based

Value

The annual scholarship package, covering both stipend and tuition fees, amounts to approximately $70,000 per year.

In 2024, the RTP stipend scholarship offers $35,000 per annum for a duration of up to three years. Exceptional progress and adherence to timelines may qualify students for a six-month completion scholarship.

Selection for these scholarships involves a competitive process, with shortlisted applicants notified of outcomes by November 2024.

Scholarship Details
Maximum number awarded

1

Eligible courses

All applicable HDR courses.

Eligibility criteria

The candidate must have knowledge about mine planning and optimization, as well as mathematical model development and solution techniques. Candidates can hold a degree in Mining Engineering, Industrial Engineering, or Mathematics with a background in Operations Research.
 

Application process

Please send your CV, academic transcripts and brief rationale why you want to join this research project via the HDR expression of interest form to the project lead researcher, listed below. 

Enrolment Requirements

You must be enrolled in a Higher Degree by Research Course at Curtin University by March 2025.

Enquiries

Project Lead: Professor Erkan Topal

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