A New Mathematical Formulation for Underground Cut-off Grade Determination in the Presence of Pre-concentration Systems

The mining industry is facing increasingly lower grades, which intensifies the need to reduce costs. The depletion of orebodies close to the surface has pushed the mining industry to progressively explore and extract deposits through underground mining. One approach that is receiving more attention is the application of pre-concentration systems prior to introducing the extracted materials to the main processing plant. Integration of pre-concentration systems into mining operations particularly in underground mines can significantly increase the sustainability and efficiency of operations. This paper reviews the technical concepts of this integration and presents a new mathematical formulation for underground cut-off grade determination, which should play an important role in resource utilisation and strategic planning in any operation. The proposed formulation is implemented on an underground operation to illustrate the impacts and advantages of underground pre-concentration integration. The outputs of this study prove the economic potential of pre-concentration systems in reduction in cut-off grade and increasing NPV.

Automated summary

The mining industry is facing challenges of lower grades and cost reduction, leading to increased exploration of underground deposits. Integrating pre-concentration systems into underground mining can greatly improve operational efficiency and sustainability. A new mathematical formulation for determining underground cut-off grade shows economic potential in reducing grade and increasing NPV.