The Grib diamond mine is the main diamond mine of JSC ARKHANGELSKGEOLDOBYCHA and one of the largest in the world. 10% of all the country's diamond reserves are located here.
Alexandr Loginov, Deputy Chief Executive Officer for Economic Affairs and Finance, told us about the mining process and tools used in the company to achieve efficient production.
About the Grib diamond mine:
- Discovery date - 1996;
- Mining start - 2011;
- Mining method - open
- Operating life - 17 years;
- Pit depth - 460 m. Pit diameter - 1.6 km;
- Plant capacity - 4.5 million tons
- Rock mass - 275 million tons
- Personnel is up to 2000 people
- Construction term - 2.5 years
The Grib mine mining project is being implemented on a very high level using the best global standards. Today, 25% of the planned rock mass has been mined, and over the last 5 years the pit has deepened by 150 meters.
Project software plays an important role in production performance. Several integrated products are used at the mine: geological survey data are provided by MICROMINE and further used to simulate and budget works in software products by RPMGlobal, the leading global provider of mine planning solutions. Enterchain implements RPMGlobal tools, and let's have a closer look at them.
RPMGlobal solutions are adapted for this specific type of mines: the applications take into account all the special aspects of diamond extraction, which differs significantly from extraction of other minerals.
The aim of implementing RPM products at the Grib mine is costs optimization, production management transparency, precise and effective mining planning based on analysis of terminal economic parameters during the whole mine life cycle (till 2027).
The implemented pilot solution – OPDS (Open Pit Diamond Solution on base of XPAC platform) – allows to build a detailed, visually understandable geological pit model and, based on specified targets and extraction limitations, simulate pit outline, blocks mining schedule, roads location and length, equipment engagement schedule. 3D model provides clear and comprehensive information on reserves, equipment need, routes; it includes all the material movement logistics – from loading at the pit to stockpile/storages and beneficiation plant.
The OPDS solution, used for mining planning, is also complemented with the XERAS platform allowing to calculate mine and plant financial operation schedule up to finished product stage based on received natural indicators (mining physical schedule). "Within such planning, we can review several financial model scenarios to choose the best economically justified option," says Anton Shmatalyuk, Enterchain CEO. "Scenarios are formed with regard for different variable factors, such as: resource and finished product prices change, application of different mining equipment maintenance and repair strategies, accounting for capital costs and equipment use optimization, management of reserves build-up and beneficiation plant utilization rate, etc. This provides broad opportunities for the most transparent and effective business management."
The project resulted in possibility to choose optimal and justified mine development method in conditions of changing external factors, and in reduction of plant expenditures related to extraction while increasing mine economic returns. Alexandr Loginov notes, that an important effect of OPDS and XERAS solutions use at the Grib mine was the decrease in need to buy new equipment through optimal repair schedule.
The implemented solution calculates production plan till the end of mining (with period reports for indicators: rock mass, overburden removal, ore with grades, ore traffic flow division into storage and plant, ore processing at the plant), which allows to clearly understand all production tasks, both short-term and long-term ones.
The plan for mining optimization includes implementation of other RPMGlobal products: HAUSIM and EXACT for detailed simulation of equipment arrangement and operative planning of logistics at the mine, as well as creation of a unified information space of mine planning and budgeting on base of integration with SAP. This allows to elaborate financial planning, implement week-daily production planning and solve a number of associated problems.
