Resource Development - 2025 entry

To start to develop a mineral resource it is necessary to understand excavation techniques in detail. This module will provide an introduction to the principles of drill and blast design in surface and underground mining operations, including the application of both explosives and machine mining for rock breakage. Introduction to Mining Methods and there application to various geological settings. The module will also introduce the applications of surveying. You will develop knowledge, skills and experience in surface and underground surveying techniques through data collection & measurement, and processing and mapping. Finally, the module covers the key aspects of health and safety management including the legal context in which modern mining is conducted. You will also explore the application of different risk assessment techniques to mitigate the risk of both major and occupational hazards to ensure a safe mining operation.     

The module provides knowledge of the commercial use of explosives, and gives you an overview of mine development techniques. In addition, the module introduces you to the selection of underground mining methods and their associated extraction systems. This module aims to develop your knowledge and understanding of the fundamental surveying techniques and introduces the standard surveying equipment (levels, theodolites, GNSS receivers and total stations). Furthermore, taking this module gives you a major practical surface surveying exercise. The course also provides a week-long practical underground surveying course.

On successful completion of this module you should be familiar with these Knowledge and Skills as specified in the Mine Management Apprenticeship Standard (ST1309):

K1: The mining life cycle including the key regulations, standards and guidance that influence the design, construction and operations and closure of mining operations.

K4: Design principles of mines and layout including geology and geomechanics, layout, size and position of mine entries and roadways, and the systems and equipment used for extraction and mine support.

K9: Mine surveying techniques for measuring and mapping of mine workings, including the recording of information and the use of analytical measures to verify the results.

K11: How to design the operation to extract the reserves in a legislatively compliant, economic, ecological and socially acceptable manner.

K12: The influence and requirements of legislation on the principles of risk management and the methods that are used to deal with major and occupational hazards, operational, safety, health, financial and environmental risks. The evaluation and implementation of appropriate control measures to reduce risk to As Low as Reasonably Practicable (ALARP).

K13: The principles of major hazard control, and the impact that preventative and mitigating control failure had have on elevating the propensity for mine disasters.

K14: The principles of scenario planning to recognise the factors that influence the implementation of mine emergency plans including suitable considerations for self-escape and the use of mines rescue. The use of data collected through simulated exercises to improve the planned response.

K18: The mine environment and the impact that it has on operational performance, safety, and long-term health of employees

S1: Specify the system for supporting the excavation, using information such as the characteristics of the geology, rock formations, data from modelling and measurements taken.

S2: Undertake the mine design process, incorporating elements such as mine layout, roadway design, scheduling, resourcing and ventilation. Determine the impact that these decisions have on the safe, efficient, and sustainable operation of the mine.

S3: Undertake mine surveys and use the information to evaluate mine development against the agreed layout and design.

S7: Identify and utilise risk assessment techniques appropriate for the identified hazards such as major mining hazards with the use of Bowtie methodology. Use these techniques to identify and implement key controls and use safety performance indicators to monitor the effectiveness of those controls.

S8: Plan and manage emergency arrangements, including simulated exercises. Determine the effectiveness of those emergency arrangements, and to inform potential improvements.

S10: Identify the statutory and company requirements for monitoring and maintaining records and plans and complete a suitable audit and evaluation to ensure compliance.

On successful completion of this module you should be able to:

Module Specific Skills and Knowledge

Discipline Specific Skills and Knowledge

Personal and Key Transferable / Employment Skills and Knowledge

Underground Mining

Explosives engineering - the explosion process, general principles of the dynamic effects of blasting and rock fracture:

• Optimum design of simple blasts for tunnelling, stoping and quarrying; fragmentation; design of multi-row blasts, influence of delayed detonation and rock structure; mechanics of rock breaking with inclined and vertical holes, operational problems; pre-splitting and smooth-wall blasting;
• Environmental problems; flyrock, air-blast and ground vibration;
• Shaft sinking and development - factors determining shaft selection and location;
• Collar designs, high speed sinking of vertical shafts, lining and equipping;
• Conventional and boring methods;
• Shaft deepening;
• Rock hoisting methods;
• Development techniques for raising;
• Raiseboring;
• Underground rock handling - gravitational systems, characteristics of orepasses;
• Operational characteristics of scrapers, rocker shovels, load-haul-dump equipment, influence on development design and mining techniques, future trends;
• Main haulage systems;
• Underground extraction systems - stoping: classification of methods; the influence of geological factors, virgin and induced stress fields and rates of extraction;
• Development ratios, recovery and dilution;
• Selection of methods, open, filled and caving systems, pillar recovery;
• Optimisation of extraction and mining efficiencies;

Surface Mining

• Types of surface mines - strip, terrace and open-pit mines;
• The differences between them, when they are used and examples of each;
• Surface mining equipment - its use, selection and economics;
• Loading shovels - rope and hydraulic shovels - design and cost differences;
• Diesel or electric motivation - design and cost implications;
• Selection of and calculation of size required for mining applications;
• Truck spotting and loader operating methods and their implications on productivity;
• Front end loader - design and use;
• Selection criteria between front end loaders and shovels;
• Haulage trucks - mechanical and electric drives - design and cost implications;
• Trolley assist methods to reduce consumption and improve overall efficiency;
• Selecting trucks - matching size and number of (to excavating equipment);
• In-pit crushers - types of installations, the economics and mine planning implications of their use;
• Dragline mining methods - walking and track mounted draglines;
• Economics of size and type;
• Mining methods used;
• Bucket wheel excavators - general design of machines;
• Operating methods;
• Size selection criteria and economics of use;
• Mine design stages - the feasibility approach to design;
• From raw geology to a working mine layout;
• Cut off grades;
• Mine optimisation, both manual and with computer software;
• Computer design processes - geological models, mine economics, design and scheduling;

Surface Survey Course:

• Layout of networks;
• Use of theodolite, EDM and total stations along with DGPS;
• Standards of accuracy required;
• Calculations for station coordinates;
• Selection of survey stations;
• -Computations for bearing, coordinates and elevations with closing errors and adjustments;
• Levelling;
• Station elevations determined by a range of instrumentation and techniques to precise and subsidiary survey standards;
• Calculation of reduced levels and distribution of closing error. Detail survey by total station, offsetting and radial pickup.

Underground Survey Course:

• Connection to underground grid from control stations on surface. Underground control network surveying using wall stations along with 3D detail pick up.

Health & Safety:

• reason for preventing accidents: moral, cost, legal, overview of legislation;
• accident aetiology: basic theories of accident causation, the role of human error in accidents, concept of active and latent failures; strategies for reducing human error;
• health and safety management: introduction, systems approach, key elements of a H&S management system, recent developments;
• risk assessment and management: concept of risk assessment, subjective and quantitative risk assessment tools and techniques;
• health assessment and surveillance: health risks, health risk management, health surveillance programmes;
• accident and incident investigations;
• safety culture and safety maturity.

All passed components of the module will be rolled forward and will not be reassessed in the event of module failure.

Basic reading:

• Ridley J and Channing J ed (1999) Safety at Work
• HSE (1997) The Costs of Accidents at Work
• Davies MV and Teasdale P (1994) The Costs to the British Economy of Work Accidents and Work Related Ill Health
• HSE (1997) Successful Health and Safety Management
• HSE (1999) Reducing error and influencing behaviour
• British Standards Organisation (1996) Guide to Occupational Health & Safety Management Systems
• British Standards Organisation (2007): Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems specification
• British Standards Organisation (2007): Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems Guidelines for the Implementation of 18001Health and Safety Legislation

Hartman, H.L.                Mining Engineering Handbook          2nd             Society for Mining Engineers                              1992                                              [Library]

Atlas Powder Co.           Explosives and Rock Blasting                             Field Technical Operations, Atlas Powder Co.             1987                                               [Library]

Darling, P.                     SME Mining Engineering Handbook 3rd              SME                                                                 2011                                               [Library]

Hustrulid, W. and           Open Pit Mine Planning and Design                    Rotterdam / Brookfield                                       1995                                               [Library]

Kuchta, M.

Ridley, J. and                Safety at Work                                5^th               Butterworth Heinemann                                      1999                                               [Library]

Channing, J. (Eds)                                                                                                                                                       

HSE Books                   HSE 1997 The Costs of Accidents    HS(G)65      HSE Books                                                       1997                                               [Library]

                                    at Work

Davies, M.V. and           The Costs to the British Economy                       HSE Books                                                       1994                                               [Library]

Teasdale, P                   of Work Accidents and Work Related

                                    Ill Health     

HSE                             Successful Health and Safety                             HSE Books                                                       2000                                               [Library]

                                    Management

HSE                             Reducing error and influencing                            HSE Books                                                       1999                                               [Library]

                                    behaviour

Other Resources:

• www.hse.gov.uk
• www.iosh.co.uk

Reading list for this module: