GEOE 377 Introduction to Mining Engineering

Midterm Exam
Department of Civil and Geological Engineering
Fall 2015

NAME:

NSID:

SIGNATURE:

This exam is scheduled for three hours. In sitting this exam, the student understands that
the Academic Courses Policy on Class Delivery, Examinations, and Assessment of
Student Learning, the Regulations on Student Academic Misconduct and
the Standard of Student Conduct in Non-Academic Matters are to be followed and
will be enforced.

Answer all questions within the exam package. Marks for each section of the question are
specified in brackets. This is a closed book exam, only non-programmable calculators
and one 8.5 x 11 double sided formula sheet are permitted. Formula sheets need to be
signed by the instructor and handed in with the exam. Failure to do so will result in a 50
mark deduction.

Show all calculations, list all assumptions made and answer all questions in the space
provided, students can use the back of pages provided the continuation is clear to the
marker. Errors in answers are not cumulative. If an answer cannot be achieved in an
earlier part of a question, explicitly state that no answer was found and state what
reasonable value will be used for the remainder of the question such that errors will not
compound in future answers. CIRCLE YOUR FINAL ANSWER IN ORDER TO
RECEIVE FULL MARKS

Student Name:
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GEOE 377 Introduction to Mining Engineering
Midterm Exam
Department of Civil and Geological Engineering
Fall 2015

Student Name:
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GEOE 377 Introduction to Mining Engineering
Midterm Exam
Department of Civil and Geological Engineering
Fall 2015

Question One: Ore Body and statistical methods in ore body evaluation (25 Marks)

a) List the most common mineral(s)/metal(s) that are found in the following ore
body type/deposits
(5 Marks)

i) Carlin Trend Deposits

ii) Shallow Porphyry Deposits

iii) Deep Porphyry Deposits

iv) Volcanogenic Massive Sulphides

v) Athabasca Unconformity

b) Select which of the following statements on Geostatistics are correct

(5 Marks)

a. Geostatistics are preferable in all types of ore body deposits over classical
orebody interpretation techniques

b. Regionalization in Geostatistics accounts for the background error in

sampling providing a regional grade for the entire orebody

c. The Kriging Process involves using an orebody variogram model and

solving a system of equations to provide an estimate of grade and
corresponding error of measurement for any point within the orebody.

d. The Kriging Process is insensitive to small changes in the input variables

e. Modern day computers have made Geostatistics an easily performed

exercise for even the largest orebodies.

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GEOE 377 Introduction to Mining Engineering
Midterm Exam
Department of Civil and Geological Engineering
Fall 2015

QUESTION 1 CONTINUED)

c) Use the inverse distance weighting method to determine the grade at point
x5, given the following data points (10 Marks)
Point Easting Northing Grade (%)
x1 3 4 3.0
x2 -24 10 5.0
x3 5 -12 7.0
x4 -6 -8 1.0
x5 0 0

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GEOE 377 Introduction to Mining Engineering
Midterm Exam
Department of Civil and Geological Engineering
Fall 2015

QUESTION 1 CONTINUED)

d) Sketch a variogram, indicating the sill, range and nugget effect for a
POTASH and for a DIAMOND KIMBERLITE deposit; label the axes
appropriately. (5 Marks)

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GEOE 377 Introduction to Mining Engineering
Midterm Exam
Department of Civil and Geological Engineering
Fall 2015

Question 2 Open Pit Optimization (25 Marks)

Given the following m matrix and P- Matrix (Figure 2.1 and 2.2 respectively) of
a Lerchs-Grossman Pit Optimization determine the following:

a) Optimum Pit Shell (Sketch on P-Matrix) (10 Marks)

b) Net Value for the pit within the i,j = 1,1 to i,j = 10,10 Matrix (5 Marks)

c) Stripping Ratio for the pit (5 Marks)

d) The pit shell used in parts (a) through (c) will leave ore in the ground.
Now, assuming all columns outside of j = 10 are waste, based on the
maximum value shown in the P Matrix pit, what would be the net value
and Stripping Ratio for a new pit that extracts the maximum value of the
ore body.
(5 Marks)

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GEOE 377 Introduction to Mining Engineering
Midterm Exam
Department of Civil and Geological Engineering
Fall 2015

Figure 2.1: m Matrix

Figure 2.2: P Matrix

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GEOE 377 Introduction to Mining Engineering
Midterm Exam
Department of Civil and Geological Engineering
Fall 2015

QUESTION 3 EQUIPMENT SCHEDULING (20 Marks)

The following information is provided to answer Question 3 parts (a) through

(d):

Le Big Mac Mine Data

Daily Mining Rate: 104,650 tonnes/day
Ore Unit Weight: 2.2 (tonnes/m3)
Ore Bulking Factor: 42%
Empty Haul Truck Speed Limit: 30 km/h
Haul Profile:
Segment 1- Pit Bottom to Haul Ramp: 300 m @ 0% Grade
Segment 2- Main Ramp Haulage 1800 m @ 15% Grade
Segment 3- Top of Ramp to Valley Dump: 1000 m @ -10% Grade

Shovel Information: P&H 4100 XC (Biggest of the Big)

Bucket Payload Capacity: 100 tonnes
Bucket Volume: 50 m3
Dig Time: 20 Seconds
Lift and Swing Time: 10 Seconds
Dump Time: 10 seconds
Swing and Lower: 5 Seconds
Maintenance Requirement: 3 hours per 24 hours of operation

Haul Truck Information: CAT 797 (The Big one!)

Performance and Retarder Rim Pull Curves: Figure 3.1 and 3.2
Bed Payload Capacity: 350 tonnes
Bed Maximum Volume 226 m3
Turn and Spot Time: 15 seconds
Dump Time: 8 seconds
Lower and Return Time 7 Seconds

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GEOE 377 Introduction to Mining Engineering
Midterm Exam
Department of Civil and Geological Engineering
Fall 2015

FIGURE 3.1: Rim-pull Retarding Performance Chart

FIGURE 3.2: Rim-pull Performance Chart

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GEOE 377 Introduction to Mining Engineering
Midterm Exam
Department of Civil and Geological Engineering
Fall 2015

QUESTION 3 Continued

a) Determine the number of shovel cycles required to meet daily production

requirements (5 Marks)

b) Determine the minimum amount of haul trucks (assume 90% availability

across the fleet) to meet the required shovel cycle requirements. (15
Marks)

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GEOE 377 Introduction to Mining Engineering
Midterm Exam
Department of Civil and Geological Engineering
Fall 2015

QUESTION 4) UNDERGROUND MINING (25 Marks)

a) Using the Mine Method Selection Matrix on the following page determine the
optimum mining method for the following ore body (all information is provided
or can be deduced from information given): (15 Marks)
a. Grade 2.5 oz/tonne of Au
b. Ore Body Type: Carlin Trend Deposit
c. Average Depth of Deposit: 300 m
d. Thickness of Orebody: 15 m
e. Dip of Orebody 80o
f. Height and width of deposit: 300 m x 300 m
g. Ore Rock Mass RMR = 65%
h. HW and FW Rock Mass = 55%
i. UCS of Ore and Host = 100 MPa
j. Unit Weight of Ore and Host Rock: 2.5 tonnes/m3
k. Mine Restrictions: NO SURFACE SUBSIDENCE ALLOWED

Fill in the following table to assist in marking and using the MMS matrix:

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GEOE 377 Introduction to Mining Engineering
Midterm Exam
Department of Civil and Geological Engineering
Fall 2015

Student Name:
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GEOE 377 Introduction to Mining Engineering
Midterm Exam
Department of Civil and Geological Engineering
Fall 2015

Question 4 Continued:

b) Determine the mine life for the ore body using Taylors Formula, what is the
recommended tonnes per day for this orebody? Explain if this daily rate is feasible
given your selected mining method. (5 marks)

c) Rank from lowest to highest the relative mining costs of the following mining
methods (5 Marks):

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GEOE 377 Introduction to Mining Engineering
Midterm Exam
Department of Civil and Geological Engineering
Fall 2015

QUESTION 5: MINE FINANCING (15 Marks)

a) Using Figure 5.1, describe the effects of the sensitivity analysis on the
model inputs (5 Marks)

i) Gold Price

ii) Silver Price

iii) Exchange Rate

iv) Capital Costs

v) Operating Costs

Figure 5.1 : Sensitivity Analysis

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GEOE 377 Introduction to Mining Engineering
Midterm Exam
Department of Civil and Geological Engineering
Fall 2015

Question 5: MINE FINANCING CONTINUED:

b) An operating mine has spent $950,000,000 in CAPEX to improve the mine
operations. The mine has an output of 65,000 tonnes per day and operates 350
days per year. Use a Discount Rate of 8% for the project evaluation.

Determine the Net Present Value of the Mine over a 15 year mine life given the
ore grades below. Make sure to fill in the table for full marks (10 Marks)

c) Determine the payback period for the expansion project using a constant
dollar analysis. (5 Marks)

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GEOE 377 Introduction to Mining Engineering
Midterm Exam
Department of Civil and Geological Engineering
Fall 2015

QUESTION 6: TMF(10 Marks):

a) Rank the following six tailings management facilities on a scale from 1 to

6 from Least Geotechnically Stale (A value of six) to most Geotechnically
Stable (Value of one). (6 Marks)

b) Circle which of the following statements are good examples of Corporate

Social Responsibility (4 Marks):

i) Developing a broad corporate community improvement plan and applying

throughout all operations.
ii) Provide training for local communities to gain access to steady
employment in the mining sector.
iii) Develop wildlife migration tracking to assess impact of mining activities
on local Cariboo population.
iv) Have a zero footprint mine in which the mine operates independent of
the community such that economy of the communities is not affected by a
downturn in the mining industry

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