Coal Mining and Beneficiation "COALSTRAT"
OPTIMISATION OF STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR COAL MINES, PLANT & MARKETS
OBJECTIVE
OF THE MODEL
To enable Management to generate MAXIMUM NPV plans for
UNDERGROUND or OPEN PIT COAL MINING, BENEFICIATION AND BLENDING OPERATIONS.
MODEL DESCRIPTION
COALSTRAT
maximises N.P.V. over multi-time horizons subject to constraints of :-
· Open pit bench progression geometry (in case of an
open pit mine)
· Underground mining rules as per MINESTRAT (in case of
an underground mine)
· Crushing and screening capacities
· Single stage and/or double stage washing curves
(dense media separation) : e.g. cyclones and spirals
· Blending rules to market specifications, e.g. power
station coal specifications and coking coal specifications on heat values, %
ash, %P, %S, etc.
COALSTRAT’s
input consists of :-
· RESERVES
· OPEN PIT GEOMETRY RULES (in case of open pit mine)
· UNDERGROUND MINING RULES (as e.g. per MINESTRAT in
case of an underground mine)
AS WELL
AS THE
· SINGLE STAGE WASHING CURVES and COAL QUALITIES
· DOUBLE STAGE WASHING CURVES (if applicable) and COAL
QUALITIES
· CAPACITIES : MINING; HAULING; CRUSHING; SCREENING;
WASHING; BLENDING PLANT
· COSTS : MINING AND PLANT :- OPERATING AND CAPITAL
EXPENDITURE
· SPECIFICATIONS OF FINAL COAL PRODUCTS (QUALITIES
GENERIC)
· SELLING PRICES; EXCHANGE RATES AND SALES VOLUMES
· MULTI-TIME PLANNING PERIODS
COALSTRAT
APPLICATIONS
· Maximum N.P.V. Mine Planning over multi-time horizons
:-
· Life of Mine
· Medium Term (5 year / 10 year)
· Short term (Quarterly up to yearly)
· Number of time periods and lengths are under user
control.
Techno-economic
Studies
· “What is next best ?” in cases of catastrophes e.g. fires,
rock falls etc.
· Expansion Studies : where to sink the next shaft ?
relaxing bottlenecks ? sizing expanded operations, e.g. new shaft or plant.
· Contraction Studies : in cases of decreasing prices
or sales volumes : where to cut back in order to harm cash flow least ?
· IN CASES OF CHANGED COAL SPECIFICATIONS : WHERE TO
MINE AND AT WHAT DENSITY POINTS TO WASH AND IN WHAT PROPORTIONS TO BLEND IN
ORDER TO MEET SPECIFICATION AT MINIMUM COST ?