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Laterals Development

This document discusses the benefits of developing laterals ahead of stoping activity in mining. It enables better understanding of the geology, installation of tipping points ahead of stoping to create immediate reserves, improved productivity by having adequate faces, and reduced capital requirements. The key benefits are better planning, understanding of geology, flexibility and reduced production risk.

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Tinozivashe
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22 views

Laterals Development

This document discusses the benefits of developing laterals ahead of stoping activity in mining. It enables better understanding of the geology, installation of tipping points ahead of stoping to create immediate reserves, improved productivity by having adequate faces, and reduced capital requirements. The key benefits are better planning, understanding of geology, flexibility and reduced production risk.

Uploaded by

Tinozivashe
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Laterals development

Primary development ahead of the stoping activity.


This enables:
_ Better understanding of the geology in advance
_ Ability to install tipping points ahead of stoping,
creating ‘immediate stoping reserves’, thereby
enhancing flexibility and reducing production risk
_ Improved productivity by having adequate faces
available and reduction in re-development to establish
faces through the adoption of a scattered breast mining
system
_ Low capital requirement due to recovering revenue
from on-reef development.

 The mining method is based on the concept that on-reef development takes place on the
strike, prior to stoping, thereby ensuring that all the necessary services and infrastructure are
in place prior to stoping.
 This results in an improvement in the overall efficiency of the section and will assist in
providing a better understanding of the geology, which in turn will help to ensure better
planning for the section before stoping commences.
 The method that is described in this paper is based on a reef dipping up to 10°, although
initial testing suggests that angles up to 16° can be explored.
 On steeper dipping reefs, apparent-dip tramming roadways are required.

 It is important to emphasize that the mining method can change based on the operation’s
stoping width, mine depth, and angle of reef dip, resulting in condition-based mine design
criteria.

Pre-development
 Main purpose is to ensure all the necessary services and infrastructure are in place prior to
ledging or stoping.
 Incorporates 2 strike drives, raise line and pre-installed footwall tips.
 By pre-developing the strike before stoping takes place one is also able to gain a greater
understanding of the geology, thereby improving the overall planning for the area.
The pre-development layout comprises the following
design elements:
1. Strike belt drives
2. Strike transport drives
3. Winze and raise lines
4. Connectors
5. Double-sided footwall tip.
 The strike belt drive and transport drive are developed concurrently at intervals above and
below the seven-panel mining area with a footwall tip situated in the strike belt drive on the
top and bottom of each raise line.
 The strike belt drive is a designated drive for the belt and mine personnel, while the strike
transport drive is a designated drive for machinery.
 The design makes use of connectors (interconnecting roadways) to facilitate movement
between the strike belt drive and strike transport drive during pre-development. The
interconnecting roadways ensure the tramming distances during the development of the strike
belt, transport drive, and raise line are kept to a minimum.

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