UNIVERSITY OF DAR ES SALAAM

SCHOOL OF MINES AND GEOSCIENCES

DEPARTMENT OF MINING AND MINERAL PROCESSING ENGINEERIN

G

PRACTICAL TRAINING
(PT) 2 REPORT

STUDENT’SNAME:MDENYE DAUDI M

REGISTRATIONNUMBER:2019-04-06838

DEGREEPROGRAMME:BSC.MINING ENGINEERING

YEAR OFSTUDY:SECOND YEAR

COMPANYNAME: NSANGANO GOLD MINE PROJECT (NGMP)

PT LOCATION:GEITA, NYARUGUSU

PT DURATION:26/07/2021– 17/09/2021

TRAININGOFFICER:FROLIAN FRANCE

ACADEMICSUPERVISOR: ENG.KUMBI IZINA

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would firstly like thank almighty GOD for the grace and healthy life for all time I have been
doing my practical training hence forth many thanks to my family and myself for the prayers and
so far everything

Honestly, million thanks to my lovely and caring parents for trusting me and hold my hand from
the beginning of my studies up to date, I really appreciate everything they are doing for me.

Precisely, I say thanks management and board of directors of Marian aggregates company
limited for special chance and trainings they do offer as we can learn from their mine and
company at large.

Special thanks to Site Engineer Fadhili Saidi Kikando who was my supervisor and my trainer
for the whole time I have been at Marian Aggregate company LTD, supervising and describing
engineering techniques practically of which as an engineering students, they are so important for
in my competence as well as experience in mining. Also, I really appreciate the support and
teamwork given by other workers from different fields.

Also, I would like to thanks the UNIVERSITY OF DAR ES SALAAM (UDSM), School of
Mines and Geosciences (SoMG) and Department of Mining and Mineral Processing
Engineering for the knowledge and the study they have provided me which helped me to
conduct my practical training at Marian Aggregates Company Ltd. Appreciations to Dr Salama
A as head of department and Dr. Katemi as PT coordinator.
Lastly, I thank very much Eng. Geofrey for visiting me during my practical training and add me
with some understanding of which I used and helped me in the remaining time of my practical
training.

ABSTRACT
This practical training focused much on practical study to attain experience and knowledge
required as a mining engineer. It was conducted at Marian Aggregates as medium-scale mine
from 18 July to 17 September 2022. The mine is located about 5km from Msata town and 4km
from Funta village.

This report has two main sections. Section one (1), basing on company details, organization as
well as development and geological information.

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Section two(2), Technical section basing on production processes, ore processing and min
project entitled Control rock breakage to optimize mine to mill process at Nsangano Gold
Mine Project at Nsangano Gold Mine Project so far weekly reports of activities performed
during eight weeks of practical training in the mine The main areas of concentrations were to
learn production operations like Drilling and Blasting, Material handling and transportation,
Supporting and reinforcement, ore production and processing so far machines that operate in the
mine.

Geological studies and feature that associate with gold vein mineralization occurrence orientation
and ways to mine.

ABBREVIATIONS
kg - Kilogram

NGMP – Nsangano Gold Mine Project

PML – Primary Mining License

AN - Ammonium Nitrate

ANFO - Ammonium Nitrate and Fuel Oil

BIF - Banded Ironstone Formation cm -

centimeters ft - Foot

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IED – Instantaneous Electric Detonator
TABLE OF FIGURES
Figure 1 Mine location ..................................................................................................................
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Figure 2 Mine map ........................................................................................................................
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Figure 3 Mine management structure ...........................................................................................
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Figure 4 Open stope mining ..........................................................................................................
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Figure 5 Crown drilling .................................................................................................................
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Figure 6 Underground charging ....................................................................................................
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Figure 7 Connecting initiation system ..........................................................................................
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Figure 8 Winch ..............................................................................................................................
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Figure 9 Finished button drill bit ..................................................................................................
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Figure 10 Jack hammer .................................................................................................................
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Figure 11 Air compressor machine ...............................................................................................
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Figure 12 Timber and concrete form of supporting ......................................................................
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Figure 13 Dewatering pipes ..........................................................................................................
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Figure 14 Hand hammer ore crushing ...........................................................................................
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Figure 15 Ball mill grinding ..........................................................................................................
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Figure 16 Sluicing .........................................................................................................................
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Figure 17 Amalgamation ..............................................................................................................
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Figure 18 Panning .........................................................................................................................
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Figure 19 Amalgam ......................................................................................................................
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Figure 20 VAT leaching flow sheet ..............................................................................................
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Figure 21 Dosing vertical acquired tanks .....................................................................................
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Figure 22 Absorption by carbon ...................................................................................................
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Figure 23 Elution unit ...................................................................................................................
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS......................................................................................................................

ABSTRACT...............................................................................................................................................

ABBREVIATIONS.....................................................................................................................................

TABLE OF FIGURES................................................................................................................................

CHAPTER 1..............................................................................................................................................

1.0INTRODUCTION TO NSANGANO GOLD MINE PROJECT.......................................................

1.1HISTORICAL BACKGROUND........................................................................................................

1.2GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION.....................................................................................................

1.3 CLIMATIC CONDITION AROUND THE PLACE......................................................................

1.4 MAP OF THE COMPANY............................................................................................................

1.5MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE OF NGMP..................................................................................

1.6 INTRODUCTION TO LOCAL GEOLOGY AND MINERALIZATION OF NGMP..................

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 1.7 METHODES ASSINED IN PROSPECTING ORES.....................................................................

CHAPTER 2............................................................................................................................................

PRODUCTION OPERATIONS............................................................................................................

2.0 INTRODUCTION TO MINE PRODUCTION AT NGMP...........................................................

2.1DRILLING OPERATION...............................................................................................................

2.2 BLASTING OPERATION.............................................................................................................

CHAPTER 3............................................................................................................................................

3.1MACHINERY APPLICATION AND MAINTENANCE..............................................................

3.2 WINCH...........................................................................................................................................

3.3 JACK HAMMER............................................................................................................................

CHAPTER 4............................................................................................................................................

4.0AUXILIARY OPERATIONS IN MINING AT NGMP..................................................................

4.1. SUPPORTING AND REINFORCEMENT...................................................................................

4.2. MINE VENTILATION..................................................................................................................

4.3DEWATERING...............................................................................................................................

4.4CONTROL EFFICIENT AND SAFETY PRODUCTION.............................................................

CHAPTER 5............................................................................................................................................

ORE PROCESSING.............................................................................................................................

AMALGAMATION.............................................................................................................................

CYANIDATION...................................................................................................................................

VAT LEACHING (VERTICAL ACQUIRED TANK LEACHING)...................................................

ELUTION..............................................................................................................................................

CHAPTER 6............................................................................................................................................

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION....................................................................................

6.1 CONCLUSION.............................................................................................................................

6.2RECOMMENDATION................................................................................................................

PART 2.....................................................................................................................................................

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 MIN PROJECT.....................................................................................................................................

1.0PROJECT TITLE.............................................................................................................................

1.1INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................................

1.2OVER VIEW STUDIES..................................................................................................................

1.3STATEMENT TO THE PROBLEM...............................................................................................

1.4OBJECTIVES..................................................................................................................................

1.5METHODOLOGY...........................................................................................................................

1.5.1LITERATURE REVIEW..............................................................................................................

1.5.3 OBSERVATION..........................................................................................................................

1.5.4 TECHNICAL SUGGESTIONS AND DISCUSSIONS..............................................................

REFERENCES........................................................................................................................................

CHAPTER 1:

1.0 INTRODUCTION TO MARIAN AGGREGATES

Marian Aggregates Company Ltd is a private company owned by the congregation of the holy
fathers. It deals with mining and processing of Aggregates.

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 It is a medium scale mine covering an area of 32 hectares where all mining and minerals processing
operations are conducted under three license number, PML 0312DSM.
The main aim of this project was to increase source of income for the congregation but also to
provide employment to youth in the society.
1.1 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Marian Aggregates was registered on 29th June 2019 after the exploration conducted since
2018. The company started its mining and mineral operations and aggregates production in 2019
under the supervision of Father Valentine P. Bayo.
The mine started as a small scale mine and kept growing its operation reaching a medium scale
mine. During the starting of the mine operations where done locally that means operations where done
without specialists for example a mining engineer, chemical and processing engineer etc. Until
December 2021 is when they employed a mining engineer.

1.2GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION
Marian Aggregates is located in the east part of Tanzania, in Pwani region at kihangaiko village
in Bagamoyo district as shown in figure 1. The mine is approximate 110km from Dar es salaam,
10km from Msata center.

Figure 1 Mine location

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1.3 CLIMATIC CONDITION AROUND THE PLACE
Seasons, the wet season is humid and overcast, the dry season is partly cloudy and it is warm
yearround. Over the course of the year, temperature typically varies from 14.4 ℃ to 29.4℃ and
is rarely below 12.2 ℃ or above 31.6℃. Generally, is rather very dry and the soil is not suitable
for agriculture production. According to the census which was conducted in 2012, Nyarugusu
village consists of about 40,588 population in which most people are involved in the mining
sector.
NGMP is one among other small-scale mines found at Nyarugusu village.

1.5MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE OF NGMP

MANAGING DIRECTOR

SITE MANAGER

ACCOUNTANT

MINING ENGINEER MECHANICAL ENGINEER

MACHINES
CRUSHER OPERATORS TRUCKS DRIVERS
OPERATORS

Figure 3 Mine management structure

1.6 GEOLOGY AND MINERALIZATION OF MARIAN AGGREGATES
Marian aggregates produce Aggregates which are used in construction project. The type of aggregates
produced at Marian are famously known as “kokoto nyeusi” in Tanzania, the name is because of its
dark color.

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 Almost all of the area owned by Marian is covered with ore deposit. The site is covered with two types
of rocks at most which are intrusive (plutonic) Igneous rock and Sedimentary rock. Most of the area is
covered up with sedimentary rocks on top and Igneous rocks in the below. But there are some areas,
the igneous rock is not covered up with sedimentary rock hence exposed. The type of rock needed for
production is Igneous rock and the name of igneous rock mined at Marian is basalt. Sedimentary rock
are not used for production and therefore they are treated as waste and dumped at waste dump area.
The rock deposit at Marian contains several minerals and they vary with area. The whole area contains
mafic minerals (biotite, amphibole and pyroxene) in large quantity and felsic mineral (muscovite,
quartz

CHAPTER 2: PRODUCTION OPERATIONS

2.1 INTRODUCTION TO MINING OPERATIONS AT MARIAN AGGREGATES

Main mining operations performed at Marian aggregates are for production purposes, these
operations are
1. Rock Breakage – drilling and blasting operations
2. Material handling and transportation
3. Size reduction
There are other operations performed to support those main operations and these are
 Dewatering
Marian aggregates site is an open pit mine with one bench of 7-8 meters of with development to
the second bench have already started.
2.1 DRILLING OPERATION
Drilling is the process of making a penetration or a hole through the rock in order to insert
explosive during blasting. This is the first mining operation in production at Marian aggregates.
Before starting the drilling process there are some few procedures done. They are,
1. Preparation of the area to be drilled, this involves the removal of loose rocks, sedimentary rocks
and soil on top of the deposit
2. Designing and drafting the drilling pattern, this includes designing drilling parameters which will
correspond to the blasting design. Parameters include burden, spacing, hole length and hole
diameter.
3. Measuring the parameters and marking points on the rock mass where holes are to be drilled,
Marking is done by Hi stick spray paint.

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Drilling Machines and Mechanism
Drilling is done using a drill rig model ZGYX 430. It uses both methods of drilling which are
percussion and rotation. Also the drill rig’s hammer is located down the hole categorizing the type of
drilling conducted at Marian Aggregates to DTH drilling method. It seems effective since the rock
drilled is very hard.
The drill rig (ZGYX 430) uses pneumatic motors to operate therefore there is a compressor
which generates the compressed air. Also the air produced by this compressor is used as flushing
media. Flushing is the process of cleaning the holes while drilling

The drill rig also contains the following

 Rods
The 3 meter rods are used to transfer energy to the bit during drilling
 Bit
This is the one attacking the rock during drilling. Due to the high hardness of the
rock bits wear out very rapidly. There are of two size used, 120mm and 90mm.
Mostly a 120mm bit is used

Drilling Parameters
Drilling followed the following designed parameters.
Burden 3m
Spacing 3m
Hole Diameter 120mm
Hole length 11m
Drilling rate 0.003-0.004m/s

Sometimes the drilling parameters may change mostly when different bit is used, but
most of the time the above parameters are used. Change of bit is due to availability of the
120mm

Following the parameters, drilling pattern used was Square pattern. Sometimes staggered
rectangle pattern is used as the drilling parameters change.
After drilling the hole, the top opening is covered to avoid anything to enter. Also after the
pattern is complete the holes are measured again to obtain the actual hole length. This helps in blasting
design.

2.2 BLASTING OPERATION

Blasting is the process of rock fragmentation by the use of blasting agents or explosives.
This is the following operation soon after drilling is done.
Soon after drilling is done using the drilling report which contain all actual details of
drilling, amount of explosives materials required to conduct blasting is calculated manually.
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These explosive materials are brought at Marian Aggregates on the blasting day. Since there is
no magazine at Marian aggregates explosives materials can’t be stored there.

Types of explosives and materials used for Blasting

1. ANFO
This used as a blasting agent on dry areas. It is cheap compared to other blasting agents
thus used mostly
2. EMULSION
This is also used as blasting agent but on wet areas.as explained before some areas
contains water due to rain therefore ANFO can’t be used on wet areas. Emulsion is so
expensive than emulsion.
3. Detonators
These are used to transfer energy down the hole. The type used is 25/500ms delay. The
length may change according to the hole length design.
4. IED (Instantaneous Electric Detonator)
This is connected to the electricity so that to initiate the blast. At marian Aggregates,
electricity is available therefore an IED is suitable to initiate the blast
5. Trunkline
These are used to tie up the holes for firing. They have 50ms delay and length also may
change according to the blast design
6. Boosters

Blasting Procedures
The following procedure were followed during Blasting at Marian Aggregates

1. Preparation of explosive materials

All of the explosive materials are taken to the blasting area direct from the magazine. For
charging materials thus ANFO and Emulsion they are different ways of preparations.

ANFO preparation

ANFO is used to charge dry areas. ANFO is prepared by mixing 94% AN (Ammonium Nitrate)
and 6% FO (Fuel Oil). The fuel oil used is diesel as it is not volatile and spreads fast during
mixing compared to petroleum. The ratio of ammonium nitrate to diesel is 25kg to 1.5litres
respectively.
Once ANFO is prepared, it is carefully and properly stored in tightly closed wraps. This is done
so as to avoid the ANFO from absorbing the moisture in the air and hence loose its effectiveness.
Also, ANFO is flammable and so once exposed to a very high temperature (sunlight) can flame
up (fire).
Emulsion

Emulsion is prepared directly from the plant and transported to a blasting area with trucks
called MMU (Mobile Manufacturing Unit). Since emulsion is used on wet areas, its density has
to be higher than that of water. Emulsion also contain ammonium nitrate, though this ammonium
nitrate is dissolved in water and suspended in oil. Sodium nitrate (NaNO 2) is added to emulsion
as a sensitizer and it is added when the MMU has arrived at the blasting area.
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After arriving at the blasting area, a sample of emulsion is taken to ensure that the emulsion has
the required amount of NaNO2 and still has the required density. Sampling of emulsion is done
time after time for an effective blasting.

2. Priming
This is a process of preceding a primer within a charge column of explosives. A primer is
combination of cap-sensitive explosive and a high explosive used to initiate other
explosives or blasting agents. At Marian aggregates primer is assembled by inserting a
detonator in to the booster. Then the primer is preceded in to the hole before charging.
Tying up the holes
3. Charging
Charging is a process of loading explosives into the drilled holes for blasting purposes after
priming. At Marian Aggregates, ANFO an emulsion was used for charging but at different
areas. When Blasting was on dry area ANFO was used and on wet areas emulsion was used
Charging is different for ANFO and emulsion. For ANFO charging is done manually
after mixing it with diesel fuel. For emulsion charging is done using pipes direct from the
MMU. As per blasting designed parameter, charging length is to be measured during
charging using a charging stick.

Stemming

This is the process of covering the charged holes with some material in order to prevent the
escape of pressure from the drilled holes during blasting processes. The stemming material used
at NGMP was sisal sackcloth. The sackcloth is cut into small pieces and dipped firmly into the
drilled holes. The stemming length used was 1 foot. A wooden rod and a wooden hammer were
used for compaction during stemming process. The stemming material also helps to prevent air
blast and the occurrence of fly rocks and misfires during blasting.

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 Figure 6 Underground charging

3.Connecting charges firing sequence

initiators and initiation system initiators

Initiators are devices with high energy explosive, which upon receiving mechanical or
electrical impulse do produce detonation and deflagration action that starts up the
detonation of main explosion; this includes igniters (matches) initiation system

Are initiators plus other devices which are used to start up blast rounds, the system comprises of
safety fuse, Normal detonating cord, electric detonators, NONEL, electric blasting system.

At NGMP, the connection of initiation system is done by joining a group of 3 or 5 dual fuses by
their ignition cords (lying on the ground surface) with the plain detonators inside the cartilage
into the drilled holes.

Whereas groups of 2,3 to 5 dual fuse connect by peace of ignitor banded with sol tape together
are tighten together to the energy distribution network

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Energy distribution system, at NGMP plastic ignitor cord (PIC) are used as energy distributors to
the tighten groups of dual fuses from the charged drill holes

The connection of explosives can also be done by the Cordtex. Cordtex is made up of hematite
mineral. Once used, it is directly inserted into the cartilage (without the use of the plain detonator
unlike the dual fuse). The Cordtex groups (from their respective drilled holes) are then joined
together by tying a knot then joined with an IED or a dual fuse with a plain detonator used for
ignition. The case of IED is not regularly used in the mine

Cordtex (together with ANFO) is used for connection in both dry and wet areas. Dual fuse is
alternatively used for dry areas and slightly moist areas (where in this case the dual fuse with
ANFO is covered by plastic bags to prevent it from catching water). ANFO is used to make sure
that the very hard rock is fragmented. Cordtex is preferably as it is used to fire instantly (for a
very short time) and has a single impact. Trunklines (numbered dual fuse) are used in large areas
while as single ones (dual fuse) are used in small areas of blasting.

Figure 7 Connecting initiation system

Setup of delay time and free face

Delay time, this is difference in interval of time between one connection of system to the other
system, purpose of establishing delay time is to allow the formation of free face in one side
before the blasting of next phase by differentiating the length of energy distributor from one
group of dual fuses to the other then timing of energy arriving comes different

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Free face, is the side where fragmented rock falls to, establishment of free face helps to is vital
as it facilitate good fragmentation of rocks, consumption of less amount of energy, less powder
factor, also it is more economical.

4.Firing

Start of source of energy to initiation system this brings detonation impact to the explosives.
Source of energy can be electricity or fire depending on type of detonators used at NGMP lit
from match is used mostly as initiation system is designed such that ignitor will be firstly fired
by the use of lit match

5.Blasting

Once fire is initiated energy is fast transferred to blasting agent then detonation energy required
is applied to blasting agents then detonation and expulsion is given in no time.

Post blasting

Production is ceased for about 4 hours as no one is allowed to stay underground for the safety
issues as to avoid fumes, accidents by misfire so far, any rock falls.

Then safety and production checkup follow as

Blaster
To check if there is presence of any misfires.

Inspector

To check and inspect the efficiency of the blasting done and to what extent.

Scaling of the blasted material.

To clear out the area for blasting again once informed about presence of a misfire by the blaster.

Technician

To check if there is any damage (in the support system).

Check if there is anything hanging (blasted material) that may require support. Geologist

Check for dilution

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Sample taking for ore grading

To comment and give a view on the geological structure

Overall underground drilling and blasting is different from surface as it encounters hard
conditions like underground water conditions so far unexpected ore body orientation. Possible
accidents in underground can be misfires

Storage of explosives

Magazine

This is a room or building where explosives are arranged and stored. Its arrangement follows that
the older explosives are arranged at the front while the recent explosives are kept at the back.
This is done so as to cool off the new ones (recent) for some time before usage. The temperature
of the magazine should be maintained at 35˚C and must have good ventilation system. Failure to
maintain this temperature (that is, temperature > 35˚C) may cause the explosives (plain
detonators) to heat up and explode on their own.

The magazine also has registering documents for signing once the explosives are inspected,
received, used and whenever blasting is conducted. This building is inaccessible to any
unauthorized person and it is highly advised that it should be located far from settlements and
areas with mass population.

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2.3 MATERIAL HANDLING AND TRANSPORTATION

This is transferring materials from one point to other at low possible cost, this involves the
process of loading, hoisting and haulage of the material from one area (blasting area) to another
which can be a waste dump or crushing area for further processing or selling out

Loading, this refers to the process of filling a vehicle or sacks with the blasted materials ready
for transportation or haulage. At NGMP loading is done manually whereby a shovel and a bucket
are being used for filling materials into the sacks to later transport them to the hoisting station.

Haulage, this is the overall transportation of materials horizontal wise from the loading point or
where the material is located to the dumping site or processing plant. At NGMP haulage of
materials is done in two ways;

Haulage of materials in the underground, this takes place after the blasted materials are loaded
into sacks. Haulage is done manually whereby the workers are to carry the sacks filled with the
blasted materials on their shoulders from loading station to hoisting station in the respective shaft
level.

Haulage of materials on the surface, this is done by means of a wheelbarrow and a bicycle,
whereby the material hoisted from the shaft via the winch is transported to the crushers (ore
material) and the waste dumping site (waste material) for disposal.

Hoisting, hoisting is the process of raising or lowering conveyances within the mine shaft at
different points so far transporting materials vertical wise. At NGMP hoisting of materials at the
shafts is done with the aid of a winch. The mine has a total of 6 winches whereby 2 winches are
installed on the surface at shaft no. 1 and no. 20 respectively, 3 winches inside shaft no. 1 and 1
winch inside shaft no. 20. Overall production circles deal with drilling and blasting, materials
handling and transportation below is production circle figure

CHAPTER 3

3.1MACHINERY APPLICATION AND MAINTENANCE

In completing production application of complex machines such as winch, jack hammer, air
compressor takes place.

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3.2 WINCH

Winch used at NGMP is a single drum winch consisting of gear box, motor, drum and
changeover switch. It has a rope which is wounded around the drum, a frame with a hinge where
the rope is passed and directed into a shaft, a hook at the end of the rope that attaches it to the
sack, a motor powered by electrical power and the entire winch is operated by forward, reverse
and stop buttons. The winch has a rope of diameter 16mm, length of 180m and a maximum
speed of 10.3m/min.

There is a pipe coming from underground through the shaft for communication purposes between
the operator of the winch and the workers underground. This is a locally used communication
system and is a temporary solution which has replaced a radio call which had recently collapsed.

Tasks performed by the winch at NGMP

Lowering of timber for support

Lifting up of the blasted materials (mined ore and waste) from the shaft

Lowering tools and equipment to the working area such as jackhammer, water pump, explosives
and sacks

Lifting up of rot timber for replacement during support

Figure 8 Winch

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3.3 JACK HAMMER
A jackhammer is a portable pneumatic hammer or drill. Jack hammer is used at NGMP for
production drilling. It weighs around 25kg to 50kg depending on the variety. Hole drilling at
NGMP is done by using a jackhammer depending on the direction of the ore body. Normally, the
holes are drilled sub vertically when they work from the bottom upward to make an overhand
stopping. In the same manner, holes are drilled vertically when the deposit is worked top
downward to make underhand stopping.

The jack hammer used at NGMP uses air as a circulating fluid. The jack hammer using liquid
(water) is not common. This is because the type of rock here is dark colored and so when water
is used by the jack hammer, it creates mud and hence cause blockage to the jack hammer during
drilling.

The jack hammer using liquid is common in light colored (felsic) rock which have a tendency to
form a lot of dust in which water is needed to get rid of the dust.

Components of the Jack hammer.

The jackhammer is comprised of five main functional parts, namely;

1.The drill rod; this is the energy transmitter. The steel rod is used to transmit the energy to the
bit during drilling. The drill rod (steel) used in the jackhammer is 1.2 meters long, with 32mm
diameter.

2. The drill bit; this is the energy applicator. The bit attacks the rock mechanically to achieve
penetration. The drill bit used at NGMP is button bits of length 5.2cm and made of Carbide
material. Its span depends on the material of the bit and strength (type) of the rock. The drill bit
used can be buttons of 3, 4, 5 or 6.

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 Figure 9 Finished button drill bit
3.Oiler; this is used for storing the hydraulic used during drilling process. The hydraulic is used
to lubricate the components/ parts of the jack hammer during drilling so as to avoid friction by
grinding of the components.

4.Air compressor; this is the energy source. It provides the energy for drilling. The air
compressor is connected to the jackhammer using hose pipes. Similarly, the compressed air from
the compressor enables flushing, cleaning and stabilizing of the hole.

5.Throttle levels (1&2); the jack hammer has two throttle levels;

Throttle level 1 is used to start and stop the jack hammer by allowing the compressed air to flow.
Once the cork is pushed downwards, it indicates that the jack hammer is started and air allowed
to pass from the air compressor to the jackhammer for drilling. Elsewise indicates that the jack
hammer is stopped.

Throttle level 2 is used to regulate the amount of compressed air flowing; this controls the air
pressure for drilling process.

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 Figure 10 Jack hammer

Operation of the Jack hammer.

The jackhammer attacks the rock using rotary forces aided by the pneumatic system. The
pneumatic system is set available using an air compressor which is connected to the jackhammer
using hose pipes. The jackhammer operates by driving an internal hammer up and down as it
rotates the bit. The hammer is first driven down to strike the back of the bit and then back up to
return the hammer to the original position to repeat the cycle. The effectiveness of the
jackhammer is dependent on how much force is applied to the tool by the operator or driller.

Maintenance of the Jack hammer.

At NGMP, maintenance of the jack hammer was conducted if and only if there was a failure of
the equipment. Service of the jack hammer however was conducted whenever used; that is soon
after drilling. Maintenance was done by cleaning the digger as well as dismantling and washing
the component parts of the jack hammer. Washing of the components was thoroughly done by
using diesel so as to get rid of the mud (dust and oil).

After being washed with diesel, the components were mantled (joined together) using oil so as to
lubricate the parts of the jack hammer and prevent friction.

The tools used during the maintenance of the jack hammer include, spanner, engine oil

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3.4AIR COMPRESSOR

The air compressor is machine that generates pressurized air, air compressor is used to compress
the air to the jack hammer through a rubber pipe (hose pipe) for drilling process. It comprises of
a diesel tank, a hydraulic tank and a water tank.

Starting of the air compressor begins at the battery, where a battery of 12 volts is used to start the
engine. The engine is run by diesel oil from the diesel tank and the radiator of the engine is
cooled off by water found in the tank.

The air compressor has 2 pipes for air intake. The air intake is withdrawn from the surrounding
into a tank containing a separator. The separator also contains the hydraulic fluid from the
hydraulic tank. The separator sieves/separates the intake air (with dust particles) from dust and
hydraulic. This is done to make sure that only the clean air is allowed to pass through. The
hydraulic circulates through the separator so as to increase the air pressure which is then sent to
the pipes for release to the jack hammer for drilling. As the hydraulic fluid circulates, it gains
temperature and so is cooled off by a fan.

The pressurized air is transferred to the ground by the use of connecting pipes runs from the
surface (from air compressor) to the underground

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 Figure 11 Air compressor machine
CHAPTER 4
4.0AUXILIARY OPERATIONS IN MINING AT NGMP
Auxiliary operations come to complement production process they deal with no production but
with no them production is hindered

Auxiliary operations at NGMP are as

1.Supporting and reinforcement

2.Mine ventilation

3.Mine dewatering

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4.1. SUPPORTING AND REINFORCEMENT
Support is the application of a reactive force to the surface of an excavation and includes
techniques and devices such as timber, fill, shotcrete, mesh and steel or concrete sets or liners.
Reinforcement is a means of conserving or improving the overall rock mass properties from
within the rock mass by techniques such as rock bolts, cable bolts and ground anchors

Rock stability is the ability of a rock mass to maintain its structure without block fall or wall of
the roof or experiencing any unacceptable changes in its stability. Most of the production
operation in the underground cause motion or vibration of the roof or rock wall mostly are
drilling and blasting because it generates a lot of vibration in the underground mine.

Supporting and reinforcing rock mass techniques applied at NGMP

Concrete support

This support system is employed in one of the shafts at NGMP. It is relatively expensive
however it lasts for longer periods (permanent support system) and it is resistant to water unlike
timber support. Shaft no. 1 uses concrete support system to support the rock wall from falling.

Timber support

Timber also is commonly method used material for support in a mine as its cheap and easily
available. This support system is used in most of the shafts at NGMP. The timber used is derived
from variety of trees such as palm tree, blood wood/wild teak, oak tree, peacock tree, cedar tree
and juniper tree, timber support depends on the quality and strength of the tree used.
During timber support installation, there are 2 beams which acts as a base. Holes are drilled into
the rock using an air compressor for placement of the beams. If there is no rock (there is soil),
the holes are drilled using a drill rod manually. A wooden board used to stand on when drilling
holes and placement of timber into the shaft for support is known as wooden timbers

Timbers or logs are arranged around the openings or tunnels in form of a box framework. Finger
point (lock) is the last lock which is used to join one base and the other. It is the one placed
before the beam of the other set of frameworks.

25
 Figure 12 Timber and concrete form of supporting

back filling.

Refer as the process of putting the soil or mine waste back into the area of excavation where the
related work has been completed. Back filling provides ground support and regional stability,
thus facilitating ore removal from nearby regions. Safety and environmental factor have caused
mining companies consider backfilling of mine waste to hold the opening from failure. This
method it’s mostly used at t NGMP at underground shaft 1 room and pillars.

This is the mining system in which mined material is extracted across a horizontal plane, creating
horizontal arrays of rooms and pillars. This is done when rooms of the ore are dug out while
pillars of untouched material are left to support the roof overburden. This technique is used for
relatively flat-flying layer (vein), room and pillars are rarely used NGMP room and pillars is not
most preferred

26
4.2. MINE VENTILATION
ventilation is control of air movement, it is referred to the condition of keeping flow of air in the
mine is continuous and conducive so as to ensure healthy safety within the mine as ventilation
serves in providing a constant flow of air to the underground working areas so as to dilute the
contaminants to safe concentrations, to remove dust and noxious gases (typically NO, SO,
methane, CO) from the mine and to regulate the amount of temperature. At NGMP, two forms of
ventilation are used;

Natural Ventilation: This involves free flow of air from various shafts that are connected
together forming a free flow circuit of air. NGMP uses those shafts that are no longer used for
ventilation purposes. These shafts use the mode of pressure difference whereby one shaft is
upcast (outlet) and the other one is down cast (inlet) shaft depending on the direction of flow of
the air currents. Down cast is the one that take air in to the working area while upcast shaft take
air outside the shaft. At NGMP shaft no.1 is the inlet while as no. 20 is the outlet.

4.3DEWATERING
Dewatering the process of removing water from the mine area to the surface. Usually,
underground workings are done below the water table, hence enabling water to come out
from the water table to the shaft in working areas. Similarly, another source of water in the
underground workings is from the rock. When the water flowing into the mine excavation is
not collected and drained out, then there is a great risk of flooding to occur.

For dewatering process set up, a drainage system consisting of an electric pump and pipes is
used. The electric pump is immersed in the pool of water and creates a pressure difference
that enables the water to be pumped out. The mine has five pumps in total installed at
different locations inside the mine according to their pressure strength and location of the
sumps. The mine has several sumps for collecting water from an aquifer and that which is
leaking from the rock to the working area. Also, the mine has created a tank where all water
from the sumps is pumped into it and there after water from that tank is pumped to the
surface through a pipe at flow rate of 0.00467m3/s and so allowing the miners to work in a
safe and conducive environment. The water being pumped out to the surface is ejected into a
trench and is fit for use for other activities for example sluicing and construction purposes.

27
 Figure 13 Dewatering pipes
4.4CONTROL EFFICIENT AND SAFETY PRODUCTION
In production safety is prior, if it cannot be done in safety way it should not be done, to achieve
efficient production through drilling and production

28
The followings should be taken into control

1.Geological effects

2.Optimum explosive performance

3.Quality control

4.Communications

Accidents that commonly occurs at NGMP

1.Rock mass failure, this commonly caused by failure of support to the weights of rock masses

2.Rock falls caused by delay of scaling and supporting after blasting

3.Misfires due to improper connection of firing sequence

Handling misfires

This refers to the explosives which have not detonate following the blasting process.

The most hazardous part of blasting is the handling of misfired explosives.

When a misfire does occur, the degree of hazard depends on the type of explosive used in the
blasthole. When a misfire occurs, the power source used to initiate the blast must be
disconnected, the firing line shunted or made safe before entering the blast area to inspect the
misfire. All personnel must stay out of the blast area for at least 1/2 hour. Access to the blast area
must remain blocked and guarded. Proper misfire handling should be conducted by experienced
individuals familiar with the initiation systems and explosives used, as well as the proper
techniques to handle, neutralize and render safe the explosive materials. In the general case, if
the blastholes are relatively intact, the explosive should be shot in place (refiring)

At NGMP, the following are the causes of the misfire;

Improper stemming

Poor charging

Expire of the explosives

29
The charged drilled holes staying long duration prior to blasting hence causing the explosive to
be easily torn by the rock

The explosive coming in contact with water (wetted explosive) hence losing its strength.
Misfires at NGMP are properly handled by re firing so as to eliminate any possible danger. The
stemming material are removed with the aid of a steel rod and a new primer placed on top of the
main explosive column; there after it can be stemmed and fired again. Any kind of work is not
permitted in the misfire area.

CHAPTER 5
ORE PROCESSING
In general, terms as Mineral Processing which refers to recovery operations at a mine site and the
associated processing plant operations. The processing operations involve the extraction of metal
ores and minerals from the mined rock. There are two major categories of processing. One is
comminution and the other one is separation. The process "Comminution" involves size
reduction and size-wise classification called as screening or separation.

Mineral processing can involve four general types of unit operations. They are:

1) comminution – the process of particle size reduction;

30
2) sizing – separation of particle sizes by screening or classification;
3) concentration by taking advantage of physical and surface chemical properties; and 4) metal
recovery.
At NGMP we were mainly dealing with gold extraction as in its pure form from the ore, so it
involves various stages to obtain a pure Gold.
Gold mainly appears in the form of natural gold and minerals in the ore such as pyrite, tellurium
ore, sphalerite, and gold in gangue. About 70% to 75% of the gold in the deposit is in the form of
natural gold, while the other 20% occurs in the form of telluride.
The remaining 5% to 10% is in the form of "invisible" gold, which has been replaced by the
crystal structure of various minerals or in the form of tiny particles.
Referring to NGMP the following were the steps in Gold Extraction

COMMINUTION, comminution involves the crushing and grinding of ore to reduce particles to
a size suitable to liberate gold from gangue minerals through further processing (e.g., gravity
concentration). Crushing and grinding are two primary comminution processes.

ORE CRUSHING, crushing is the first step of mineral processing where the ore/rocks from the
mine site is fed into the mechanical equipment in order to reduce the size of masses for
subsequent usage by liberating the valuable mineral from the gangue. Crushing is normally
carried out on the “run-of-mine” ore. Compression and impact forces are extensively used in
crushing operations.

Crushing at NGMP is done locally by hammering and by the use of the primary crusher (jaw
crusher). Hammering method employs the use of a handheld hammer and a rounded shape fiber
bag with open space in the middle.

31
 Figure 14 Hand hammer ore crushing
ORE DRYING, drying of the ore is very necessary. This is done so as to remove the quantity of
water present in the crushed material. The wet nature of the ore is as a result of mining activities
conducted in areas with water. Similarly, grinding process should be done in dry conditions so as
to avoid failure of the grinding machine due to blockage by mud. At NGMP drying of the ore is
done naturally with the aid of sunlight.

ORE GRINDING, grinding is the primary size reduction into very fine particles. The grinding
process is normally carried out after crushing, may be conducted on dry or slurred material.
Attrition is the dominant force in grinding.

Grinding at NGMP is done by the ball mill. The ball mill reduces the material size of 2 – 3 cm up
to 5 microns size. It constitutes of a gear box, diesel engine, shaft, screen and steel balls of
different dimensions as the grinding media. The grinding process is accomplished by the
abrasion and impact of the ore by the free motion of the grinding media.

Figure 15 Ball mill grinding

After grinding, when we obtain a ground ore the next step depends on the technology of a mine
or plant, thus the ground ore may be taken directly to the Carbon in Columns (CIC) commonly
known as Vat Leaching, Carbon in Pulps (CIP) or Carbon in Leaching (CIL), Otherwise it will
first pass through the sluicing and amalgamation process then to either of the above.
At NGMP the ground ore passes through sluicing and amalgamation then Vat Leaching.

SLUICING is a gravity separation method which separates light particles from heavy ones by
passing on a stream of water to wash the grinded ore. This method aims to recover at least 25%
of gold while the other 75% is recovered by cyanidation process. Sluicing takes place in a
32
sluicing unit; where the sluicing unit has an inclined sluicing table which is composed of a
sluicing box with openings (holes at the bottom), sisal sacks and a towel lined on the table.

The sluicing box is filled with powdered grinded ore which contains both, gangue and gold. A
stream of water is then poured onto the sluicing box hence creating a slurry which passes down
the sluicing box through apertures and run down on the inclined sluicing channel/table. Due to
density difference that exist between particles, those particles with small density (gangue) will
flow fast on the channel and be collected at the tailing pond while gold which has high density
will be displaced and absorbed in the towel. The trapped gold in the towel is then rinsed in water
to form a gold solution from which gold is to be extracted from. The mud obtained after sluicing
(which is due to the ground ore) is then poured and collected aside as middling.

The sluicing table is designed by the idea of inclination in which the slurry will flow very easily
and the heavier material like Gold will be attached to that sack. The inclination angle of it, being
designed is about 450 to 550 and the sluicing box has got holes to the bottom, which allows the
passage of the slurry mixture.

Figure 16 Sluicing
PANNING

Panning is the process of reducing some impurities and wastes associated with the gold ore after
sluicing by rolling and shaking a pan containing the gold solution in order to allow gold to settle
at the bottom due to the its high-density property. During panning process those wastes and

33
impurities will be removed by adding water several times after removing wastes which are being
contaminated with Gold by adding mercury to the mixture.

Figure 18 Panning Figure 17 Amalgamation

AMALGAMATION
Amalgamation is a method of extracting gold with the use of mercury through formation of
amalgam. It is a gravity concentration method as it takes into account the specific gravity of
gold, 19.3 and that of mercury, 13.6. Gold being the heavier mineral, sinks and dissolves into the
mercury enabling it to be coated into it whilst the remainder (impurities) floats on the mercury.

At NGMP, amalgamation is done after the ore is sluiced and panned thoroughly. Mercury was
poured to the gold concentrate followed by water, then the mixture was steered and swirled
manually by using hands to form a mercury amalgam containing the dissolved gold. The
amalgam left at the bottom of the pan was then poured into a piece of soft cloth and steadily
squeezed so as to drain the excess mercury from the amalgam. The amalgamation process at
NGMP enables only 20% to 30% recovery of gold.

34
 Figure 19 Amalgam
RETORTING (BURN OF AMALGAM)

This is the last stage after amalgamation process whereby the mercury amalgam is heated and
burned in a charcoal furnace to a temperature of 80 C. This is done in order to vaporize the ֯
remaining mercury and obtain a pure gold. The mercury amalgam before heating takes after
mercury and appear white in color.
There are so many effects when burning an amalgam to an open space such as;
i. Reproductive disorder ii.
Miscarriage iii. Cancer
Thus, the safer method of burning the amalgam is by the use of retort, this is an instrument used
to recover the mercury from gold without exposing it into the environment and the obtained
mercury can be re used.
CYANIDATION
Refers to a method of extracting gold from crushed ores by treatment with a dilute solution of
sodium cyanide or calcium cyanide, the cyanide binds to the gold ions forming cyanide gold
complex, thus making it soluble in water. The process ensures 75% recovery of gold from the
middling and it takes in the mineral processing plant. It usually obtains a higher recovery of gold
than plate amalgamation and is easier to operate.

The basis of the cyanide process is that weak solutions of sodium or potassium cyanide have a
preferential dissolving action on small particles of metallic gold and silver over other materials
usually found in gold ores.
35
The Cyanidation process involves the following steps
1.VAT Leaching
2.Carbon absorption/ Metal Precipitation
3.Elution
4.Electro winning
5.Smelting
VAT LEACHING (VERTICAL ACQUIRED TANK LEACHING)
Refers to the cyanidation of gold ore, which involves holding slurry of ore and solvent for
several hours in large tanks equipped with agitators.
Ore is ground to a specific size, at a predetermined density. It is then put into a large holding area
commonly the column tanks where the cyanide is added. To have the desired reaction take place,
there must be enough cyanide present to dissolve the entire mineral. To have the necessary
chemical reaction take place, oxygen must be added. To accomplish this, air is bubbled through
the solution of cyanide and slurry. Cyanide is a very potent poison. To ensure that the slurry
doesn’t become acidic an alkaloid is added to the cyanidation tanks, Again the common reagent
that is used for this is lime.
The amount of lime and cyanide in the slurry is very important, without enough cyanide to
consume the entire valuable mineral there will be losses. Without enough lime a condition may
develop that could potentially be very hazardous to the workers well-being. To ensure that there
is enough lime and cyanide, the tanks have to be checked frequently within the 72 hours of
leaching, checking alkalinity by pH meter and cyanide through calculating ppm. Therefore, the
chemists or mineral processors will have to watch
✓ Cyanide levels correct
✓ Alkalinity
✓ Enough oxygen
✓ Retention time
✓ Reagent levels for precipitation
The following are the chemicals that are used in processing plant for leaching and their
preparation; Cyanide solution (NaCN)
It is the solution used in the laboratory during color test, also it equalizes gold particle into the
bottle sample. The preparation is done by dissolving 500kg of NaCN into 1L of distilled water,
and then we shake until NaCN to dissolve.
It is also used for melting all minerals in the column tanks thus forming gold complex hence a
leaching process.

36
lead nitrate (Pb (NO3)2)

It is used during color taste also it’s used in gold particle dissolution. The preparation is done by
dissolving Pb (NO)2, 83.2g into 1liter of distill water then is shaken until NaCN to dissolve.

potassium iodide (KI)

It’s used in PPM test mixed with a solution containing dissolved Gold it gives lemon juice
coloration. The preparation is done by dissolving 10gm of kl into 100ml of distill water.it works
as reagent silver nitrate (AgNO3)

It is the solution used during PPM test also it changes the sample color into lemon juice. The
preparation is done by dissolving 13gm of AgNO3 into 1liter of distill water.

hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)

It’s commonly used to supply oxygen into the pipe and ore tanks; also, it removes some
impurities like Cu. The preparation is done by mixing 1litre of HO with 20litre of water. As
HCN may be formed in the leaching tanks thereby hydrogen peroxide provides aeration
condition.

lime (CaCO3) or sodium hydroxide (NaOH)

Used for pH maintenance and soil rotting in the leaching tanks thus providing alkalinity
condition. During leaching process pH has to be controlled between 9.5 and 11.5, pH values
below 9.5 favors the formation of HCN which is poisonous thus affects the leaching process
which might lead to a loss.
NGMP has a total of ten vat leaching tanks whereby the diameter of each tank is about 13 to 14
feet and their depth range from 6 to 7 feet. Tanks numbered 1 to 6 can accommodate 30 tons
while the ones numbered 7 to 10 can accommodate up to 40-50 tons. The leaching tanks are
made of concrete with soft carpet at the bottom so that the chemicals in the tank may not
contaminate the ground. The arrangement of the composition of the tank follows that; concrete is
kept at the bottom 1 to 1½ inch apart (so as to leave space for the sacks) followed by sacks (this
helps the pregnant solution to flow easily without any mud), then filter (sand of 2mm thickness
acts as a filter during the process), then sacks again, followed by sticks (to indicate the limit of
middling) and lastly the middling (from which gold is extracted).
The processes involved inside the leaching tank were as followed:

37
LOADING PROCESS, means the transportation and movements of tailing materials of gold
ore, lime and water into leaching tank, before loading the tanks, leaching tanks were prepared
well as explained above.

BARREN DOSING, mixing of chemicals in the barren, chemicals that are to be dosed in the
tanks are usually mixed in the barren at proportional amount, which are NaCN and Lime, ppm is
measured from the barren tank.

Pumping of the chemical’s solution from the barren towards the JoJo tanks ready for tank dosage

Tank dosage, chemicals from the barren via JoJo tanks are now being dosed in the vat leching
tanks for leaching process to take place. This process takes place after few hours regarding to if
Gold is still present by performing color test.

Flow sheet summarize the process above

connecting pipes

dosing and leaching tanks

le

h
pump
head
carbon columns

mi

mixed solution collecting tank

tailings barren

FLOW SHEET

Figure 20 VAT leaching flow sheet

38
 Figure 21 Dosing vertical acquired tanks
RAKING OF TANKS, aim was to increase the surface area for porosity of captured Gold to
flow down and entering into the pipe, means after tailings being leached, some of the chemicals
did not reach the bottom of the leaching tank, therefore raking process employed for increasing
penetration of the chemicals used into the slurry inside the leaching tank.

CARBON ABSORPTION, this involves the use of activated carbon for trapping gold cyanide
complex (pregnant solution) through small pores found in it. Activated carbon refers to that
carbon which have high affinity in trapping the gold cyanide through its small pores. Pipes
containing the pregnant solution are directed to the Head; which is the center of all the solution
from the leaching tanks. Carbon is first treated with dilute HCl so as to remove any kind of dirt
or impurity associated with it; this is necessary since carbon has a tendency of absorbing dirt and
dust from its surrounding. The pregnant solution is then absorbed in the treated and activated
carbon with the aid of hydrogen peroxide, H 2O2 in the column chamber. The carbon containing
the trapped gold is then sent to the elusion plant for further processing.

Figure 22 Absorption by carbon

39
ELUTION
This is a process of stripping off gold from the loaded carbon. At NGMP this process was
conducted in the elution plant. The carbon containing trapped gold was kept in a carbon tank,
and a strip solution of hot cyanide caustic water solution was allowed to flow into the tank. The
amount of water used in the strip solution depends on the amount of carbon present in the tank.
Caustic soda was added to the mixture so as to raise the temperature of water from 100 ֯C to 120
֯C. This enabled the water to completely melt down the gold trapped in the carbon considering
that the melting point of gold is 85 ֯c.

ELECTRO WINING

This is the electro deposition of metal such as gold from a solution. At NGMP an electro wining
cell is used, which has iron as the anode and steel wire as the cathode. The melted gold is
deposited at the cathode, in the steel wire since gold is a metal (positively charged ion). The steel
wire containing gold is then blasted with nitric acid so as to obtain pure gold.

Figure 23 Elution unit

SMELTING

This is the last step of recovery of gold by cyanidation process; it involves heating and melting of
the gold trapped in a steel wire to get pure gold. At NGMP the process takes place in the elution
plant at the smelting chamber. The process involves the reaction between concentrated sulphuric
acid, concentrated nitric acid, water and steel wire, all stored in a plastic container. This chemical
reaction emits an orange fume and so a full-face mask is highly recommended during smelting
for safety purposes. The poisonous fume emitted is sieved and directed to meet a water reservoir
in which the gases are neutralized and released as harmless gases; this is done so as to conserve
the environment. The sulphuric acid in the reaction is used to break the steel wire while Nitric
acid is used to separate gold from other minerals. The melted gold is then collected on a white

40
cloth which is then smelted and pure gold obtained. The pure gold is weighed and its percentage
purity calculated.

CHAPTER 6
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION
6.1 CONCLUSION
The practical training at NGMP was satisfactory that enabled to transform and correlate the
theoretical knowledge of mining and processing industry into practical knowledge and skills.
NGMP is a small scale mine however it is highly mechanized than other small scales, it
possesses advanced tools and machinery, alternative power supply, good ventilation and
drainage systems and reliable supporting systems which highly ensures safe and conducive
working environment. In addition to that, the managerial structure of the mine is well organized
hence making it very easy to oversee and supervise all the activities taking place in the mine.
However, there were various challenges that faces NGMP company,

Poor(uncontrolled) rock breakage and blast design that increase costing in mining and mineral
processing

The lack of safety regulation and inspection at Nsangano site are the most causes of much
accident during operation and can cause the injury and death

Also lack of education to the workers about awareness of the risks inherent in mining and
mineral processing. Noncompliance on wearing proper protective equipment, absence of the
safety practice before any incident to the mining.

Lack of geological information on the site that cause without to determine the valuable mineral
(rock) in the ground.

6.2RECOMMENDATION
For the efficient and safety production and development of NGMP as well as decreasing the
operation cost, the following should be considered and implemented;

Employment of highly skilled and professional personnel such as engineers who would use their
skills to find ways of increasing production.

Reinforcement of mine safety regulations.

Adaptation of geological survey to trace ore mineralization and extent

41
PART 2
MIN PROJECT
TITLE: CONTROL ROCK BREAKAGE TO OPTIMIZE MINE TO MILL PROCESS AT
NGMP
1.0PROJECT TITLE
Control rock breakage to optimize mine to mill process at Nsangano Gold Mine Project
1.1INTRODUCTION
Rock breakage is over all operation of drilling and blasting, Drilling is rock penetration to create
hole for charging process
Blasting is rock fragmentation after detonation of drilled and charged holes, Mine to mill process
is over all mining to processing operations
1.2OVER VIEW STUDIES
impact that mining practices have on the efficiency of mineral processing operations. Head
grade, dilution, particle size distribution and their variability are known to have a significant
effect on the throughput and recovery achieved in mineral processing plants optimizing mine to
mill process serves to optimize overall cost of rock breakage, blasting, crushing and milling
1.3STATEMENT TO THE PROBLEM
Concerning the ore production at NGMP about 40% to 55% of ore produced it blasted rock
particles is course size rather than the optimal size, over size particles increase costs in energy
consumptions in comminution, handling and transportation of materials
This min project comes to study blasting techniques at NGMP in relation to efficient on mine to
mill process and suggests measures to achieve efficient in mine to mill process
1.4OBJECTIVES
❖ Main objectives
Upgrading rock breakage techniques to achieve efficient on mine to mill process
❖ Sub objectives
✓ Studying on mine to mill concept in general
✓ Relating rock breakage and mine to mill process
1.5METHODOLOGY
1.litereture review
2.consultation
3.observation
4.technical suggestions

1.5.1LITERATURE REVIEW
Literature is based on the discussion of the followings
➢ Mine to mill optimization
➢ Rock breakage technique

42
 ➢ Costing relation between rock breakage operation and mine to mill process

1.MINE TO MILL OPTIMIZATION

Mine to mill optimization is the total system approach to the reduction of energy and cost in
mining and mineral process operation, energy consumption is optimized through optimizing size
reduction
2.ROCK BREAKAGE OPERATION
Rock breakage involves drilling and blasting in turning rock mass into fragmentated rock pieces
of various size, drilling and blasting is the key rock breakage then techniques used during drilling
and blasting determines the size of fragmentated rock pieces
3.COSTING RELATION BETWEEN ROCK BREAKAGE AND MINE TO MILL PROCESS
Costing is proposed or estimated cost of producing, from rock breakage to mine to mill process
variable costs are undertaken then there is directly relation between them as if size of fragmented
rock mass is maximum rather than optimal it increases handling as well as comminution cost.
Comminution, is size reduction process from crushing to griding
OPERATION ENERGY COST
1.ROCK BREAKAGE Watt(explosives) $
2.CRUSHING Watt(hammering) $
3.GRINDING Watt (ball mill) $
4.HANDLING Watt(winch) $
5.SECONDARY ROCK BREAKAGE Watt(explosives) $

ROCK BREAKAGE OPERATION

The aim is to achieve optimal size distribution of fragmented rock after rock breakage through
reasoning causes of non-optimal size distribution (too fines and too large fragmented rock)
SELECTED PARAMETERS RELATING TO NON-OPTIMAL SIZED FRAGMENTED
ROCK FORMATION
✓ Energy Confinement
✓ Powder Factor
✓ Explosive Selection
✓ Blasthole Diameter
✓ Burden and Spacing
✓ Stemming
✓ Initiation Sequence
✓ Dilution
DISCUSSION ON MENTIONED PARAMATERS 1.ENEGRY CONFINEMENT
Energy confinement relates to delay time and blasting performance The blast’s performance will
be reduced if the explosive energy has too little or too much confinement, delay times between
holes in a row (inter-hole) and between rows (inter-row) of blastholes are key factors that control

43
the blast’s dynamic confinement, Each blast has a specific range of efficient delay intervals that
is dependent on the goal of the blast (fragmentation, displacement, dilution control, vibration
control etc. Too much confinement (short delay intervals) causes the explosive to find
undesirable paths of relief, resulting in overbreak, poor fragmentation and excessive vibration
Too little confinement (long delay intervals) permits the explosive energy to vent, wasting
money and potentially causing fly rock and misfires
2.POWDER FACTOR
This is the quantity of explosives required to blast a volume of a rock in rock breakage the
optimal powder factor is generally derived through trial and error, but is found to relate to the
material strength and structure of the rock mass and the target fragmentation. Powder factor
serves as indictor of rock strength and cost of explosive need
3.EXPLOSIVE SELECTION
In selecting explosive, explosives with high intensity are needed the objective of increasing the
intensity of the blast is to create greater breakage. such objective requires shock energy rather
than additional heave energy. Water gel and emulsion explosives now provide a range of
explosive properties such as V.O.D, density of explosive and shock wave energy in various
conditions which are not favored by ANFO such as wet areas and so ensuring better
fragmentation in all working areas (water gels and emulsion).

4.BLAST HOLE DIAMETER

The blasthole diameter has a significant effect on rock fragmentation, since it is the primary blast
design parameter and has influence on the choice of burden, spacing and stemming length. A
small blasthole diameter contains lesser charge, this will require a greater number of holes in a
given space and hence control fragmentation and minimize non optimal sized fragmented rock
formation.
5.BURDENING AND SPACING
Large spacing and burden between blastholes will lead to uneven distribution of blasting energy
and hence boulder formation. Charge distribution is good as spacing and burden distance are not
very much apart. This will give higher cost of drilling and charging as you will have to drill
many holes however fragmentation will be highly controlled and non-optimal sized fragmented
rock formation will be minimized. Spacing and burden also depends on the nature of rock mined;
hard rock requires small spacing and burden distance while as soft rocks require large spacing
and burden.
6.STEMMING
Stemming, length and confinement

44
Stemming length is the portion of blasthole which has been packed with inert material above the
charge so as to confine and retain the gases produced by the explosion, thus improving
fragmentation process. Insufficient stemming length leads to escape of the gases into the
atmosphere which will produce air blasts and flying rocks. In an energetic blast, the requirement
to contain the explosion gases is even more important than for conventional blasting. Any
premature ejection of stemming will not only reduce the energy available to do useful work
within the blast volume, but offers the potential for the generation of fly-rock
7.INTIATION SEQUNCE
The development of flexible initiation system has allowed control over the initiation sequence of
large number of holes with great confidence. Non-electric detonators with a precision of less
than 3% are now readily available and electric detonators which offer exceptional accuracy and
wider selection of delay times are now being tested in mines blasts. Delay sequence should be
monitored accurately so as to avoid blastholes from being skipped or improperly tied which
might lead to unwanted size distributions
8.DILUTION
Dilution can have a major impact on the economics of mineral operations and is a major driver
for the adoption of confined blasting techniques in gold operations. The additional energy
provided in a ‘mine to mill’ blast will render the muck from choke blasts more ‘diggable’ and
overcome toe problems. To minimize dilution, it is imperative that the explosion energy is
effectively confined and not released in the form of cratering
1.5.3 OBSERVATION
➢ DATA COLLECTION
Through observation variety of data about size distribution were found as below Percentage
size distribution of the blasted materials
Observation course material-larger than 10 cm optimal -10cm Fine material-less
no. size than 10cm
average size
1 60% 20% 20%

2 50% 30% 20%

3 40% 25% 35%

4 55% 15% 30%

5 40% 30% 30%

6 35% 45% 20%

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 ➢ DATA PRESENTATION FRAGMENTED ROCK SIZE DISTRIBUTION
70%

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

0%
1 2 3 4 5 6

Series1 Series2 Series3

➢ DATA ANALYSIS
From the data collected and presented average fragmented rock distribution is as
• course material -46%
• optimal material -28%
• fine material -26%

average size distribution

1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr

➢ only 28% is within optimal range and over 72% is out of range

course materials effects

✓ increases crushing and grinding cost

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 ✓ secondary blasting cost
✓ increase machine cost
✓ consumptions of extra energy
Fine material effects
✓ occurrence of undersize after milling
✓ consumption of extra energy
1.5.4 TECHNICAL SUGGESTIONS AND DISCUSSIONS
These suggestions and discussion come to achieve rock breakage that will increase size
distribution within optimal range from 28% to 80% which is more economic and saves mine to
mill process costing to reasonable amount of money
Suggestions and discussions aim to improve some operations as to achieve optimal sized rock
breakage
Major areas of concentration are as
1.Stemming and energy confinement
2.Blast design
3.Energetic rock breakage
4.Comparable charging of explosive
1.STEMMING AND ENERGY CONFINEMENT

Unconfined charges placed on drilled rock mass and subsequently detonated produce shock
energy which will be transmitted into the rock mass at the point of contact between the charge
and the rock mass. Since most of the charge is not in contact with the rock mass, the majority of
the useful explosive energy travels out into space and is wasted. This wasted energy manifests
itself in excessive air blast. Gas pressure can never build since the charge is totally unconfined,
therefore, gas energy does little work. Only a small amount of the useful energy is utilized when
high explosive charges are placed unconfined on rock mass
For best utilization of explosive charges and achieving rock fragmentation with optimal size
distribution energy confinement is important aspects
In steady of using sack leather as stemming material one can use packed soil with high
compaction and density for stemming
2.BLAST DESGN
The design of blasts must encompass the fundamental concepts of ideal blast design, which are
then modified when necessary to account for local geologic conditions. In order to evaluate a
blasting plan, the plan must be taken apart and each variable or dimension must be evaluated
Changing designing parameters by using the proper parameters during drilling bore holes
accurate charging, charge firing schemes free face considerations these all have impact on impact
of size of fragmented rock
Instead of using experience one can read more on current adjusted research work

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3.ENEGETIC ROCK BREAKAGE
Energetic rock breakage increases the magnitude of intensity of energy to the rock mass brokage
then high shattering effects which reduces the rate of formation of materials with course size
through the use of energetic detonating cords like Cordtex energetic rock brokage can be
achieved
4.COMPARABLE CHARGING OF EXPLOSIVES
Charging same face by using different explosive charges with different quantity of explosive
energy level say slurries which is powerful than ANFO brings non unform energy distribution
non uniform energy distribution impacts to non-uniform rock breakage, once comparable
charging of explosives is employed then desired rock fragmentation can be achieved

REFERENCES
Hartman H.L. (1992), SME Mining engineering Handbook 2nd edition

A.Gupta and D.S.Yan Perth, (January 2006), Introduction to Mineral Processing Design and Operation,
Australia

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