Design and planning for slate mining using optimisation algorithms

This paper describes the application, for the first time, of design, planning and scheduling algorithms to the mining of ornamental rock. For the application, a model of an ornamental slate deposit was created that included a block model and a financial model of the deposit. The block model contains information on useful or exploitable slate content, which is equivalent to metal content for the traditional mining sectors. The financial model introduces the concept of cutoff grades to slate. Cutoff grades are a logical consequence of the mine planner having a choice as to whether or not to use diamond wire to cut the blocks. The techniques applied in this sector of crucial importance to the Spanish mining industry were the Lerchs and Grossmann algorithm, parametric analysis and the Milawa algorithm.