Mathematical Model for Preliminary feasibility study of Opencast Coal Mine

Development in simplest way ....Sanjay Singh

INTRODUCTION: Effective Mine planning and Mine economics depend on the detailed
exploration and geological modelling. Exploration work need detailed geological mapping of
the area, Coal seam interpretation, Drilling operation with Open hole, Core hole for true
thickness and quality aspect and seam continuity in dip and strike direction, topography of
prospected area, River network and drainage plan , , startigraphy, geological modelling with
skilled Geologists and Mining Engineer.

Mine Planning and design depends on the confidence of the exploration data and as its
failure may lead to high risk of loss with rated quality and production as well as investment
risk on overall project.

In this paper author try to the simplify the complex thing for common understanding &
approximate idea on Volume of Overburden Required to exposed Coal face, Volume of
Overburden to continue Operation with optimised SR,Overall Stripping Ratio and Stripping
Ratio in stage as in Coal Mining Business Overburden removal involve huge Capital &
operating Cost.

As accurate exploration and geological modelling take years for completion with huge
investment without any cash flow so to overcome that stress mostly Businessman need
approximate idea on Capital & Revenue budget with projected Operation Cost for Mining
Operation during & after completion of preliminary exploration & survey and hope that this
paper will facilitate to visualise & understand Coal Mining Development in sample way.

MINE PLANNING PROCEDURE: Major steps in Surface Mine Developments after lease
acquisition are as:

- Mapping the area

- Drilling Program
- Drilling, Sampling, logging, analysis
- Drilling on closer interval( Development drilling)
- Topography
- Geological modelling
- Reserve evaluation
- Conceptual Mine Development Plan
- Mining System design, layout & development
- Equipment selection
- Mine Plan developments
Planning a Surface Mine using Opencast Mining Method required consideration of many
variables parameters with their complex interrelationships.. the same are:

1. INFORMATION ON DEPOSIT: 2. GENERAL PROJECT INFORMATION

 OVERBURDEN GEOLOGY:  MARKET

i) Stratigraphy i) Customers
ii) Geologic Structure ii) Production Specification(
iii) Physical properties Tonnage & Quality)
iv) Thickness & Variability iii) Contract Agreement
v) Overall depth iv) Sale & Marketing
vi) Top Soil parameter
 TRANSPORTATION
 COAL GEOLOGY: i) Property access
i) Quality ( Rank & Analysis) ii) Coal transportation(
ii) Thickness and Variability Method,Distance,Cost)
iii) Chemical characteristics
iv) Structural discontinuity  UTILITIES:
v) Physical characteristics i) Availability
ii) Location
 HYDROLOGY( OVERBURDEN & COAL): iii) Costs
i) Permeability
ii) Porosity  LAND & MINERAL RIGHTS
iii) Aquifer(s) & ground water i) Ownership( Surface, Mineral
acquisition)
 GEOMETRY:
i) Size  WATER
ii) Shape i) Potable & preparation
iii) Attitude ii) Sources
iv) Continuity iii) Quantity
 GEOGRAPHY: iv) Quality
i) Location v) Cost
ii) Topography  LABOUR
iii) Altitude i) Availability & type(
iv) Climate Skilled/Unskilled)
v) Surface Condition ii) Rates & trends
vi) Drainage pattern iii) Degree of organisation
vii) Political boundaries iv) Labour history
 Exploration  GOVERNMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS
i) Historical i) Taxes( Local,State,Federal)
ii) Current program ii) Royalties
iii) Sampling iii) Reclamation and operating
requirements
iv) Proposed & pending Mining
legislations
 3. DEVELOPMENT & EXTRACTION:  PIT LAYOUT
i) Extent of available area
 Compilation of Geologic & ii) Pit dimension & geometry
geographic data iii) Pit orientation
i) Surface and Coal Contours iv) Haulage, Power and drainage
ii) Isopach Development( Thickness system
of Coal and overburden, Stripping
ratio,Quality,Cost)  EQUIPMENTS SELECTION
i) Sizing, production estimates
 MINE SIZE DETERMINATION ii) Capital & Operating Cost
i) Market Constrains estimates
ii) Optimum economics
 PROJECT COST ESTIMATION( CAPITAL
 RESERVE & OPERATING)
i) Method of determination i) Mine
ii) Economic stripping ratio ii) Mine Support equipments
iii) Mining and Barrier losses iii) Office, shop and other facility
iv) Burned, oxidised area iv) Auxiliary facilities
v) Manpower requirements
 MINING METHOD SELECTION
i) Topography  DEVELOPMENT SCHEDULE
ii) Refer Geologic/geographic factor i) Additional exploration
iii) Production requirements ii) Engineering and feasibility study
iv) Environmental Consideration iii) Environmental approval
iv) Equipments purchase & delivery
v) Site preparation and set up
vi) Start up
vii) Production

4. ECONOMIC ANALYSIS

MINE DEVELOPMENT: The Opencast Coal Mine involve huge volume of overburden for
exposure of Coal seams and its continuous excavation for maintaining the Production
targets. Overburden stripping involves maximum Capital and operating cost during Mining
Operation. Orientation of the pit and its sequencing are very important for entire mine
planning and main purpose to design the mine pit are effective with averaging and
minimising the stripping ratio.
To simply the complex things we consider the following inputs as guideline:

1. Planned for straight Pit design instead of Curved pits

2. For Multi Coal seam average seam thickness and dip can be taken and consider the
same as Composite seam at bottom( Inter-burden etc will come under the
calculation of Overburden)
3. The same is only for quick calculation as required before starting of project with
minimal data and for detailed work...normal process has to be considers before and
during project implementation..
4. The same can be made by simple arithmetic equation for different bench dimension
as per requirement of area..
5. Geologically discontinued area can be analysed as different block and can be
clubbed..
6. Buffer Coal stock in the pit should be consider in the Mine Planning with
consideration of Power plant requirements, Rain period and frequency to supply
continuous production and particular Tonnage may be add in Development volume
instead of SR volume for better Coal supply management..
7. Length of Coal face should be optimised wrt Production targets and External Waste
Disposal area..

VOLUME OF OVERBURDEN TO EXPOSE COAL SEAM:

Volume of Overburden to expose Xc mtr (Length) of Coal/Lignite face:

Bench height in Overburden- Ho

Average thickness of Coal seam – Tc

True dip of Coal Seam- α

Specific gravity of Coal – d

N- Number of bench below Z RL

Y- Width of bench in North direction

W- Width of bench in West & East direction

A- Length of advance in North direction after exposure of Coal bed (Rate of advance of
bench mt/day in North direction)

Xz – Xc + 2WN - Length of block / length of Z RL bench.

Vd- Total Volume of Overburden at – Z RL to expose Xc mt of Coal face.

Volume of Overburden for 1st box cut/bench- Vi - Ho * Xz * Y

Volume of Overburden for 2nd bench- Vii- 2 *Ho*Y *(Xz-2W)

Volume of Overburden for 3rd bench- Viii- 3 *Ho*Y *(Xz-4W)

Volume of Overburden for 4th bench- Viv- 4 *Ho*Y *(Xz-6W)

Volume of Overburden for 5th bench- Vv- 5 *Ho*Y *(Xz-8W)

Volume of Overburden for 6th bench- Vvi- 6 *Ho*Y *(Xz-10W)

Volume of Overburden for 7th bench- Vvii- 7 *Ho*Y *(Xz-12W)

Volume of Overburden for Nth bench- Vn- N*Ho*Y *{Xz-( N-1)2W}

Vd =

Vd = {[Ho*Xz*Y*(1+2+3+4+......+ N)]-[ Ho*Y* 4W*(1+3+6+10+15+21+.........N-1)]}

= {[ Ho*Xz*Y*N(N+1)/2]-[ 4*Ho*W*Y*N(N-1)(N+1)/6]}

= Ho*Y*N*(N+1)/6* [(3* Xz – 4*W*(N-1))]

VOLUME OF OVERBURDEN AFTER DEVELOPMENT FOR RATED PRODUCTION:

Vsr – Volume of Overburden to produce P MT Coal per day

After Exposure of Coal Face of Xc m I.e ( Xz- 2*W*N)m.

Volume of Overburden for advance of 1st Bench by A mtr - Vi - Ho *Xz *A

Volume of Overburden for advance of 2nd Bench by A mtr - Vii - Ho*( Xz-2W)*A

Volume of Overburden for advance of 3rd Bench by A mtr - Viii - Ho *(Xz-4W)*A

Volume of Overburden for advance of 4th Bench by A mtr - Viv - Ho*(Xz-6W)*A

Volume of Overburden for advance of 5th Bench by A mtr - Vv - Ho*( Xz-8W)*A

Volume of Overburden for advance of 6th Bench by A mtr - Vvi - Ho*(Xz-10W)*A

Volume of Overburden for advance of 7th Bench by A mtr - Vvii - Ho*(Xz-12W) *A

Vsr =

= {Ho*A*Xz*N- [2Ho*A*W*(1+2+3+4+.......N-1)]}

= {Ho*A*Xz*N- [2Ho*A*W*N*(N-1)/2]}

= Ho*A*N*[(Xz- W*(N-1)]

A- Rate of advance in North direction after exposure of Coal bed

A* (Xc/Cosα)*Tc*d = P

A = *(P*Cosα)/(Xc*Tc*d)+ mtr /day

Volume of Overburden for inclined seam for Xc m length and Y m Width of Coal seam:

Vi = Y *Y tan α*Xc/2

CASES STUDY OF INDIA LIGNITE MINE:

 Number of Lignite Seam- 3

 Average thickness of Lignite Seam- 5 m(Tc)
 Average Roof RL of Lignite Seam = -5 m
 Bench Height in Overburden = 5 m(Ho)
 Ultimate Bench width at Boundary = 4 m(W)
 Bench width in Development- 12 m(Y)
 Number of Bench below 34 RL ( Level )= 8(N)

Stripping Ratio & Volume of OB of the Mine Block @ 1000MT per day with
Different Length of Lignite face

SR-After Volume
Xz
Xc Vd A Vsr Vi Development Total Total SR
( Xx+NW)
( Vsr+Vi)/P (Vd+ Vsr)

100 260 480960 1.91 14521 2539 17.1 498020 498

150 310 588960 1.27 12228 3809 16.0 604997 605
200 360 696960 0.96 11082 5078 16.2 713120 713
250 410 804960 0.76 10394 6348 16.7 821702 822
300 460 912960 0.64 9935 7617 17.6 930513 931
590 750 1539360 0.32 8808 14981 23.8 1563149 1563
Vd=Ho*Y*N*(N+1)/6* [(3* Xz – 4*W*(N-1))],Vsr=Ho*A*N*[(Xz- W*(N-1)]
A=*(P*Cosα)/(Xc*Tc*d)+ m /day,
Ho-5 m, W-4 m, Y -12M, N-8,d-1.4,α-10 °,P-1000,Tc-5

Volume of Overburden to expose Coal seam (Vd) booked in Capital Budget and Volume of
Overburden as required to produce rated Production (Vsr) was proposed to be planned in
Yearly Operational Budget during feasibility steady.

SUMMARY: It is recommended that all feasibility study for Mining Business should be
done with normal process based on actual topography and exploration reports as standard
practices.

This paper will only facilitate Mining Engineer to get a preliminary idea on the volume of
Overburden as required for Development and Rated Production of Coal in initial stage of
Mining with minimum data of explorations.