Empress Catherine II Saint Petersburg Mining University, Saint-Petersburg, Russia:

M. A. Marinin, Head of Department for Blasting, Candidate of Engineering Sciences
O. A. Marinina, Head of Department of Economics, Candidate of Economic Sciences, Marinina_OA@pers.spmi.ru

Academician Melnikov Research Institute for Comprehensive Exploitation of Mineral Resources—IPKON, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia:

R. A. Rakhmanov, Researcher, Candidate of Engineering Sciences

Rational management of drilling and blasting technology, and a reasonable choice of blasted rock fragmentation quality can reduce mining costs and increase efficiency of both mining and processing. The purpose of this study is to develop a methodical approach to optimizing the cost of overburden stripping depending on fragmentation of blasted rock mass. The paper proposes a methodology for estimation of unit costs of stripping and substantiates the principles of factor dependence of blasted rock fragmentation and mining costs. The methodology is tested on the basis of experimental data obtained from a series of blasts in a gold mine and verified by comparing the unit costs by aggregate account and direct economic calculations. The validity of the proposed methodological approach is proved by the enumeration of operating cost per productivity of equipment in stripping. The results of the research can be used in the prefeasibility study of mineral mining, or at the stage of reequipment planning. Optimization of fragmentation quality of blasted rock mass, which greatly influences efficiency of production processes, enables reducing cost of mining operations, and may become a key element in engineering decision-making on enhancement of performance of mining companies.

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