Management and engineering solutions to improve stripping equipment efficiency in Chernogorksy open pit mine

Abstract
Chernogosky open pit mine integrates truck-and-shovel system of mining with overburden rehandling to internal dump with a set of walking excavators for rehandling of overburden to mined-out area of the pit. It is possible to improve efficiency of stripping in the conditions of Chernogorsky OPM by reducing percentage of stripping with more expensive handling system. The relevant research and solutions to this effect are presented in this article. Comparative characterization of mining conditions and parameters of mining systems applied is given for open pit mines Chernogorsky, Turnui, Nazarovsky, Vostochno-Beisky and Izykh. The comparative analysis points at the need to account for difficulty of mining and process sites in comparison of equipment productivity. High concentration of mining machines, which is conditioned by narrow mining front and simultaneous operation of five faces, as well as blasting operation implemented every 1-2 days, are recognized as the main constraints of excavator capacity in mining with direct dumping in Chernogorsky open pit mine. The management and engineering solutions implemented in the mine and resulted in higher efficiency of draglines are described.