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Blasting Technology for Extracting

Dipping and Variable Coal Seams
Summary

Dipping, thin and variable coal seams can be

blasted in bulk;

This allows better productivity, increased

reserve definition, better recovery, lower costs
and reduced environmental footprint;

Today’s blasting technology allows this to be

done better than ever before.

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Traditional Method
for blasting thin, variable, dipping seams

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Dipping and Variable Seams

Thin & Intermittent Splitting Faulted

Anti & Synclinal Anticlinal Dipping

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 Dipping and Variable Seams in Indonesia

Thin & Intermittent Splitting Faulted

Anticline & Syncline Anticline Dipping

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Challenges Extracting Dipping & Variable Seams
Using Traditional Method

3 – 8 Metres

Reduced Vertical Advance per Drill and Blast Cycle

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Challenges Extracting Dipping & Variable Seams
Using Traditional Method
Narrow Operating Bench
Variable Coal OH&S Risks Dozer Required to
Model – Low Rip Terraced
Coal Recovery Bench for Drill Access
& Dilution

Hard Toe in
Interburden
Short Benches Wedge
< 10 m

Variable & High

Powder Factors

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Challenges Extracting Dipping
& Variable Seams Using Traditional Method

Small Drills With Low Productivity Inefficient & Labour Intensive

Bulk Explosives Loading

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Challenges Extracting Dipping & Variable
Seams Using Traditional Method

Poor Coal Model Limited Coal Faces Reduced Excavator

Difficult for Short Exposed for Blending Strike Length
Range Planning

Low Broken Stocks

Slow Hauls on
Ramps and Bench
Hard Toe in
Short Benches Interburden
< 10 m Wedge

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Introducing Modern Through
Seam Blasting (TSB)

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 Solution – Modern Through Seam Blasting

Improved Coal Model

& Short Term
Planning

Increased
Strike
Length > 120 M

Increased
Broken Stocks Increased
With Reduced Vertical
Eliminate Dozer Advance
Surface Area Ripping Coal > 15-25 M

Vertical Advance Not Limited by Roof and Floor of Coal

Blast Size Increased Up to 600,000 BCMs
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 Solution – Modern Through Seam Blasting

Decked Explosive Decked Inert

Charge Stemming
in Waste in Coal
Overburden

Decked Explosive
Charge
in Waste
Interburden
15 M

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 Solution – Modern Through Seam Blasting
Coal
Fragmented
In Tensile
From
Lifting and
Settling
of Strata
but Intact

Hard Interburden
Bands Fragmented
to < 600 mm for
efficient loading

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Technology behind Modern TSB

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 Modelling – Stand Off from Coal

Coal (Green)

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Modelling –
initiation
direction
 Modelling Powder Factor and Mixing

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Orica Technology Services – Gamma Logging of
Blast Holes for Coal Model and Strata Location

mudstone

Coal Seam #3

shale

Gamma Density Logging Interpretation Loading Design

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 Orica Technology Services
– Design software (SHOTPlus®-i Pro)
Stemming
5.0 95.0

EEc600 1660.4kg

‘Charge to’
A 34.0 66.0 Horizons
Stemming
B
Intercepts 42.0 58.0
EEc641 412.2kg
48.0 52.0
C
Stemming
54.0 46.0
EEc661 446.6kg
60.0 40.0

Electronic Field
Load Sheets

Through Seam
Design Capabilities

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 It’s all about quality control in delivery...

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 Orica Technology Services –
Operational Loading Accuracy < 200mm

Six Sigma Loading Practices Field Digital Design Implementation

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 Electronic Detonators - Essential

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Benefits of Modern TSB

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Productivity with Conventional Method is low…

Blast Size < 25,000 bcm

Blasting Every Day = Frequent Delays
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 Through Seam gives higher productivity

Average Blast Size around 200,000 bcm

Blasting Every 3-4 days
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 Mining Rate Increases……

> 100% Increase in Mining Rate

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 Recovery, Resource, Reserves may improve....

• Minimum economic coal recovery

to 200mm
• Increase % of Resource Recovered
(can recover more than 100%)

• Reduce Strip Ratio

• Ability to selectively mine multiple seams

• Reclassify coal resources as

economic reserves

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 Environment & Community

• Minimise capital requirement and operating

costs for Coal Wash Plants

• Reduce water used for washing of coal;

• Reduced tailing dam footprint

• Less blast events – Neighbour

issues

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Example - Wahana

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Wahana Site Location

Wahana

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 Progress at Wahana to date
Since Feb 2010 :

• fired over 275 TSBs = 57 Mbcm

Waste Volume Blasted at Wahana

• Best month 3.85 Mbcm

• Average 200,000 bcm per TSB
• Increased blasted inventory by
140%
• Decreased (short hole) blasting
by 90%.
• NO COAL LOSS
• IMPROVED RECOVERY

TSB is Standard Practice for LCI at Wahana – 1st in Indonesia

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Went from this……
Difficult Working Conditions

Inefficient, hard to manage

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 and from this……

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 ……to this

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 …and this.

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 Thru Seam Results
Vertical Seams recoverable

Disturbed zone coal

Coal seam 100% recoverable

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 Wide, Flat
Shovels wellbenches for from
separated efficient operation
drills and eachofother;
Heavy Mobile Equipment

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 Improved Shovel Productivity…..
Traditional:
Disruption due to
blast, walk, blast
Excavator Productivity
BCM/ hr
2,000

6 Blasts
Dig rate: 1,726 m3/hr
174 hours
(Elapsed time for excavation)
Dig

Dig

Dig

Dig

Dig

Dig

Dig

Dig

Dig

Dig

Dig

Dig

Dig

Dig

Dig
Dig

Dig

Dig
Blast Blast Blast Blast Blast Blast Blast Blast Blast Blast Blast Blast
Walk Walk Walk Walk Walk Walk

300k BCM Excavation

Optimised Design, Load, Fire Sequence

Excavator Productivity
BCM/ hr
2,000 1 Blast
Dig rate: 1,949 m3/hr 154 hours
(Elapsed time for excavation)

300k BCM Excavation

Dig

Dig

Dig

Dig

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 Drilling Activity
Improved Drill Utilisation…..
Percentage of Time

100%

75%
64%
85%
50% Drilling

Tramming

25%
36%
15%
0%
Conventional Thru-Seam
From Time-in-Motion study at Pit-J

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 Drilling
(metres)
and reduced drill metres…..

1,000,000 869,595
800,000

600,000
391,210
400,000 -55%

200,000

0
Conventional
Current TSBTSB

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 Detonators
(units) and reduced detonators used…..

400,000 347,826
350,000
300,000
250,000
200,000
150,000
100,000 -83% 61,126
50,000
0
Conventional
Current TSB TSB

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 Bulk Explosives
(tonnes) and reduced explosives used…

9,000 8,160
8,000
7,000 -24% 6,240
6,000
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
1,000
0
Conventional
Current TSB
TSB

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 In Summary

• Modern Through Seam Blasting is a cost effective method to

extract dipping, thin and variable seams;

• Modern Through Seam Blasting is proven method suitable

for the most difficult operating environments;

• Modern Blasting Technology allows us to do Through Seam

Blasting better than ever before

• The benefits include better reserve definition, better

recovery, lower costs and reduced water / CO2

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 Thank You

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Acknowledgements

PT Leighton Contractors Indonesia for embracing technology

and working with Orica Mining Services to transform Wahana
Mine.

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 Thank You

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