Stope Reconciliation

About the Stope Reconciliation suite

The Stope Reconciliation suite allows users to reconcile their mined surveys and design shapes quickly and easily. The reconciliation analysis is done on a fine resolution (<1 m) which allows for insights on a scale not previously considered in the industry. The app considers a range of factors which can contribute to stope performance, for example, quantification of various aspects of design geometry, blasthole data, and geotechnical data. The analysis application gives users the ability to visualise and discover trends in their data, identifying the critical factors leading to stope overbreak and underbreak at their mine. The prediction add-on module provides insight into the expected mined geometry for understanding and optimising the stope performance. Predictions are made at a fine resolution (<1 m) allowing to build a predicted mined geometry and reconcile with the design shape and economic block model in order to determine the overbreak, underbreak, and economic performance.

Stope Reconciliation Video Library

See the suite in action and access training resources on mXvideos.

Details

Principal authors: Kyle Woodward, Benoît McFadyen, and Matthew Heinsen Egan

Development support: Initially developed under the Stope Reconciliation research project

Woodward, KR, McFadyen, B & Heinsen Egan, M 2021, Stope Reconciliation, version 1, computer software, Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Perth. https://mxrap.com/

Citations

Woodward, K, McFadyen, B & Tremblay, K 2024, ‘Integrating a new approach at the Westwood mine site for predicting the stope mined geometry’, in P Andrieux & D Cumming-Potvin (eds.), Deep Mining 2024: Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Deep and High Stress Mining, pp. 1335-1348. https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2465_88
McFadyen, B, Grenon, M, Woodward, K & Potvin, Y 2024, ‘Optimising stope design through economic and geotechnic assessments of predictions made at a meter scale resolution using the sites’ reconciled data’, International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, vol. 178. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrmms.2024.105778
McFadyen, B, Grenon, M, Woodward, K & Potvin, Y 2023, ‘Predicting open stope performance at an octree resolution using multivariate models’, Journal of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, vol. 123, no. 6, pp. 309–320. http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2411-9717/2770/2023
McFadyen, B, Grenon, M, Woodward, K & Potvin, Y 2023, ‘Assessing stope performance using georeferenced octrees and multivariate analysis’, Mining Technology,  vol. 132, no. 2, 132–2,152. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/25726668.2023.2205080
McFadyen, B, Woodward, KR & Potvin, Y 2021, ‘Open stope design; beyond the Stability Graph’, Underground Operators Conference 2021, AusIMM, Melbourne. https://www.ausimm.com/publications/conference-proceedings/underground-operators-conference-2021/open-stope-design-beyond-the-stability-graph/
McFadyen, B, Woodward, KR, Potvin, Y & Grenon, M 2020, ‘A new stope reconciliation approach’, in J Wesseloo (ed.), Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Underground Mining Technology, Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Perth, pp. 335-350. https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2035_17
Potvin, Y, Woodward, KR, McFadyen, B, Thin, I & Grant, D 2020, ‘Benchmarking of stope design and reconciliation practices’, in J Wesseloo (ed.), Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Underground Mining Technology, Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Perth, pp. 299-308. https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2035_14
Linzer, LM, Hildyard, MW, Spottiswoode, SM & Wesseloo, J 2020, ‘Do stopes contribute to the seismic source?’, The Journal of The Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, vol. 120, no. 1, pp. 81-90.
Woodward, K, McFadyen, B, Potvin, Y & Wesseloo, J 2019, ‘Probabilistic Stope Design’, MRIWA Project No. M489, Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Perth. https://www.mriwa.wa.gov.au/research-projects/project-portfolio/probabilistic-stope-design/
McFadyen, B, Grenon, M, Morissette, P & Woodward, K, 2019, ‘Preliminary assessment of primary stope performance for a seismically active mine’, 53rd U.S. Rock Mechanics/Geomechanics Symposium, American Rock Mechanics Association, Alexandria. https://admin.onepetro.org/ARMAUSRMS/proceedings-abstract/ARMA19/All-ARMA19/ARMA-2019-1679/125004
Potvin, Y, Grant, D, Mungur, G, Wesseloo, J & Kim, Y 2016, ‘Practical stope reconciliation in large-scale operations part 2, Olympic Dam, South Australia’, Seventh International Conference & Exhibition on Mass Mining (MassMin 2016), The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, Melbourne. https://www.ausimm.com/publications/conference-proceedings/seventh-international-conference–exhibition-on-mass-mining-massmin-2016/practical-stope-reconciliation-in-large-scale-operations-part-2-olympic-dam-south-australia/
Potvin, Y, Grant, D & Mungur, G 2015, ‘Towards a practical stope reconciliation process in large-scale bulk underground stoping operations, Olympic Dam, South Australia’, CIM Journal, vol. 6, no. 2, pp. 102-110.