Grade Control

Understanding grade distribution and optimizing mining selectivity through grade control is essential to achieving the mine plan. Geocardinal Engineering has the expertise to implement, monitor, analyze and react to grade control data. This expertise allows the results to be reconciled against planned production and actual plant data. Minimizing the difference between planned verses actual production will improve business performance.

Approach

When analyzing grade control methodology, Geocardinal Engineering considers: detailed geological controls on grade distribution, optimal sample spacing, sample collection, sample preparation and analysis, quality control, and optimizing costs and benefits.

When undertaking reconciliation studies, Geocardinal Engineering considers: resource models used for short and long-term mine planning, mining selectivity, dilution, losses and ore allocation records, stockpile records, plant feed records and production results.

Experience

Geocardinal Engineering employs a number of geologists and mining engineers with significant operational experience. In their previous roles as mine geologists at various international operations, their duties included grade control, optimizing the selective extraction of ore and routine reporting of the multiple components of reconciliation.

Our geologists and mining engineers possess a sound understanding of the full spectrum of mining operations, coupled with geological modelling, sample theory and their practical application.

Geocardinal Engineering has a large skill base in the use of advanced mining software packages, such as Datamine, GEMS, Vulcan and Surpac, Leapfrog and Minex, and has a good understanding of the estimation methods suited to grade control in many different styles of deposit and different commodities.

Services

  • On-site design, implementation and review of systems, protocols and processes
  • Differentiation of ore types for mining and processing
  • Reconciliation studies between resource models, grade control models and plant feed records
  • Optimization of stockpiling and blending strategy
  • Identification of problems and troubleshooting
  • On-site training related to data capture, analysis and reporting for regular production reviews