Management and engineering solutions to improve processing stock quality and reduce resource-intensity of mining

Abstract

Sustainability of mining companies is of of high concern. The problem is specifically acute at companies that are monotownor monosettlement-forming. Sustainability of a mine depends in many ways on product quality and production resource-intensity. This article discusses formation of mineral quality indexes in terms of an open pit chrysotile mine. The studies took into account specific features of operation procedures implemented by each structural division of the mine. The analysis has found managerial and technological inconsistencies which affect quality and marketable product output, as well as efficiency of the mine in whole. The background for efficiency enhancement at a company is, by the authors’ opinion, consolidation of personnel subject to the single development strategy, namely: improvement of production and control efficiency, as well as use of available reserves and resources by means of better setup for production. The proposed approaches to planning mining operations and forming mineral quality allow higher quality of processing stock. In addition, a new model proposed for interaction between structural divisions of a mining company ensures improvement of general production indexes.