Uncertainty-based mine production scheduling for ore grade control using conditional simulation and multiobjective genetic algorithms

Mining Engineering , 2013, Vol. 65, No. 4, pp. 66-76

Samanta, B.; Vaibhav Raj, K.; Battacherjee, A.; Chakravarty, D.

This paper highlights the use of an innovative mine production scheduling scheme for grade-control planning tasks that take into consideration grade-model uncertainty. The scheduling exercise has been carried out with the help of a multiobjective genetic algorithm (MOGA) for the production scheduling operations. The underlying motive behind the use of MOGA has been the generation of a set of Pareto optimal solutions to meet the goals of the target-grade specifications for the considered multiple grade attributes. Several new concepts related to MOGA formulation, in particular the mutation operation and the convergence criteria of this algorithm, are proposed in this paper. The modeling of grade uncertainty into the scheduling outputs has also been incorporated through a set of conditional simulated grade maps. The proposed scheme of production scheduling operations has been applied for the grade-control planning operations in an iron ore mine to meet the targeted grade specifications of iron, silica and alumina, and a risk analysis has been performed to this end.