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A heuristic approach to stochastic cutoff grade optimization for open pit mining complexes with multiple processing streams

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  • Asad, Mohammad Waqar Ali
  • Dimitrakopoulos, Roussos

Abstract

Cutoff grade specifies the available supply of metallic ore from an open pit mine to the multiple processing streams of an open pit mining complex. An optimal cutoff grade strategy maximizes the net present value (NPV) of an open pit mining operation subject to the mining, processing, and marketing/refining capacity constraints. Even though, the quantities of material flowing from the mine to the market are influenced by the expected variation in the available metal content or inherent uncertainty in the supply of ore, the majority of cutoff grade optimization models not only disregard this aspect and may lead to unrealistic cash flows, but also they are limited in application to an open pit mining operation with single processing facility. The model proposed herein determines the optimal cutoff grade policy based on a stochastic framework that accounts for uncertainty in supply of ore to the multiple ore processing streams. An application on a large-scale open pit mining operation develops a unique cutoff grade policy along with a portfolio of mining, processing, and marketing/refining rates. Owing to the geological uncertainty, the approach addresses risk by showing a difference of 14% between the minimum and maximum production rates, cash flows and NPV.

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  • Asad, Mohammad Waqar Ali & Dimitrakopoulos, Roussos, 2013. "A heuristic approach to stochastic cutoff grade optimization for open pit mining complexes with multiple processing streams," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 38(4), pages 591-597.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jrpoli:v:38:y:2013:i:4:p:591-597
    DOI: 10.1016/j.resourpol.2013.09.008
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    1. Osanloo, M. & Rashidinejad, F. & Rezai, B., 2008. "Incorporating environmental issues into optimum cut-off grades modeling at porphyry copper deposits," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 222-229, December.
    2. Dimitrakopoulos, Roussos G. & Abdel Sabour, Sabry A., 2007. "Evaluating mine plans under uncertainty: Can the real options make a difference?," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 32(3), pages 116-125, September.
    3. Waqar Ali Asad, Mohammad & Dimitrakopoulos, Roussos, 2012. "Optimal production scale of open pit mining operations with uncertain metal supply and long-term stockpiles," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 37(1), pages 81-89.
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    1. Biswas, Pritam & Sinha, Rabindra Kumar & Sen, Phalguni, 2023. "A review of state-of-the-art techniques for the determination of the optimum cut-off grade of a metalliferous deposit with a bibliometric mapping in a surface mine planning context," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    2. Khan, Asif & Asad, Mohammad Waqar Ali, 2021. "A mixed integer programming based cut-off grade model for open-pit mining of complex poly-metallic resources," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    3. Paithankar, Amol & Chatterjee, Snehamoy & Goodfellow, Ryan & Asad, Mohammad Waqar Ali, 2020. "Simultaneous stochastic optimization of production sequence and dynamic cut-off grades in an open pit mining operation," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    4. Lin, Jingsi & Asad, Mohammad Waqar Ali & Topal, Erkan & Chang, Ping & Huang, Jinxin & Lin, Wei, 2024. "A novel model for sustainable production scheduling of an open-pit mining complex considering waste encapsulation," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    5. Zhang, Hong & Nguyen, Hoang & Bui, Xuan-Nam & Nguyen-Thoi, Trung & Bui, Thu-Thuy & Nguyen, Nga & Vu, Diep-Anh & Mahesh, Vinyas & Moayedi, Hossein, 2020. "Developing a novel artificial intelligence model to estimate the capital cost of mining projects using deep neural network-based ant colony optimization algorithm," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).
    6. Del Castillo, Maria Fernanda & Dimitrakopoulos, Roussos, 2016. "A multivariate destination policy for geometallurgical variables in mineral value chains using coalition-formation clustering," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 322-332.
    7. Asad, Mohammad Waqar Ali & Qureshi, Muhammad Asim & Jang, Hyongdoo, 2016. "A review of cut-off grade policy models for open pit mining operations," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 49(C), pages 142-152.
    8. Jyrki Savolainen & Ramin Rakhsha & Richard Durham, 2022. "Simulation-based decision-making system for optimal mine production plan selection," Mineral Economics, Springer;Raw Materials Group (RMG);Luleå University of Technology, vol. 35(2), pages 267-281, June.
    9. Rahimi, Esmaeil & Ghasemzadeh, Hasan, 2015. "A new algorithm to determine optimum cut-off grades considering technical, economical, environmental and social aspects," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 46(P1), pages 51-63.
    10. Paithankar, Amol & Chatterjee, Snehamoy & Goodfellow, Ryan, 2021. "Open-pit mining complex optimization under uncertainty with integrated cut-off grade based destination policies," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 70(C).
    11. Zhang, Jian & Dimitrakopoulos, Roussos G., 2017. "A dynamic-material-value-based decomposition method for optimizing a mineral value chain with uncertainty," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 258(2), pages 617-625.
    12. Armstrong, Margaret & Lagos, Tomas & Emery, Xavier & Homem-de-Mello, Tito & Lagos, Guido & Sauré, Denis, 2021. "Adaptive open-pit mining planning under geological uncertainty," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    13. Rahimi, Esmaeil & Akbari, Afshin, 2016. "Application of KKT in determining the final destination of mined material in multi-processing mines," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 10-18.
    14. Ahmadi, Mohammad Reza & Bazzazi, Abbas Aghajani, 2019. "Cutoff grades optimization in open pit mines using meta-heuristic algorithms," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 72-82.
    15. Ahmadi, Mohammad Reza & Shahabi, Reza Shakoor, 2018. "Cutoff grade optimization in open pit mines using genetic algorithm," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 184-191.
    16. Khan, Asif & Asad, Mohammad Waqar Ali, 2019. "A method for optimal cut-off grade policy in open pit mining operations under uncertain supply," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 178-184.
    17. Barry King & Alexandra Newman, 2018. "Optimizing the Cutoff Grade for an Operational Underground Mine," Interfaces, INFORMS, vol. 48(4), pages 357-371, August.
    18. Mai, Ngoc Luan & Topal, Erkan & Erten, Oktay & Sommerville, Bruce, 2019. "A new risk-based optimisation method for the iron ore production scheduling using stochastic integer programming," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 571-579.
    19. Biswas, Pritam & Sinha, Rabindra Kumar & Sen, Phalguni & Rajpurohit, Sohan Singh, 2020. "Determination of optimum cut-off grade of an open-pit metalliferous deposit under various limiting conditions using a linearly advancing algorithm derived from dynamic programming," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 66(C).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Stochastic optimization; Cutoff grade; Heuristic algorithms; Open pit mine planning;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics

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