How to Combine Smaller Sub-Pits into a Single Main Pit with Minex

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Mining Engineers often need to design pits and dumps in different sizes and shapes. Some of these pits can be complex. For example, a pit may have an area with strips going in one direction while the remainder of the pit has strips in another direction. There is confusion as to whether or not it is possible to design these types of pits using GEOVIA Minex, and the answer is yes.

The above images shows two pits designed using Minex. The first pit has strip numbers increasing south to north, whereas the smaller pit towards the south east has strip numbers increasing from east to west. The mining directions intended here are also different in the two areas.

The image, below, shows 3 sub-pits designed in Minex. The orientation of the centre sub pit is slightly different. It is intended to mine this centre strip first. It is often a requirement to have a box cut at a place other than the first strip. 

Using Minex, Mining can export the reserves of the sub pits into a binary file and then import them back to a main pit. Just follow these steps:

Step 1: Export Sub-Pits

To export the sub pits, select OP ReserveDB > Export > Export Reserves Pits/Dumps and fill in the menu.

Note: Check the pits that you want to export. The file name provided will be created with an extension .rbin. This feature is also good to keep a backup of your reserves.

Step 2: Import Sub-Pits to the Main Pit

To import the sub-pits to the main pit, use the menu OP ReservesDB > Build > Import Reserves Pits/Dumps.

 

Note: Select the .rbin file where you had exported the reserves and fill the menu as below. If you prefer, you can import the sub pits one by one (check one and uncheck the others). It is a requirement to have the output pit numbers as unique – click YES when promoted to proceed.

Step 3: Repeat the Import for any additional Sub-Pits

The Pit will now be a reserves pit on which you can complete further reserves operations, or use it in scheduling.

While dealing with these type adjacent pits, care must be taken to design the common batter. If you need further assistance with designing the batter of such cases please contact GEOVIA support.

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Ranajit Das

Ranajit Das

Senior Mining Industry Process Consultant, GEOVIA at Dassault Systèmes
Ranajit is a qualified Mining Engineer with over 22 years of experience in mine planning, consulting, operations, logistics, exploration and feasibility studies. Ranajit has previously worked for the Steel Authority of India, Santa Fe Mining in Chile and JSW Steel in India. He specializes in GEOVIA Minex and Surpac.