Year of Award

2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Type

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Degree Name

Individualized Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program

Department or School/College

Interdisciplinary Studies Program

Committee Chair

Johnathan Bardsley

Committee Co-chair

Thomas Camm

Commitee Members

H. Pete Knudsen, Glen Southergill

Keywords

Cut-off Grade Selection, Data Visualization, Geological Uncertainty, Hill of Value, Mine Planning

Publisher

University of Montana

Abstract

This dissertation summarizes a multifaceted model for embracing uncertainty within the modern mine planning process. This model – Seeing, Thinking, Doing – aims to introduce technical staff within the mining industry to modern visualization and quantification tools that can aid with understanding and communicating the impact of uncertainty on the optimization of their mine plans.

The dissertation follows the “three-paper” format with the first paper, Modern Visualization to Aid in Communication of Mine Planning Uncertainty, presenting the first aspect of the multifaceted model – seeing. With complex, spatial data, such as the geologic estimate of a mineral deposit, the uncertainty within that estimate must be visualized in order to be understood. This paper presents several modern visualization techniques that can aid in quantifying and communicating the effects of uncertainty.

The second paper, Visualizing and Quantifying Uncertainty in Cut-off Grade Selection, leverages the visualization techniques presented in Paper 1 and provides the mining engineer with tools to perform the second step in the model – thinking. In this stage of the mining company’s evolution to embracing uncertainty, they can understand the impacts of the geologic uncertainty on the results of traditional, deterministic planning.

The final stage in this multifaceted model to embrace uncertainty in mine planning is doing. At this stage, a mining engineer or company will adapt their traditional mine planning practices to fully embrace the uncertainty in decision making processes. The third paper in this dissertation, Embracing Uncertainty in Cut-off Grade Selection, demonstrates how traditional deterministic approaches can be adapted to incorporate geological uncertainty and enable appropriate decision-making practices.

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© Copyright 2024 Christopher James Roos