An economic analysis of ore dilution at the east limb stopes of Tarkwa Goldfields Limited
Loading...
Date
1990-03-29
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Hundred percent (100%) extraction at 0 percent dilution is an ideal mining efficiency. This is hardly achievable for reasons ranging from around stability problems to poor quality of mining practice.
The total effect of dilution cannot be easily estimated due to a number of uncontrollable factors. Quantification of the dilution levels, however, gives a fair indication of how much extra cost is incurred and how much revenue is lost for mining the extra tonnage of waste.
The study therefore aimed at quantifying and analysing the dilution levels from the East Limb stopes in terms of tonnage, percentage and costs incurred and revenues lost. This was done by using mainly classical statistics.
At the East Limb of Tarkwa Goldfields Limited dilution has been found to be 17.34% as against the 10% expected from the stopes and the trend appears to be worsening, 16.70% in 1983 and rising to 24.65% in 1989.
These indicated a revenue loss of over ¢46M and an increased cost of over ¢18M in 1989 for mining and milling the extra tonnage resulting from dilution above 10%. The cost would even 1e higher when the total mine costs are considered.
It is certainly impossible to totally eliminate dilution. However, it could be reduced and controlled within the “economic” limits of the mine operations
Description
A thesis submitted to the Board of Postgraduate Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the award of Postgraduate Diploma in Mining Engineering, 1990