Mining method for steeply dipping ore bodies

• US 20030173819A1
• Filed: 12/04/2002
• Published: 09/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Her Majesty The Queen In Right of Canada As Represented By The Minister of National Defence
• Original Assignee: Placer Dome Technical Services Limited
• Inventors: Robinson, Allen Clifford, Drew Anwyll, Edward William, Christopher Delabbio, Fredric, Prunianu, Paul Radu, Jackson, Simon Mark, Jackson, Eric, Dimock, Timothy B., Young, Donald Duncan, Hames, Marilyn Patricia Ann
• Granted Patent: US 6,857,706 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 299/19
• CPC Class Codes: E21C 25/16 Machines slitting solely by one or more rotating saws, cutting discs, or wheels
• CPC Class Codes: E21C 35/24 Remote control specially adapted for machines for slitting or completely freeing the mineral control in general G05
• CPC Class Codes: E21C 41/16 Methods of underground mining winning machines therefor E21C25/00 - E21C39/00; Layouts therefor

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a mining method for steeply dipping orebodies. In the method, an excavator 152 is tethered to a deployment system 120 by one or more cables/umbilicals 144. The excavator 152 excavates slices 172a-h of the orebody 100 by moving generally up-dip, down-dip or a combination thereof. The excavator can be automated.

Claims

1. A method for mining a valuable material in a steeply dipping deposit, including:

(a) providing a deposit of a material to be excavated, the deposit having a dip of at least about 35° and

a plurality of intersecting excavations, the plurality of intersecting excavations including at least first and second spaced apart excavations extending at least substantially in a direction of a strike of the deposit and at least a third excavation intersecting the first and second excavations and extending at least substantially in a direction of the dip of the deposit, the first, second, and third excavations defining a block of the deposit;

(b) removing a first segment of the block, the first segment extending at least substantially the length of a side of the block and being adjacent to and accessible by the third excavation; and

(c) thereafter removing a second segment of the block, the second segment extending at least substantially the length of the side of the block and being adjacent to the first segment before the removing step (b).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second segments are removed by an automated excavator.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second segments are removed by a continuous excavator.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second segments are removed by an excavator while the excavator is movably suspended in the third excavation.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first excavation is located at a shallower depth than the second excavation and wherein removing step (b) comprises:

positioning an excavator at a first location near the first excavation;

moving the excavator progressively downwards while the excavator removes progressively the first segment;

when the excavator reaches a second location near the second excavation, repositioning the excavator at or near the first location; and

moving the excavator progressively downwards while the excavator removes progressively the second segment.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the excavated material moves under the force of gravity to a drawpoint located at or near the second excavation.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein, after the excavator reaches the second location, the method includes repositioning a mobile winch operationally engaged with the excavator by at least one flexible support member.

8. A mine for removing a valuable deposit, including:

(a) a deposit of the material that has a dip of at least about 35°

;

(b) a plurality of intersecting excavations, the plurality of intersecting excavations including at least first and second spaced apart excavations, at least portions of which extend at least substantially in a direction of a strike of the deposit, and at least a third excavation, which intersects the first and second excavations and at least a portion of which extends at least substantially in a direction of the dip of the deposit; and

(c) a mining system including an excavator at least partially suspended in the third excavation by an elongated support member, wherein the support member raises or lowers the excavator in the third excavation to progressively remove successive segments of the deposit.

9. The mine of claim 8, wherein the mining system includes a mobile winch engaged with the elongated support member to raise or lower the excavator and wherein the flexible support member comprises at least one of a cable, a signal conductor, an electrical conductor, a conduit for transporting water, and a conduit for transporting hydraulic fluid.

10. The mine of claim 8, wherein the first excavation is located above the second excavation and further including:

a collection system, located above the second excavation, that collects the excavated material; and

an excavated material handling system that transports the excavated material to a desired location for further processing.

11. A method for mining a valuable deposit, including:

(a) providing (i) a deposit of material to be excavated wherein the deposit has a dip of at least about 25° and

(ii) an excavation, at least a portion of which extends through the deposit at least substantially in a direction of the dip;

(b) at least partially suspending an excavation device in the excavation; and

(c) while the excavation device is at least partially suspended in the excavation, removing, with the excavation device, a first portion of the deposit.

12. The method of claim 11, further including:

(d) raising the excavation device to a shallower depth in the excavation; and

(e) removing a second portion of the valuable deposit from the shallower depth.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the excavation device is suspended in the excavation during removing steps (c) and (e) and raising step (d).

14. The method of claim 12, wherein, when the excavation device is raised to a predetermined location, the excavation device is again lowered to a lower portion of the deposit for a next pass along a face of the deposit.

15. A method for excavating a material, including:

(a) providing a first excavation, at least a portion of which has a bearing generally in the direction of a dip of a deposit, the first excavation passing through a deposit containing a material to be excavated, wherein the deposit has a dip of at least about 25°

;

(b) in a first pass, moving an excavator in the first excavation along a first exposed portion of the deposit exposed by the first excavation to remove a first portion of the material; and

(c) in a second, later, pass, moving the excavator in the first excavation along a second exposed portion to remove a second portion of the material.

16. The method of claim 15, further including:

(d) at the end of the first pass, moving a mobile positioning device engaged with the excavator to reposition the excavator for the second pass; and

(e) raising the excavator to a starting position on the second exposed portion to begin the second pass.

17. The method of claim 15, further including:

(d) collecting excavated material at a position below the face; and

(e) transporting the collected excavated material to a location for processing.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the excavator is at least one of one or more disc cutters, water jets, impact hammers, impact rippers, and pick cutters, a blasting system, and an electrical pulse discharge system and combinations thereof.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the first excavation is a shaft and wherein the excavator is suspended in the shaft by an elongated flexible member and is connected to a power source by an umbilical line.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the excavator includes a remote sensing system that detects the presence of material in the deposit and a navigation system that determines a position of the excavator.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the remote sensing system is at least one of a sound monitor, a vibration monitor, a directional natural gamma detector, a camera, on-board geophysics, electrical discharge analyzer, chemical sensor, and seismo-electric sensor.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the umbilical line comprises at least one of a conduit to supply water for cooling and flushing rock cuttings, hydraulics for maneuvering the excavator, signal conductors for conveying control signals from a remote operator to the excavator, and electrical conductors for supplying power to the excavator.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the excavator includes a winch to raise and lower itself in the shaft.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein the excavator includes at least one of hydraulic rams, pneumatic rams, rotational mounts and extendable arms, and tracks for multi-dimensional movement in the shaft.

25. An excavator, including:

a body;

a boom rotatably mounted on the body, the boom rotating in a first plane; and

a cutting module rotatably mounted on the boom, the cutting module rotating in a second plane, wherein the first plane is at least substantially orthogonal to the second plane.

26. The excavator of claim 25, wherein the body includes a forward section having at least one leg and a rear section movably mounted on the at least one leg.

27. The excavator of claim 26, wherein the forward section has at least first and second legs and the body includes at least first and second rear sections movably mounted on the first and second legs, respectively, and wherein the first and second legs are spaced apart from one another.

28. The excavator of claim 27, wherein the first and second sections can be displaced differing distances along the forward section.

29. The excavator of claim 27, wherein the body comprises at least first and second arms projecting rearwardly and upper and lower plates and wherein the first and second arms are each hydraulically extendible and retractable and pivotably mounted on the upper and lower plates.

30. The excavator of claim 29, wherein the first and second arms rotate in a third plane and the third plane is at least substantially parallel to the first plane.