Stochastic open pit optimization

Summary

Orebody geological uncertainty has a significant impact on the real value of a mining project. To reduce this uncertainty, Gosselin Mining offers a full suite of professional services such as data analysis, geological modeling, resource estimation, and mine design. Our team of professional engineers and geologists have decades of experience in the mining and mineral exploration industry.

We use a stochastic mine optimization approach for designing open pit mines based on geological uncertainty in association with stochastically simulated production scheduling. Our mine optimization platform helps clients make more informed decisions, reduce financial risk and increase operational efficiency. With our approach, clients can get a comprehensive picture of the potential value of their project while taking into account factors such as orebody geometry, grade variability, and production scheduling.

Thee COSMO Suite, a platform designed to aid in the dissemination of new stochastic mine planning optimization algorithms, techniques and models to the mining industry. COSMO Suite provides a graphical user interface to create advanced multi-mine and multi-process models for mineral value chains, create tailored optimization models and perform risk analyses on existing mine designs. This software is driven by COSMO Suite Library, a C++ application programming interface that compartmentalizes the process of modelling the mineral value chain, the optimization objectives and constraints, and the solvers, which allows for the rapid development, testing, benchmarking and deployment of new stochastic optimization models and algorithms. As a result, users can benefit from the accelerated knowledge transfer from an academic setting to industrial use.¹

Gosselin Mining provides clients with a comprehensive range of engineering and consulting services tailored to their individual needs.

Our challenges

During the project, several challenges were encountered while working on the simulated orebody models using sGems software in the generation phase. The team had to overcome technical difficulties and ensure the accuracy and reliability of the orebody models before proceeding further. However, once the simulated orebody models were validated, the process of importing them into the stochastic optimizer software and conducting stochastic mine scheduling became quite straightforward.

Significant effort was placed on guiding the stochastic optimizer to develop feasible life-of-mine production sequences. This involved careful analysis of the simulated orebody models' risk profiles and thorough visualization of mine scheduling. By doing so, the team was able to gain a deeper understanding of how geological risk is considered and accounted for in the mining process.

Through this comprehensive analysis and visualization, the project team could identify potential bottlenecks, optimize production sequences, and proactively address any geological risks that could impact the mine's overall efficiency and profitability. This approach allowed for better decision-making and strategic planning, ensuring that the most effective and efficient mining operations were implemented.

Overall, the successful integration of the simulated orebody models, stochastic optimizer software, and thorough risk analysis greatly enhanced the project's outcomes. It provided valuable insights into the complex geological factors that influence mining operations and enabled the team to make informed decisions for the mine's long-term success.

Our solutions

Integrating geological uncertainty into life-of-mine pit optimization has proven to be highly beneficial in the mining industry. By incorporating this uncertainty into the planning process, mine operators are able to achieve higher values in the mine schedule production planning. This means that they can optimize the extraction process to maximize profits and overall productivity.

Additionally, considering geological uncertainty also helps to mitigate the risks associated with mining operations. By taking into account the various uncertainties and potential variations in the geological conditions, mine operators can develop strategies to minimize the impact of any unforeseen challenges. This ultimately leads to a reduction in geological risk over the life-of-mine, safeguarding the financial stability and longevity of the operation.

The effectiveness of integrating geological uncertainty into life-of-mine pit optimization has been demonstrated in a pre-study. This study compared the results of using a stochastic optimization approach with the traditional conventional scheduling methods. The findings confirmed that the stochastic optimization approach yielded a higher value life-of-mine plan.

Overall, the integration of geological uncertainty into life-of-mine pit optimization offers significant advantages for mining operations. It allows for better production planning, improved financial outcomes, reduced geological risk, and ultimately, a more sustainable and efficient mining operation. The results of the pre-study provide concrete evidence of the benefits and serve as a basis for adopting this approach in future mining projects.

Project highlights

• Successfully completed Stochastic Mine Planning project within the deadline
• Expertly executed Open Pit Mine Engineering
• Utilized advanced Mining Softwares for efficient project management

For more details on this project, please visit the Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems (Vinnova) project database under the name. Stochasctic Mine Design.

References

1. GERAd (Onine) A platform for optimizing mining complexes with uncertainty. Available at: https://www.gerad.ca/fr/papers/G-2016-96 (Accessed on 18 July 2025)