Sylacauga carbonate open pit – pit optimisation & mine planning

Client & context

If you are responsible for a carbonate open pit like Sylacauga, you typically deal with:

• A deposit that can produce different products or qualities depending on chemistry and physical properties.
• Existing pit designs and production plans that may not fully reflect multi-element value or quality constraints.
• Customers and downstream plants that require consistent feed quality over time.

At this stage, you want a new pit optimisation and mine plan that respect both the geology and the actual needs of your processing plant and markets.

Challenge

On a multi-product carbonate open pit, the challenge is not only how much rock you can move, but which rock you move and when. Key questions include:

• How do you build a pit optimisation model that accounts for multi-element properties and different product values?
• How do you design phases and pushbacks that are practical to mine with your existing or planned fleet?
• How do you sequence the pit so that the plant receives the right quality and tonnage over the full mine life?
• How do you verify that the resulting plan is technically feasible and robust enough for internal decision-making or due diligence?

In practice, you need mine engineering support that links optimisation results, pit design and production sequencing into one clear story.

Approach

The Sylacauga optimisation work was structured to give you an integrated view of open pit value, geometry and schedule.

Multi-element data and value model

You start by translating geological and quality information into a value model that reflects the different products and their specifications. This includes:

• Using multi-element or multi-property data to distinguish between different product domains.
• Assigning appropriate values or recoveries to each product or quality class.
• Preparing the block model in a format that optimisation software can use effectively.

This step ensures that the optimisation is driven by both tonnes and the quality/value of the carbonate material.

Open pit optimisation and phase design

Mining software is then used to run a new pit optimisation that respects the updated value model and practical constraints. The focus is on:

• Generating pit shells that balance value, strip ratio and operational limits.
• Defining pushbacks and phases that can be mined safely and efficiently.
• Checking that the resulting pit shapes align with haulage routes, waste placement and other infrastructure.

The outcome is a set of pit designs that are both economically attractive and technically realistic.

Mine planning, sequencing & due diligence support

From the redesigned pits, a production sequence is developed to:

• Show period-by-period ore and waste movements.
• Manage feed quality and tonnage to the plant over time.
• Highlight any bottlenecks or high-stripping periods that need attention.

These results can then be used for internal decision-making and, where needed, for independent due diligence reviews. The work is documented in a way that makes it easier for technical and financial teams to follow the assumptions and verify the feasibility of the plan.

Results & value

From this kind of optimisation work on the Sylacauga carbonate open pit, you gain:

• A new open pit optimisation that reflects multi-element properties and product value, rather than a single generic scenario.
• Updated pit designs and phases that are compatible with your mining methods and fleet.
• A production sequence that supports consistent plant feed and better use of equipment and infrastructure.
• Technical solutions that stand up to internal review and external due diligence.

For the client, the project was delivered within the agreed timeframe and to their satisfaction, providing a stronger basis for planning and decision-making at the Sylacauga carbonate open pit.