The aim of our 30 Seconds of Info is to give you important technical tips that are quick and easy to read. Great references for while you work. We will post a new 30 Seconds of Info each week.
The authors are:
Ian Glacken – Executive Consultant – Geology Advisory
BSc (Hons) (Geology), MSc(Mining Geology), DIC, MSc(Geostatistics), Grad Dip Computing, FAusIMM(CP), FAIG, MIMMM, CEng
Rayleen Hargreaves – Principal Consultant – Reconcilor Product Owner
Geology, MAusIMM, Chartered Professional (Geology)
30 SECONDS of RECONCILIATION INFO
STOCKPILE VOLUMES: Remember that if you have a large stockpile, and particularly one which has a second layer on it, that you will need to increase the loose rock bulk density as compression will have occurred from trucks driving up on the broken rock. You may need to increase the loose rock bulk density by as much as 30%. It may pay to do a volume survey of a discrete area and compare this with the accurate tonnage removal (as measured off the primary crusher weightometer) to calibrate the bulk density. Author: Ian Glacken
RECONCILING ORE ONLY: Don’t get into the habit of excluding the waste material from your reconciliation process. It is important to be able to monitor the impact of reassigning ore to waste dumps and waste to ore stockpiles/crusher and understand what has instigated the change in material classification. Was it a decision based on the visible geology or was it a haulage error or misclassification? Does it have a flow on effect into your future mining (models/mine plans)? Being able to account for change of material type classification will explain variances between models, mine plans and material movements. Author: Rayleen Hargreaves
ACCOUNTING FOR DEVELOPMENT VOLUMES UNDERGROUND: Unless development is strictly on lines and the ore is either much wider or much narrower than the development face, the drives may meander and stripping cuts may need to be taken to straighten up the profiles. Don’t forget to account for any ore stripping in the end of month development volumes. Author: Ian Glacken
MINE PLAN COMPLIANCE AS AN EXTENSION OF RECONCILIATION: Are you following the mine plan? We don’t build a house without following the plan; so we also shouldn’t be mining without following the plan. Along with your model reconciliation, you should be aware of how well you are mining to plan. And not just the weekly or monthly plans, but how well you are mining compared to the annual Budget plan. Are you seeing month on month trends in your mining compared to the plan? Identifying trends or anomalies in your data early on can save a lot of heartache down the track BUT it also gives you and the financial stakeholders in your mine CONFIDENCE in the ability to mine the resource as planned. Author: Rayleen Hargreaves
GRAB SAMPLES FROM ORE PASSES: Deriving grades from underground ore passes, especially in precious metal mines, is a hit-and-miss activity at best, and may give a woefully biased sample at worst. However, if you must sample ore passes (and it’s not recommended), lots of small samples (5-10 kg) taken over a few days, rather than one larger (20-30 kg) sample per shift. Author: Ian Glacken
NOMENCLATURE or NAMING CONVENTIONS: Where do we start? Make sure that the naming conventions used in the model/s are the same as those used in the mine plans and again in the dispatch material movements. Use a naming location hierarchy that suits your mine and that allows easy roll up to compare 100% mined areas. Material types – use the same ones and the same cut-offs across all data. Stockpiles – have a standard naming convention in place. Only then will the opportunity to perform meaningful reconciliation become easier. Author: Rayleen Hargreaves
Watch this space – a new 30 Seconds of Reconciliation Info will be posted each week!
Want to learn more about Reconciliation?
We have two courses that might interest you and your team. These courses are available as public courses and also as Inhouse/Onsite or Online training for your team. Contact for more details.
1-day Reconciliation course – getting it right the first time. Presenter: Ian Glacken
Please use this link to view the course content: https://snowdenoptiro.com/events/reconciliation-getting-it-right-the-first-time/
3-day Mine to Mill – grade control and reconciliation. Presenter: Frank Blanchfield
Please use this link to view the course content: https://snowdenoptiro.com/events/mine_to_mill-grade_control-reconciliation_course/
Please let Diana Ross, our Training and Marketing Manager, know if there is a topic that you would like us to cover in these 30 Seconds of Info:
Some background information about the Authors:
Ian Glacken – Executive Consultant – Geology Advisory
Ian is a geologist with postgraduate qualifications in geostatistics, mining geology and computing who has more than 35 years’ worldwide experience in the mining industry. Ian’s skills are in resource evaluation and due diligence reviews, public reporting, training and mentoring, quantitative risk assessment, strategic advice, geostatistics, reconciliation, project management, statutory and competent persons’ reporting and mining geology studies. Ian has a strong mining production background and is a regular auditor for the world’s largest mining companies.
Ian is an Executive Consultant in our Geology Advisory services team. The internationally recognised team offers their expertise, skills and knowledge over the entire mining cycle. Their focus is on maximising the value of the geology function and mineral resources to your company through industry-leading estimates, independent audit and review, clear, unbiased reporting and superior geological services throughout the exploration and mining sequence. Please use this link for more information https://snowdenoptiro.com/services/geology/ or contact Ian: i
Rayleen Hargreaves – Principal Consultant and Product Owner of Reconcilor
Rayleen is passionate about improving reconciliation across the mine value chain. Communicating with mine sites globally and across commodities provides her with a solid benchmark for a company within the industry, and her aim is to open up these insights to everyone. It’s a career goal to see all mine sites using reconciliation factors in their results to the share market, so that anyone can see how a mine site benchmarks against another. As a mining geologist with more than 25 years of experience in the resource industry, Rayleen is the Product Manager of Reconcilor, an industry-leading solution to track, manage and reconcile metals across the mine value chain – and a tool that has saved customers hundreds of hours in End of Month reporting, and millions to their bottom line in proactive planning. Reconcilor is a powerful software that offers your operation the transparency it needs to track metal movement from start to finish and to mine with confidence. It automatically consolidates and validates your data as well as offering spreadsheet free analysis. Regular data imports allow early detection of data issues well before end-of-month. Reconcilor takes the hard work out of reconciliation. If you would like to know more, please use this link or contact Rayleen Hargreaves, the Reconcilor Product Owner:
