A NEW blasting method uncovered by Orica’s Dr Geoff Brent and his research team has been recognised by the Coalition of Eco-Efficient Comminution (CEEC) as a leading innovation to improve mine site productivity.

The research report, titled Ultra-High Intensity Blasting – A New Paradigm in Mining details a novel method of ultra-high intensity blasting to improve efficiency, earning Orica the 2014 CEEC Medal.

Congratulating the research team, Orica managing director Ian Smith said using chemical energy in explosives to improve ore fragmentation and improve mine processing efficiency is a priority for the global resources sector.

“The use of electricity to mill ore is usually the largest consumer of energy on a mine site and ore comminution constitutes a significant percentage of electricity consumed worldwide,” said Mr Smith, who is also president of AREEA.

“Independent modelling has indicated that increasing the explosive energy by several fold can lead to increases in mill circuit throughput of up to 40% and savings of tens of millions of dollars annually.

“This research is a demonstration of Orica’s commitment to the development of resourceful solutions through innovation to improve mine productivity.”

Dr Brent, who led the research, said the new blasting technique significantly reduced energy demands and emissions during the crushing and milling processes in downstream comminution.

“To date it has not been possible to blast at these ultra-high explosive energies, or powder factors, due to safety and environmental constraints,” Dr Brent said.

“However, the new technique demonstrated for the first time that not only can these ultra-high energies be safely utilised but they can also deliver improved mine productivity and reduce environmental impacts in open pit mines.

“The potential environmental benefits are also enormous. The technique has the potential to cut CO2 emissions associated with grinding by up to 30%”.

Additionally, Dr Brent pointed to significant returns in operational costs associated with traditional blasting measures.

“This breakthrough approach is particularly important given the worldwide trend of decreasing ore grades – more ore needs to be ground and processed in order to achieve production targets and this method has the potential to generate a step change in mine productivity, particularly in complex or lower grade ore bodies,” he said.

“It can render ore bodies that might ordinarily be uneconomic both affordable and practical to extract.”

The CEEC Medal, which celebrates the contribution of research and field work on beneficial strategies for eco-efficient comminution, will be awarded to Dr Brent and Orica’s research team at the International Mining and Resources Conference, taking place in Melbourne this September.

AREEA extends its congratulations to Orica and the research team for their accomplishments.