Handbook

Mine planning serves as a cornerstone in the education of Mining Engineers. Due to the multi-disciplinary nature of the mining industry, mine planning merges the technical aspects of mining engineering, mathematical techniques, and the economic, financial, and market aspects of the mining business to provide a comprehensive understanding of the techniques, variables, and risks associated with the evaluation process mining projects that determine its bankable feasibility, from construction to be production.

MINE3230 integrates fundamental principles of mining engineering, encompassing geology, mining systems, design, optimisation, mineral processing, and financial evaluation, to foster the skills required for developing sustainable, feasible and safe mine plans. This course examines a comprehensive array of topics, including:

• Mining Systems and Mine Design
• Optimisation Techniques
• Mine Scheduling
• Mineral Economics
• Economic Evaluation
• Financial and risk assessment

MINE3230 provides the knowledge and practice needed for students to design, optimise and evaluate mining assets and operations to develop mine planning activities, including 

• Assessing and determining the more suitable extraction and processing strategy from an economical and technical point of view
• Assessing different mitigation and optimisation strategies
• Maximising value added at all management levels and planning horizons
• Managing and optimising all resources, both geological and materials, and the associated risks of mining
• Supporting decisions across the entire value chain of the mining business
• Integrating all associated activities, supporting services, financial targets, technical restrictions and regulations

Through MINE3230, students acquire theoretical knowledge and engage in practical methodologies essential for mine planning, optimisation, and valuation, explicitly focusing on strategic, long-term planning. The course offers immersive learning experiences through two projects, simulating real-world mining environments, thereby equipping students with the knowledge and skills required for mine planning engineering roles within the industry.