Predicting Slides In Open Pits (And Shares!)5 Oct 2020 14:56
'It has been found that, over the last few hours preceding a slope failure, there is nearly always a small movement, or alteration in the movement pattern in the rock face of that section...'
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My Thoughts:
After reading about detection equipment and historical (or should I say hysterical?) events at open pit mining operations over the weekend it seems to me if there was to be a wall failure it would have already happened.
Management did say the revised guidance was preliminary... I suspect an abundance of caution will give way to business as usual in the following few weeks.
Perhaps this episode was conveniently used as a 'get out of jail free card' to mollify any shortcomings in Q4/yearly production - and that's not always about failed management.
I expect the EMRA is particularly sensitive at this moment and 'creative placation' may be in our best long term interest...
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'In open pit mining operations, people and equipment are constantly at the base of a steep, man-made slope (the highwall or pit-wall). Instances where this slope fails resulting in a rock or earthfall can result in loss of life, injuries and damage or destruction of equipment (see mining). It has been found that, over the last few hours preceding a slope failure, there is nearly always a small movement, or alteration in the movement pattern in the rock face of that section.
A Movement and Surveying Radar combines simultaneously the execution of slope stability and surveying measurements, which together with high-speed external data links makes it a near real-time tool for mining safety, planning and productivity improvement.
The system is intended to monitor mine slopes to detect this movement and generate a warning of impending failure (slope stability), so that personnel and equipment may be removed prior to the failure. The radar element provides very accurate, real-time, all weather slope movement measurements with sub millimetre detection ability, and is able to provide an alarm if the detected movement reaches a predetermined level, thereby permitting evacuation of the unstable area, and enhancing safety.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Movement_and_Surveying_Radar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwsDniBwsGw
The following video is open pit coal mine specific but the general remediation efforts are applicable - also to note, the high tech monitoring equipment is very sensitive and extreme care is required when servicing.
Movement is sometimes detected that has nothing to do with the mine but rather jostled equipment therefore results always need to be qualified by physical inspection in the open pit
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oDVvXo9WJM
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