Vulcan Stope Design Optimisation

Maptek stope optimisation tools handled a complex underground mine design challenge, delivering accurate results in less time than ever before.

Dundee Precious Metals (DPM) owns the Shahumyan Mine in southeastern Armenia. The complex narrow vein deposit produces gold, copper, silver and zinc from highly variable widths which range between 0.2m and 3.5m. Veins are generally closely stacked en echelon and are found in swarms and networks.

The mine resource model is updated annually for long term planning. It is necessary to review and redo stope designs in order to keep the life of mine plan current.

Updating stope shapes for the complex deposit has been a complicated and completely manual process. A quicker solution was required to allow for more rapid and timely strategic evaluations.

DPM provided the block model for testing and evaluated the Vulcanâ„¢ Stope Optimiser in collaboration with Maptek.

The final stope design was produced much faster than traditional manual methods.

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