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1. #MAPTEK VULCAN ARTICLE IN MINING TECHNOLOGY SOFTWARE#
2. #MAPTEK VULCAN ARTICLE IN MINING TECHNOLOGY TRIAL#

‘Phosphate recovery from this trial pit was in line with the recoveries estimated by our Vulcan block model,’ Haynes said. Mining Manager Paul Haynes said the trial had been hugely successful and led to the purchase of a Maptek laser scanner, accessories and software.

The trial provided enough information for RONPHOS to mine the secondary deposits for three months. Mining Trial with Laser ScannersĪfter backfilling, knowing the exact position and size of the pinnacles allowed RONPHOS to determine where to drill and to what depth. Scans taken on a tripod can be easily integrated with RTK GPS for georeferencing and used as a reference for the uncoordinated crane scans to be registered into mine grid coordinates. The laser scanner can also be used for tasks such as stockpile reconciliation and engineering surveys.ĭata collected by the laser scanner is processed using Maptek I-Site Studio software. The fast, lightweight LR3 has a range of up to 1200 m, is accurate to 4 mm, and can be wirelessly controlled through a tablet for remote scanning. The 3D laser scanner provides greater penetration of vegetation and more accurate, detailed data than aerial lidar and photogrammetry. 3D Laser Scanning of Phosphate Depositsĭuring a week-long trial, a Maptek LR3 laser scanner fixed to a 45-metre crane boom was used to undertake accurate topographical mapping. This will allow secondary mining of the phosphate. The new phase of mine operations involves a program of backfilling and then complex drill and blast to remove the exposed tops of the pinnacles to the level of the remaining phosphate.

So 3D laser scanning was used to provide precise positioning information on the dolomite pinnacles in an area targeted for testing the new mining methodology.īy extrapolating the dolomite pinnacles to depth, an estimate of remnant phosphate was made using Vulcan block modelling. Modelling showed the existence of additional phosphate below the current mined surface, occurring as remnant dolomite pinnacles, some as tall as 12 m.ĭue to the spacing of the aerial data there is uncertainty as to the exact location of the pillars.

#MAPTEK VULCAN ARTICLE IN MINING TECHNOLOGY SOFTWARE#

Maptek Vulcan software was used to model the remnant dolomite pinnacles from aerial lidar data of the as-mined topography. RONPHOS now faces the challenge of accessing these remaining deposits, which cannot be mined using traditional methods. The first pass of mining selectively extracted phosphate, leaving behind dolomite pinnacles as waste. RONPHOS was established in 2005 to maintain and operate the phosphate industry on Nauru in a safe, efficient and profitable manner as mining and exports resumed. Phosphate mining was central to the economy of the 21 km 2island until the depletion of its primary mines in the 1980s. Overwhelming demand for the high quality Nauru rock is driven by the growth in food production and development, particularly in Australia and South-East Asia. Phosphate, the naturally occurring form of phosphorus, is exported primarily for use in agriculture. Maptek solutions are helping the Republic of Nauru Phosphate Corporation (RONPHOS) to model, map and measure phosphate deposits on the Pacific Island nation of Nauru, situated about 3000 km northeast of Australia.