Blast design optimization project

for Enhanced Face Advance

  • Customer : Northam Platinum Pty Ltd |
  • Pain point : Optimize your blasts |
  • Market segment : Underground & Tunnel | Platinum |
  • Solution : Optimization of blast designs |
  • Location : Steelpoort | Limpopo | South Africa |
Situation

<strong>Face advance challenges</strong>

Located in Steelpoort, Limpopo, South Africa, the Booysendal UG2 mine operates as an underground platinum extraction site. Throughout 2022, it faced substantial face advance challenges, raising critical concerns for Northam Platinum LTD. Recognizing the severity of the situation underscored the urgent need for a specialized blast design optimization project.

Challenge

Develop an optimization project where the design could be optimized and trialed to determine if the face advance could be increased by changing the blast design.

Customer Testimonial

“I am very satisfied with the project and subsequently changed to the recommended designs, starting to implement the blast design.”

Cor Nel,
Explosives Co-Ordinator Northam Platinum LTD

Solution

Blast design optimization

Enaex Africa, with its expertise in tailored blast design solutions, promptly initiated an in-depth underground investigation across multiple working areas of the mine. After that, three different blast designs were chosen, and they were then tested to see if the overall face advance increased by making sure the designs were approved, changed as a project, and tested. The face advance was increased by 30cm by changing the design and making sure it was implemented properly.

Key features
Results

Enhanced face advance

The project was concluded successfully. Assisting the mine by drafting new designs, presenting them to the mine, and proposing to do a trial for our client, where we trialed three different designs and then proved that the advance increased from 2.7m to 3.0m by changing to a correct design.

Stronger Bonds

The partnership between Northam Platinum LTD and Enaex Africa led to increased production with fewer inputs, underscoring the immense value of their monitoring efforts.

About Us

At Enaex, our purpose is to humanise mining by having a positive impact on all aspects of the blasting process.

We know that life is the most precious thing on the planet. That’s why we put people first to ensure the well-being of our teams, our broader communities, and the environment.

With a proven track record of providing the global mining industry with flexible, tailor-made blasting solutions, Enaex is the preferred blasting solutions partner.