Theoretical Basis in Regression Model Based Selection of the Most Cost Effective Parameters of Hard Rock Surface Mining

What determines selection of the most cost effective parameters of hard rock surface mining is consideration of all alternative variants of mine design and the conflicting effect of their parameters on cost. Consideration could be realized based on the mathematical model of the cumulative influence of rockmass and mine design variables on the overall cost per ton of the hard rock drilled, blasted, hauled and primary crushed. Available works on the topic mostly dwelt on four processes of hard rock surface mining separately. This paper dwells on the theoretical part of a research proposed to enhance effectiveness in the selection of the parameters of hard rock surface mining design based on the regression model of overall cost per tonne of the rock mined fit on the determinant variations of rockmass and mine design. The regression model could be developed based on the statistical data generated by many of the hard rock surface mines operating in variable conditions of rockmass and mine design worldwide. Also, a regression model based general algorithm has been formulated for the development of software and computer aided selection of the most cost effective parameters of hard rock surface mining.

Theoretical Basis for Multiple Criteria Analysis of Variants and Selection of the Most Effective Technological Scheme for Hard Rock Surface Mining

The technological scheme of a hard rock surface mine is a multiple level production system of interdependently func-tioning elements. Selection of the optimum combination of its elements constitutes a complex multiple variant and criteria problem of decision making. In this paper describes the theoretical part of the method proposed for the quantitative analysis and selection of the most competent technological schemes, based on the mathematical formulations of the selection criteria of the element of each level as functions of the alternative variants of the elements of the level and its adjacent levels. It is realized in accordance to standard procedures of decision making in the formation of the economical mathematical model of the cumulative influence of levels and elements on the effectiveness of all alternative variants in their analysis and generation of a small subset of the most competent variants, which are subjected to further analysis using the criterion of reliability in the generation of the optimum technological scheme. The scientific challenge inherent in its realization constitutes a PhD research opportunity for those interested in the problems of optimization in hard rock surface mines.

Modeling the Impact of Mine and Country Variations on the Cost and Country-Benefit of Gold Mining

This paper dwells on regression models of cash-cost and country-benefit developed to enable accounting for the cumulative impact of the determinant parameters in the prediction of cash-costs and country-benefits of gold mining opportunities in the justification of taxation regimes and selection of investment targets worldwide. The data used in the generation of regression models include the total cash-cost and country-benefit per ounce vs the parameters of rock-mass (type of ore body, its dip angle, strike length and thickness), mine-design (rate of gold production, type of mine, depth of mine, gold price and age of mine) and country parameters (the Fraser Institute parameters: taxation regime, infrastructure, environmental regime, political stability, labor regulations and security) were generated from 160 gold mines in the top 20 gold rich countries for a period of 7 years from 2002 to 2008. The regression models show that the determinants account for 71% and 55% of the determinants of cash-cost and country-benefit respectively. Depending on the availability of data, the regression models generated in this study could be enhanced by adding into the parameters used in the regression analysis, the unaccounted for mine and country parameters. Also, Depending on the availability of data, the Regression models generated in this study could be enhanced further by replacing the parameters of Fraser Institute ranking used in the regression analysis with the actual parameters of country effect on cash-cost and country-benefit of the gold produced. Nevertheless, the regression models generated in this study could be used to predict the cash-costs and country-benefits of gold mining opportunities in the justification of taxation regimes and selection of investment targets worldwide.

Global Warming Control to Mitigate Climate Change

Paper describes a proposed development of empirical model of global warming fit on the collective determinants in all countries. Aim is to enable establishment and comparison of the collective effects of global determinants on global warming in the prescription of the regulations most fit for the collective deployment in each of the determinant countries to enable mitigation of the greenhouse gases build-up caused global warming.