TITLE:
Innuendoes of Sterilisation Drilling in Surface Mining Operations—A Case Study
AUTHORS:
Richard Gyebuni, Festus Kunkyin-Saadaari, Isaac Ekow Anaman
KEYWORDS:
Sterilisation, Exploration, Backfilling, Waste Dump, Cutoff Grade
JOURNAL NAME:
International Journal of Geosciences,
Vol.15 No.5,
May
31,
2024
ABSTRACT: Surface mining operations play a crucial role in meeting the world’s increasing demand for mineral resources for the advancement of technology and debauched expansion of economies. The search for and exploitation of these mineral resources are therefore important for the sustainability of the mineral extraction industry. To this end, efficient mine planning must incorporate sterilisation drilling and effective waste rock management principles in the search and exploitation of these minerals. In this article, sterilisation drilling is being reviewed vis-a-vis the establishment of waste and tailings dump locations, backfilling of open pit excavations and mine closure giving critical attention to the minerals and mining laws of Ghana. Subsequently, a detailed case study of a surface mining operation that successfully incorporated sterilisation drilling in determining waste dump location in its mine planning process has been presented in this study. The findings indicate that the proposed waste dump location could present a potential mining prospect in the future based on enhanced milling capacity/technology and improved mineral commodity price; underscoring the significance of sterilization drilling in the sustainability of the mining industry.