Optimization of open pit mine production scheduling with in-pit waste disposal

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The Canadian mining industry is one of the fastest growing sectors in North America. The revenue obtained from the energy and mining sector helps the government to support critical social programs such as health care, education, and public pensions. Canada has a global responsibility to develop and utilize its mineral resources sustainably and optimally.Open pit mining operations impact their local environment in terms of their modification of the landscape and local ecosystems. External stockpiles and waste dumps occupy considerable space as well as involve substantial transportation costs. An option that can be taken is to store waste material directly into the free areas inside the pit, during the operations, in a way that it does not affect a lot the production.The primary goal of this research is proposing an approach using mathematical programming that aims to optimize the production schedule in a way that waste material is disposed inside the mined out area of the pit based on the geometry of the deposit. The consequences of considering the in-pit waste disposal are (i) limiting environmental impacts, (ii) accounting for constraints in available space surrounding the pit, and (iii) reducing the cost of waste transport and rehabilitation.During this project, we will develop a theoretical framework using mathematical programming, to optimize the production schedule and waste material disposal inside the mined out area of the pit. We will test, calibrate and verify the formulations and analyze the results. In this project, the expert knowledge of the industrial partner will be combined with the university researcher's expertise to build a creative group to achieve the best results.This research will provide detailed training on topic and will include as its primary deliverable an optimization formulation and relevant computer codes that can be applied in the open pit production scheduling.