The use of high density ammonium nitrate mini-prill blasting agents to reduce drilling and blasting costs
- Explosives Technologies International, Louviers, CO (United States)
- Santa Fe Pacific Gold Corp., Valmy, NV (United States)
In early 1993 a test program was designed to determine if mining costs could be reduced by using a high density ammonium nitrate mini-prill blasting agent. The goal was to reduce mining costs by expanding blast hole patterns while maintaining or improving dig-ability of the shot material. The results of the program indicated that with the high density ammonium nitrate blasting agent, fragmentation of the waste rock could be maintained or improved while expanding blast patterns by 23%. When used within ore zone boundaries, where pattern expansion and material displacement is not desirable, an improvement in shovel productivity was recognized while no increase in ore dilution was experienced. A reduction in bucket tooth wear was also reported.
- OSTI ID:
- 433699
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-940144-; TRN: IM9709%%132
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 20. annual Society of Explosives Engineers meeting on explosives and blasting techniques, Austin, TX (United States), 30 Jan - 4 Feb 1994; Other Information: PBD: 1994; Related Information: Is Part Of Proceedings of the twentieth annual conference on explosives and blasting technique; PB: 593 p.
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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