SOFTWARE

T
HE software industry in mining continues
to evolve, with more miners trying to
standardise the systems they use across
global operations, as well as seeking to
marry different systems used at sites that
have been brought under common man-
agement by a merger or acquisition. At
the same time, the software players them-
selves continue to update their products to
make sure they keep pace with customer
expectations such as higher processing
speeds, multiple language options, com-
modity specific modules as well as the
latest technological developments.
Gemcom
Over the past year, Gemcom Software In-
ternational Inc has been working to deliver
new versions of its entire suite of software
products. The company offers software
solutions encompassing exploration, mine
planning, scheduling and mine perform-
ance management. The packages support
all mining commodities, and underground, open pit
and quarry operations.
The company told Mining Magazine: New tools
are need to support the mining industry as it ad-
dresses key challenges such as a shortage of skilled
mining professionals, increasingly stringent reporting
and compliance requirements, and strong demand
and rising costs.
This is where the groups Mining Execution
Systems (MES) come into play. To provide the new
capabilities mining companies need, MES connects
geology, mine planning, scheduling and mine
performance management applications together to
ensure information is accessible where and when it
is needed.
MES involves leveraging the data created by
the software used at mining operations to enable
users to identify and analyse mining performance.
MES data management is also designed to improve
overall reporting capabilities and incorporates data
auditability for regulatory compliance purposes.
The following is a summary of the recent updates
that have been implemented across its software
ranges:
GEMCOM SURPAC
The latest version of Gemcom Surpac, which is used
in orebody evaluation, open pit and underground
mine design, mine planning and production, deliv-
ers simplified workflows, efficiency and
builds upon the systems renowned
Functionality to the fore
Mining Magazine reviews recent progress at three of the industrys leading providers of
software for mine planning, scheduling and modelling Gemcom, Datamine and Maptek
Gemcom Surpac wireframe orebody model
reprinted from February 2008 Mining Magazine 1
Surpac block model
constrained by ore zone
and coloured by grades
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2 Mining Magazine reprinted from February 2008
SOFTWARE
ease-of-use. The software also incorporates support
for multiple languages, such as English, Chinese,
Spanish and Russian. The objective of these innova-
tions is to enable geologists, engineers and surveyors
to accomplish more in less time by improving how
they interact with the software. This helps to address
the scarcity of skilled mining professionals as Surpac
enables mining companies to train staff faster and
to facilitate the smooth transfer of skills between
operations.
Also new for the software is an Underground De-
sign module that Rob Ferguson, Gemcoms product
manager for Surpac describes as A logical, auto-
mated design process that gives mining companies
the capabilities they need to produce more effective
mine designs more quickly. The module generates
designs that can be audited, which also assists in
compliance management.
GEMCOM GEMS
Gemcom also offers a geology and mine planning
system that includes robust data management.
Tom Gibson, senior product manager for GEMS
stated: Offering our clients new ways to help them
increase productivity is central to how we develop
our software at Gemcom. To ensure critical mining
data is managed effectively, GEMS is at the forefront
in database technology that optimises workflows and
secures mining data. With the latest version of GEMS,
we continue to leverage these strengths to advance
mining productivity with the addition of new innova-
tions such as click-to-generate tunnel designs.
Also included in the most recent version of
GEMS are more than twenty-five new features and
enhancements that focus on usability, such as easy
to use tools for visualising and editing search ellipses
when interpolating block models, and workspace
setup and management.
GEMCOM MINEX
Stratified deposits like coal offer miners unique
challenges, especially when they are heavily folded
or faulted. Gemcom Minex has been developed
specifically for these deposit types. Underground and
open-pit mining operations use Minex to support
surveying, mine planning and scheduling. New and
updated capabilities added to Minex include a full
open-pit mine design suite which generates bench,
strip and block designs; a coal washability module
that stores and manipulates coal wash data based on
size fractions, density fractions and yield; and an
open-pit reserves module that enables engineers
to generate volumes, tonnes and quality of the coal
and waste layers in their designed mining blocks.
One company that has adopted Minex is The
Griffin Coal Mining Company Pty Ltd, a leading
Australian coal producer which recently sought to
replace another product. The change was driven by
a need for an integrated system that was effective,
quick and user friendly, said Richard Campbell,
operations and planning manager at Griffin Coal.
We wanted a best practice mine planning and
geological modelling system that allowed Griffin
Coals technical services department to function in a
coordinated way.
GEMCOM WHITTLE
When conducting feasibility studies, banks and
potential investment
partners ask miners if a project has been Whittled,
reflecting the trust people place in its ability to
determine the economic viability of a de-
posit. When optimising mine plans, more mining
professionals depend on the system than any
other to maximise NPV because it allows them to
understand the impact of all the variables that can
influence the profitability of an operation, said Rick
Moignard, Gemcoms president and CEO.
The latest version of Whittle includes significant
upgrades to the systems architecture, boosting its per-
formance. Whittles unique and sophisticated capabilities
enable mining companies to analyse pit designs in the
context of all physical, economic and mining constraints,
allowing significant value to be added to operations.
With auditable, repeatable processes, Whittle delivers
results that sequence deposits as effectively as possible,
optimise stockpiles, cut-offs and blends. With the ability
to look at deposits in the context of multiple pits and
changing market conditions, it also helps to align strate-
gic decisions to corporate policies.
GEMCOM MINESCHED
MineScheds broad and deep capabilities provide
mining companies with the tools required to achieve
greater productivity and profitability than they can
with manual scheduling, said Eli Alston, product
manager for Gemcom MineSched. The software
incorporates proven scheduling algorithms and can
output results in a wide variety of formats, including
2D and 3D graphics, worksheet-based reports and
Gantt charts, ensuring that schedules can be easily
viewed, validated and communicated.
With the global consolidation of mining companies
and the increasing scarcity of skilled mining profes-
sionals, the latest version of MineSched introduces a
complete internationalisation framework for using the
system in multiple languages, such as Russian, Chinese
and Spanish. This allows mining companies to provide
better global support to mine planners, while bringing
consistency to processes and facilitating the transfer
of skills between operations. In addition, the softwares
ease of use allows mine sites to be up and running
with the software much more quickly than they can
with other scheduling systems.
GEMCOM PCBC
PCBC is unique in mining, having been designed
specifically for the planning and scheduling of block
cave mines. It has been developed over the course
of more than 18 years by some of Gemcoms most
experienced technical professionals and has evolved
to become a leader in its field. Today, PCBC is assisting
with processes at most of the major mining companies
involved in block caving projects, performing tasks
from feasibility studies to daily draw control. PCBC
provides critical information needed in the multi-mil-
lion dollar start-up/development stage, as well as for
the ability to help keep production schedules current
under the dynamically changing conditions of an
operating mine.
We have been using PCBC since 1997. The system
provides what we call PCBC grade, because the
predicted grades very closely mirror actual. PCBC has
enabled us to mine more effectively, providing us
with a complete solution encompassing long-term
planning and daily draw control, which are linked
through a central database. Our ability to maintain
quality control/cave management with PCBC is
enhanced because we always have direct access to
the latest, correct data, said Rudy Prasetyo, general
superintendent for cave management at PT Freeport
Indonesia, the operator of the Grasberg mine.
GEMCOM INSITE
InSite is a mine performance management system
that enables mining companies to improve operation-
al performance by rapidly deploying a system that
captures data from disparate mining applications
and operational data sources, tying the information
together through a web portal that delivers key
performance indicators, reports and analytics.
InSite enables mining engineers and mine
managers to monitor KPIs, analyse problems and
respond immediately. It is a versatile solution that
captures, validates and reports production data in
both open pit and underground operations, said
Peter Orr, product manager for InSite. The most
recent version provides companies with the capa-
bility to compare operational performance across
multiple mines and to deliver information to users
in their local language.
Surpac geostatistical anisotropy ellipsoid defined
by variogram maps
InSite Portal with Surpac design and mine analytics
Illustration of the Gwalia mine, where St Barbara is using
Gemcom MineSched and Surpac to produce a new life-of-mine
plan
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