Chapter 12 Vertical Extraction Mining
This chapter is intended to help familiarize users with the Vertical Extraction Mining tool offered by Opencontour. This chapter will include an explanation of the different features offered within the tool itself, and how one may go about designing a sample pattern. Additionally, this chapter will explain how to view the drill holes in the 3D Viewer.
Quick Access
12.1 Vertical Extraction Menu Overview
To open the Vertical Extraction Mining Module, begin by creating and selecting a new Cutter layer from the Layer Menu to use for your drill holes. Then, select the Vertical Extraction Mining button from the Utility Menu.
Vertical Extraction Tool - Utility Menu
Once this button has been selected, a window will open that looks like this:
Vertical Extraction Tool Menu
The user is initially given two options to choose from when designing their drill holes:
Pattern - Allow for user to input parameters that will create an arrangement of multiple holes according to their specifications.
Single Bore - Allows user to input parameters for a single hole.
The following sections will outline each parameter required to create drill holes for both of these options.
12.1.1 Vertical Extraction Menu - Pattern
The Pattern menu for the Vertical Extraction Tool is the default menu that opens upon clicking the button in the Utility Menu, and can be seen in the image above. The table below will outline all of the necessary inputs to create an arrangement of holes:
Vertical Extraction Pattern Inputs
| Input Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Polygon Type | Dropdown that allows user to select what shape they would like their drill holes to be. Currently, the only offered shapes are Circle and Rectangle |
| Polygon Select | Requires user to select a polygon within the Drawing Window so that the software can design the arrangement within the polygon. |
| Script | Allows user to input parameters respective to the Depth, Azimuth, and Dip direction (in that order, comma-separated). User can input multiple dip/azimuth parameters as depth increases or decreases. |
| Start Elevation | This field will populate automatically when the polygon has been selected. |
| Direction | Indicates whether or not the hole is being created Up or Down |
| Number of Points | Allows user to choose how many vertices will be included in each drill hole shape. |
| Diameter | Sets the diameter of the drill hole shape according to units set in Project Settings (Metric or Imperial). |
| Pattern | Allows user to choose the shape of the pattern within the perimeter of the selected polygon. Currently, the available options to choose from are Triangle and Rectangle. |
| Spacing | Allows user to input the spacing they desire between each hole in the pattern (center-to-center), according to the units set in the Project Settings (Metric or Imperial). |
| Azimuth | Allows user to set the pattern azimuth of their design, which will be oriented within the selected polygon. |
Additionally, there are three buttons located at the bottom of the menu:
Preview - When selected, the user will be brought to the Viewer Window to preview their hole design with their parameter inputs.
Submit - When clicked, the hole design will populate to whatever initial Cutter layer was selected.
Optimize - This button will be selected once all of the proper steps have been taken to finalize the hole. This button will be covered more extensively later in the chapter.
12.1.2 Vertical Extraction Menu - Single Bore
The Single Bore menu tab will appear to look like this when selected:
Single Bore Menu
The table below will outline all of the necessary inputs to create a single drill hole:
Single Bore Inputs
| Input Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Polygon Type | Dropdown that allows user to select what shape they would like their drill holes to be. Currently, the only offered shapes are Circle and Rectangle |
| Center | Requires user to select a center point within the Drawing Window so that the software can design the single bore hole. |
| Script | Allows user to input parameters respective to the Depth, Azimuth, and Dip direction (in that order, comma-separated). User can input multiple dip/azimuth parameters as depth increases or decreases. |
| Start Elevation | The user must enter their desired starting elevation in this field. |
| Direction | Indicates whether or not the hole is being created Up or Down |
| Number of Points | Allows user to choose how many vertices will be included in their drill hole shape. |
| Diameter | Sets the diameter of the drill hole shape if the Polygon Type is set to Circle according to units set in the Project Settings (Metric or Imperial). |
| Width | Allows user to change the width of the drill hole if they select the Polygon Type as a Rectangle. |
| Height | Allows user to change the height of the drill hole if they select the Polygon Type as a Rectangle. |
12.2 Creating a Sample Drill Pattern
This section will outline how one can go about creating a drill pattern within Opencontour's Vertical Extraction Mining tool:
- Begin by importing the following files into the project. These are the minimum necessary files to design holes:
- Model File
- Cutter Layer w/ Polygon(s)
- Base Topography
Vertical Extraction Tool Starting Point
- Open the Vertical Extraction Pattern Menu and input all of the parameters. Then, select the working polygon. Make sure to be on the correct starting elevation when selecting it.
- Select Preview to make sure that the hole pattern looks correct. To check, toggle through each elevation using the
QandWkeys. Then, click Submit
Vertical Extraction Preview
- Once the holes have populated as cutters, follow these steps:
- Select the Cut Contour with Cutter/Filler button and wait until they have been separated into individual cutter layers
- Go to the Mine Design module and press the Build Mineplan (Model Ore Blocks Only) button
- Run Relevant Financial Scripts
- Scripts should include properties such as mining cost, processing cost, revenue, profit, ore-routing (ow), and a way to track specific holes by block or phase name.
NOTE: Make sure that the initial polygon cutter is turned off before running these steps.
- Once these steps have been completed, return to the vertical extraction tool and click the green Optimize button. It should return a message indicating that it has removed uneconomic features from the initial cutter layer:
Vertical Extraction Optimize Button
Holes After Optimization
- If the drill holes were economically viable and are still visible after clicking the Optimize button, run through all of these steps for a 2nd Time:
- Cut Contour with Cutter/Filler Button
- Build Mineplan (Model Ore Blocks Only) Button
- Run Relevant Financial Scripts
- Go to File > Save Group > All to save the results without having to re-save the model layer
Save "All" Option
12.3 Viewing the Drill Holes in 3D
Once the drill holes have been fully optimized, the user will be able to view them through the 3D Viewer.
First, navigate to to Display > 3D > Borehole to access the viewer specific to this tool:
Borehole Viewer Path
To see the optimized drill holes and block data, follow these steps:
- Navigate to the Layers tab within the 3D Menu and select MinePlan as the dataset and Base as the surface
- Go to the Properties tab and set the Label and Color to whatever metal or ore property that is being targeted in the project
- Go to the Cross Section tab and make sure that the Thickness is set wide enough to see the entire pattern of holes that have been created
Holes in 3D Viewer w/ Mineplan Data
