Digital technologies for uranium production management have become the main topic of the scientific seminar organized in Krasnokamensk by the Mining Division of the ROSATOM State Atomic Energy Corporation

The seminar was attended by managers and employees of Atomredmetzoloto JSC, E.P. Slavsky PIMCU, PJSC, Khiagda, JSC, Dalur, JSC, RUSBURMASH, JSC, VNIPIpromtechnologii, JSC, Seversk Technological Institute of the NRNU MEPhI, Mining Institute of the Kola Science Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Transbaikal State University. Participants of the seminar visited the industrial site of PIMCU, PJSC - underground mines, leach plant, Urtuiskoye open cast mining office and got acquainted with the best practices of application of digital technologies.

Today, engineers of uranium mining enterprises are working on implementation and expansion of the capabilities of systems. Oleg Isyanov, Deputy Director of the Department for Production and Economic Planning and Controlling of the ARMZ Uranium Holding Co. noted: “The software complexes help us to reliably assess the mining and geological situation on developed sites of the field, simulate the options of development, conduct accurate analysis of performed work, promptly make decisions in the analysis and forecast of field development, geological modeling and mining planning.”

At the same time, the approach to selection of a system may differ depending on the mining techniques. E.P. Slavsky PIMCU, PJSC that performs the metal mining, requires not only information on the spatial location of mine workings, the amount of sinking and drifting and the ore quality in a particular face, but also constant updates of data on the rock massif movement, as well as the forecast of bump hazardous areas.  Here, a mountain bump modeling subsystem on the basis of the MINEFRAME system is used. The report on the MINEFRAME system was made by Oleg Nagovitsyn, the leading researcher of the Mining Institute of the Kola Science Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and Andrey Beketov, Deputy Chief Engineer of the PIMCU, PJSC, spoke about the economic aspects and expediency of the MINEFRAME application: “The system tools developed and adapted for the conditions of our mining production allow us to plan the directions of our mining operations as accurately as possible to ensure the quality of mining. For example, due to visualization of executing work and comparison of the ore quality and the subsoil geological structure, we realized that it would be economically inexpedient to sink one of the previously planned underground levels. Thus, we managed to avoid significant capital expenses.”

Data on localization of ore bodies, their parameters, monitoring and recording of well work are important for Dalur, JSC and Khiagda, JSC that use the in-situ leaching (ISL) technology. In this case, a real-time updated three-dimensional model map of the entire ore field is required for all enterprises.

One of the central discussion topics was the pilot “Smart Mine” project, which is being tested at the site of Khiagda, JSC. Anatoly Mikhailov, Chief Engineer of Khiagda, JSC, spoke about this development of the Seversk Technological Institute: “The system is already helping us to carry out the forecast and timely implementation of repair and restoration works, and therefore reduce the costs of maintenance of the production complex. Further, with its help, we want to bring the processing of geological and geotechnological data to full automation, provide prompt access to any geotechnological information and calculate the optimal modes of production block development. We plan that, in addition to data processing, the system will allow remote control of the polygon equipment.”

Following the results of the seminar, it was decided to replicate the best practices of the “Smart Mine” project at Dalur, JSC and use digital technologies to manage the construction and operation of the mine No. 6 in Krasnokamensk.