• Increased operational safety: The use of electronic detonators allowed greater control over the initiation sequence, reducing the operational risks associated with firing errors and contributing to improving safety conditions on the work front. • Decreased operating costs: The cost per meter of progress decreased from $179.44/m (24foot blasts) to $144.74/m (28-foot blasts), representing savings of $34.70/m. This adjustment translates into projected savings of approximately US$ 420,000 per year in the costs associated with the development, without even considering the additional value generated by the reduction of overbreak. • Increased productivity: The improvement in blasting efficiency, with an increase of 1.45 meters per shot, contributed to the fulfillment of the monthly progress targets. The adoption of a new mining cycle with 28-foot drilling, instead of 24, allowed a significant increase in productivity per cycle, reducing the frequency of operations and optimizing the available resources. Acknowledgements Orica would like to thank the Drilling and Blasting, Operations and Planning areas of Company Mining Condestable for their support and permission to publish this technical paper. Bibliographic References López, C. (1997). Manual of tunnels and underground works. Entorno Gráficos, S.L. p. 344-354. R. Scherpenisse Carlos & Guillermo Silva & Carlos Troncoso, 2017. Selection of times and delays between wells. Geoblast. Chile. López Jimeno E., 2003. Manual of Drilling and Blasting of Rocks. Geo-Mining Technological Institute of Spain. Spain. Fuentes, S., Valdés, E., Guiroux, J., Rios E., Pavez, J., & Carrasco, V., 2021. Optimization of Blind-Hole chimneys to blasting methodology in multiple events, Chile. Ticona, W., Guillen, C., Mayta, G., & Vázquez, N., 2021. Implementation of electronic initiation systems for blasting in the generation of long ascending chimneys (up to 25 meters), for the opening of the slot in the exploitation of the sublevel stoping method in Cerro Lindo mine. Peru.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTM0Mzk2