Improvement and cost analysis of blasting operations at western lignite facilities

Drilling and blasting operations have a great importance in mining operations. Drilling and blasting processes enable the excavation of the ore and the production of ore in the desired grain sizes. In this study, state-operated blasting operations in Western Lignite Corporation mining sites and problems encountered in these blasting operations are investigated. It is aimed to solve the problem of encountering blocks after blasting, by using nitroglycerine based feeders instead of emulsion based feeders. The blasting shots and excavation loading works in the blasting area were recorded. The heap images obtained after blasting operations were examined with WipFrag software and grain-size distributions were checked. According to the data obtained, cost analyzes related to blasting and transportation were performed. It was found that after the change, the problems decreased and the company gained 25% annually.