Extensions to an Efficient Optimization Model for Long-term Production Planning

LKAB’s Kiruna Mine is located above the Arctic Circle in northern Sweden, and produces about 24 million tons of iron ore per year, making it is the second largest underground mine in the world today. The orebody, a world-class high-grade magnetite deposit, is approximately 4 km long and 80 m wide on average, and lies roughly in the north-south direction, with a dip of some 60 degrees. Surface mining commenced around the turn of the last century, and half a century later, operations began underground. Since 1962, mining has been done exclusively via large-scale sublevel caving. The mine is divided into ten main production areas, about 400 m to 500 m in length, each with its own group of ore passes, also known as a shaft group, located at the centre of each production area and extending down to the current main 1045 m level (Figure 1). One to two 25-ton-capacity electric Load Haul Dump TOPAL, E., KUCHTA, M., and NEWMAN, A. Extensions to an efficient optimization model for long-term production planning at LKAB’s Kiruna Mine. Application of Computers and Operations Research in the Minerals Industries, South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 2003.