New WebGen System Saves Brazilian Mine Almost $ 2M

In a single blast, Orica's WebGen initiation system helped the Nexa Vazante underground mine in Brazil reduce ore dilution from 27% to 20% - saving operations of $ 1.59 million. Orica said that the first blast at the Nexa Reseouyrces Vazante mine achieved a smaller hydraulic radius, which preserved the pillar during a stop production. This reduced the mine cycle time to just 20 days, i.e. 70% faster than the planned 90 days. Orica said that this performance was possible because the crews had two access points to the main mine, which was only possible with a wireless system. Safety has also been improved by using WebGen for pre-loading, reducing worker exposure in the area and eliminating the need to re-enter the area. "We recovered an island rib column, a column that is kept in the open mining operation for dilution control," said Mateus Ribeiro, senior mining engineer at Nexa Vazante, noting that once the block ore was mined and the column was no longer needed, the pre-loaded wells were used could be initiated remotely. "We went through a number of improvements in the development of blasting technology with Orica, from the first detonators to what are now 100% wireless detonators. The detonation took place two levels below us, so we're 400 meters above the shot . All encoded signals were sent through the rock, following safety protocols for firing the blast ". Orica first proposed the use of WebGen in Nexa Vazante, a zinc and lead mine in northwest Minas Gerais, in 2019. The mine had traditionally used wired initiators for ore extraction, which resulted in an average ore extraction of 60% in the pillars; vertical retreat mining (VRM) and open long-hole tunnels (LHOS) were used as the main methods of mining ore. Orica plans to launch its newest system, WebGen 200, next year.