Mining system

Abstract

A method of mining ore in a mine pit ( 3 ) and a mine are disclosed. The method comprises mining ore from a floor ( 5 ) of a mine pit and/or collecting ore on the floor using at least one mobile excavation machine ( 11 ) and transporting ore within the mine pit on at least one mobile flexible conveyor ( 13 ). The method also comprises transporting ore that has been transported along the flexible conveyor from within the pit to outside the pit on at least one ladder conveyor ( 23 ) that extends up the wall of the pit.

1 - 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A method of mining ore in a mine pit that comprises the steps of:
 (a) mining ore from a floor of a mine pit and/or collecting ore on the pit floor using at least one mobile excavation machine;   (b) transporting mined and/or collected ore within the mine pit on at least one mobile flexible conveyor; and   (c) transporting ore that has been transported along the flexible conveyor from within the pit to outside the pit on at least one ladder conveyor that extends up the wall of the pit.   
     
     
         21 . The method defined in  claim 20 , comprising transferring ore that has been transported along the ladder conveyor onto at least one main conveyor and transporting the ore to a processing plant and/or a load-out station. 
     
     
         22 . The method defined in  claim 20  or  claim 21 , wherein the mobile excavation machine is a continuous surface miner. 
     
     
         23 . The method defined in  claim 22 , wherein the continuous surface miner excavates ore to a depth in a range of 300-600 mm and at a rate of at least 900 tph and travel at a speed of at least 5 m/min (more typically at least 10 m/min). 
     
     
         24 . The method defined in  claim 20 , wherein the mobile flexible conveyor (a) is sufficiently mobile to keep pace with an associated mobile excavation machine or other mobile machine while operating and transporting ore on the conveyor, (b) allows lateral, flexible movement while operating and transporting ore on the conveyor and, by way of example is capable of moving up or down steps of up to 400 mm in a pit floor, and (c) allows lengthwise extension and contraction while operating and transporting ore on the conveyor. 
     
     
         25 . The method defined in  claim 20 , comprising transferring mined and/or collected ore directly from the mobile excavation machine to the mobile flexible conveyor. 
     
     
         26 . The method defined in  claim 20 , comprising transferring mined and/or collected ore from the mobile excavation machine to a mobile feed system, such as a mobile hopper or a mobile crusher, and then transferring ore from the mobile feed system to the mobile flexible conveyor. 
     
     
         27 . The method defined in  claim 25  or  claim 26 , comprising continuously mining and/or collecting ore from the pit floor with the mobile excavation machine and moving (a) the mobile flexible conveyor or (b) the mobile feed system/mobile flexible conveyor assembly to track the movement of the mobile excavation machine, and continuously transferring mined and/or collected ore from the mobile excavation machine to the mobile flexible conveyor or the mobile feed system/mobile flexible conveyor assembly. 
     
     
         28 . The method defined in  claim 20 , comprising transferring mined and/or collected ore from the mobile excavation machine to form a pile of ore on the pit floor. 
     
     
         29 . The method defined in  claim 28 , comprising transferring ore away from the ore pile on the mobile flexible conveyor. 
     
     
         30 . The method defined in  claim 20 , comprising transferring ore from the mobile flexible conveyor to at least one mobile trunk conveyor that extends along a section of the pit floor to the ladder conveyor. 
     
     
         31 . The method defined in  claim 30 , comprising transferring ore from a plurality of mobile flexible conveyors to the at least one mobile trunk conveyor. 
     
     
         32 . The method defined in  claim 20 , wherein the ladder conveyor is a single conveyor from the pit floor to the rim of the mine pit and extends up the pit wall without transfer points along the length of the conveyor, i.e. without the ore being off-loaded at an upper end of one section of the conveyor and loaded onto a lower end of a successive section of the conveyor. 
     
     
         33 . A mine that comprises at least one pit having a pit floor and a pit wall that defines at least a part of the pit, at least one mobile excavation machine for mining ore from the pit floor and/or collecting ore on the pit floor, at least one mobile flexible conveyor for transporting mined and/or collected ore within the mine pit, and at least one ladder conveyor for transporting mined and/or collected ore from the pit. 
     
     
         34 . The mine defined in  claim 33 , comprising a main conveyor outside the pit for transporting mined and/or collected ore from the pit to a processing plant or a load-out station. 
     
     
         35 . The mine defined in  claim 33  or  claim 34 , wherein the pit wall is at least 30°, in many instances at least 65° to the horizontal. 
     
     
         36 . The mine defined in  claim 35 , wherein the pit wall is at least 20 m and typically at least 40 m high. 
     
     
         37 . The method defined in  claim 33 , wherein the ladder conveyor is a single conveyor from the pit floor to the rim of the mine pit and extends up the pit wall without transfer points along the length of the conveyor, i.e. without the ore being off-loaded at an upper end of one section of the conveyor and loaded onto a lower end of a successive section of the conveyor. 
     
     
         38 . The method defined in  claim 33 , comprising a plurality of pits and at least one main conveyor outside the pits for transporting mined and/or collected ore from the pits to a processing plant or a load-out station.