Serbia mining:”Process model of project management of the open pit mine Radljevo opening and development until reaching the designed capacity”

Published on 1. November 2013., Mining

New open pit mines opening accounts for capital mining projects, because they are very complex due to the influence of a range of internal and external, technical, technological, economic, and natural factors and limitations inherited from both natural conditions  and social and economic environment. Environment of the project of opening a new open pit mine Radljevo is very complex and involves a series of deterministic processes. The paper by Mr. Vladimir Ivoš was presented at the Sixth International Conference on Coal, held at Zlatibor, on 2^nd to 5^th October  this year.

Quality investment projects can be successfully implemented only if the project is managed in the realization process, and the process itself organized with regards to the project, i.e. by using a project management methodology. Project management methodology is defined as a business strategy that allows maximizing the value of the project to the organization.

Annual production capacity of the OPM Radljevo is projected at 13 million tons of standard coal. According to the Terms of Reference, annual capacity of the mine in the first stage will be limited to 7 million tons. According to the feasibility study, the open pit mine will start operation in 2014 , and the production of coal in 2015 will amount to cca. 3 million tons. The production capacity of 7 million should be achieved in 2016. The second stage, with a projected annual coal production capacity of 13 million tons, will be achieved in 2020. For the excavation of overburden, two bucket wheel excavators will be used, of the hourly capacity 6800 m³ with a bench conveyor system and the belt 2m wide. Mining of coal and interburden is planned to be carried out by using up to five bucket wheel excavators, hourly capacity of 4500 m³, with a separate belt conveyor, belt width of 1,6 m. By 2020, two bucket wheel excavators will be operating, with a capacity of 4500 m³ / h on the first and second bench, excavating coal. Three units will be operating from 2020 onwards, from 2029 four units, and five excavator units will be working from 2031 onwards.

For the establishment of hydrogeological conditions, extensive research was conducted and drainage system was designed. The main drainage method is using drainage wells with submersible pumps. The impact of the planned mining activities on the environment has been analyzed and mitigation measures have been planned. Special attention is paid to the displacement of people and public infrastructure. Total investments for the resettlement of people and public infrastructure are estimated at 170 million over the project lifecycle, of which 85 million euros  are planned to be spent by 2020. In the new open pit mine 1,800 workers will be directly employed, which has a positive impact on the employment situation in the region.

Total investment costs for primary and auxiliary equipment to be procured by the 2020 and reaching full production capacity amount to approximately 360 million euros. Investment costs for infrastructure and plants for the same period are estimated at around 127 million euros. Total investment costs by 2019 are estimated at 487 million euros.

In conclusion, the author reiterated that this was a very complex and multi-disciplinary project that required the implementation of complex research, and such a complex operation could be achieved only by applying some of the project management methodologies.

Source; MB Kolubara