An integrated approach to the long-term planning process in the copper mining industry

Abstract

Long-term mine-metallurgy planning in the copper mining industry is a complex process that simultaneously establishes ore extraction policies for multiple mines, an investment plan, and an operating plan for processing plants such concentrators, smelters, and refineries. These strategic plans must specify extraction and processing decisions for each cubic meter of mine ore while maintaining their consistency with medium- and long-term objectives. This chapter demonstrates the advantages and implications of integrated models that can simultaneously plan the entire chain of production from the extraction of ore to the final cathodes, subproducts, and inputs. Little work has been done in this area, which the authors believe is a promising field for development and application in operations research. We begin with a brief description of the long-term mine planning problem in the copper industry and then discuss the advances made in recent years. This is followed by an overview of the copper production process, and finally, a look at the challenges involved in integrated planning.