Analysis of available software for material tracking at mines: An approach for data verification and reconciliation

Abstract

A comprehensive approach for material measurement, tracking, and reconciliation of actual and planned is required for a successful metal accounting system. For ore and metal accounting, the mining industry has mostly relied on spreadsheets to track material flow. The broad use of spreadsheets in metal accounting and mining operations is investigated in this paper. The paper also provides a comparative review of four commonly used software packages, namely (a) Deswik, (b) MineRP, (c) Snowden, and (d) Mapteks’ MRT systems. The capacity to track materials in real-time from the pit or underground to the surface is a standout feature for all the applications. Although there are limitations in dealing with discrepancies in production variables such as mass, grade, fragmentation, density, spatial coordinates, and moisture content, a conceptual data verification and reconciliation process with an improvement strategy aligned with best practices for effective ore tracking at mines is proposed.