The document discusses how integrating and digitizing drill and blast operations can optimize operations and improve productivity. Advanced technologies like machine learning, sensors, and drones can be used to collect and analyze geological and drilling data to improve blast design, potentially reducing drilling costs by 10-15%, explosive costs by 10-20%, and improving overall productivity by 5-10%. Case studies show companies achieving these benefits by tailoring blast patterns to material type based on past data analysis. The future of the industry involves automated, optimized blast design using data analytics, remote operations, and a workforce with new skills in systems engineering and data analysis.

1. Integrated and Digitized drill and blast
The future to optimize drill and blast and impact downstream activities
 Standard drill and blast design,
minimal utilization of geology data
 Limited use of information from
drilling into blast design
 Information collected in paper/
excel does not allow proper analysis
cross site / centrally
Current Future
 Drill and blast tailored to geology &
expected blast outcome
 Information collected , analyzed and
used downstream & future blasts
 Data analysis and integration with
drill and blast design (pattern,
loading and initiation)
Potential Value
 10% - 15% reduction in drilling costs
 10% - 20% reduction in explosive costs
 5% - 10% due to asset productivity
 Improved safety
 Overall productivity improvement of
5% to 10% in the entire mining
operation
Industry Implications
 Automated data collection
 Increased demand on data analytics
and design
 Focus on decision support as
opposed to execution focus
 Different Expectation of mining
engineers
Opportunity Benefits Enablers Values
 Improved drill and blast design through the
use of geological information & past data
 Fulfilling business objectives through
machine learning.
 IOT sensors for data collection to save
time and minimize human error.
 Safer Drill and Blast Operations
 Care for safety circle, reduced vibrations.
 Design aligned to geology & exp. outcome
 Tailored drill & blast design
 Automated most optimized design
 Align activities to business objectives
 Saves time & effort in QA/QC, re-drilling etc.
 Errors are minimized with confidence.
 Ensures safety with productivity
 Reduced costs of downstream operations
 Historical drill and blast database
 Analytics on the existing data.
 Analytics on past data in drill and blast
 AI and Data analytics
 Real time information in the field
 Different skill set of mining engineers
 Optimized Design
 Planning days ahead.
 Reduction in number of holes.
 Less explosives consumed.
 Lower drilling & blasting costs
 Reduced cost & improved safety
 Reduction in human error
 Increased productivity
 Improved asset productivity.
 Fragmentation optimization

2. Improved drill and blast design using all geological information
Use of advanced technologies to improve productivity
Optimized drill and blast and downstream comminution
Industry Examples
The accuracy of the drill & blast is key to efficiency in mining operations. Utilization of historical past data
provides an opportunity to optimize the drill & blast pattern design.
 A data store of past drill and blast activities will allow for subsequent optimization of drill & blast
activities. Advanced analytics can be applied on gathered information. These enablers can lead to a
reduction in the total number of holes drilled, explosive consumed and an increase in the quality of ore
extracted.
Use of advanced technologies is being adopted in mining industry to improve productivity & safety.
 Machine learning is being used for automated & optimized design based on past records.
 IOT sensors are used to fetch data directly from machine hence saving time & effort & minimizing errors.
 Drones are being used for mine surveys, capturing images & videos etc. Lot of useful information can be
derived from the data provided by drones which again leads to improved productivity.
Optimized drill & blast is the key to reduced cost of downstream operations.
 Optimized drill & blast design leads to optimized fragmentation.
 Optimized fragmentation decreases the load on loader, crusher, grinder etc. hence leads to reduction in
cost & improved productivity.
Coal Mining Company
A large coal mining company in India
using it cross a number of sites – They
are forming a specialist team to
analyze every aspect of drill and blast
for further improvements.
A Large Cement Company in India
Analysis of data records of the
previous blasts helped changing to a
burden of 5.25 m, spacing to 11.0 m
and hole depth of 10.0 m. It show
results in that cost reduced to Rs 2.8/t
with powder factor improved to 12.29
t/kg, drilling factor of 111.18 t/m and
tonnage per hole increased to 1443
t(per hole getting 68 t more).
performance of equipment's increased
and crusher power consumption
decreased.
Integrated and Digitized drill and blast
The future to optimize drill and blast and impact downstream activities

3. Fewer holes drilled – aligning the quality and
number of drill holes for blast optimization
could result in a 10% - 15% decrease in drilling
costs
Less explosives – tailoring and optimizing blast
design to material type could reduce explosive
costs by 10% - 20%
Reduced dilution – improved blast efficiency has
the potential to reduce dilution by 10% - 15%
Improved asset productivity – improvements
from automation could deliver improvement in
productivity from 5% - 10% and improved
downstream processing productivity / recovery
Improved safety – increasing levels of
automation and remote operations will further
reduce exposure of employees to hazardous
environments
Workforce number
 Real Time availability of information in the field making
multiple visits redundant.
Workforce capability
 The key skills focus of drill and blast will shift from
technical execution to decision support focus
 The workforce will be upskilled and more
productive, operating multiple drills remotely
 New roles will be created in systems engineering,
communications and data analysis
Location of workforce
 The increased focus on data analytics and model
design means much of this work can be conducted
remotely either internally through an IROC
arrangement, a global hub or though a third party
partner