A key issue faced by all mines is the ability to compare actual performance with forecast performance, typically done at month end. Some mines use three different sets of software across functional processes on site, such as geology, mining and surveying.

Reconciling this data can be a nightmare and represents a huge cost in both time and money.

Reconcilor was developed to automatically collect data from multiple mine inputs and display related information sets on a web browser window. In this way everyone across a minesite can gain access to key performance indicators, without the training required to manipulate some of the complex software systems used.

Reconcilor has been installed and proven at five mining operations, including Cadia Hill gold mine in Australia, Lihir gold mine in Papua New Guinea, Sishen iron ore mine in South Africa, the Goonyella-Riverside coal mine and the Telfer gold mine, both in Australia.

Data is typically collected from mining packages, grade control, survey, despatch and plant systems. One mine is in fact using Reconcilor to identify which of its three resource modeling methods most closely maps with actuality – results from their grade control program.

“The software is providing resource modellers with valuable information about what’s working,” Snowden business development manager Richard Price said.

The automation of the data capture is a key feature and meant there was no reliance on people to input information (though it does draw from manually inputted data).

Reconcilor can draw information from a mine’s central server but has also been used at a mine with little or no automated systems. In this instance Snowden wrote an importation computer script that sits inside the modeling software collecting relevant data.

One of the mine operations has reported a huge improvement in grade control processes, moving their monthly figures from a 12% ore loss to a 10% gain.

In another application, Reconcilor was used to improve truck loading when it was found trucks where being underloaded. This resulted in the mine suspending a capital purchase for new trucks after the fleet was more efficiently utilised.

The enhanced ability to handle and analyse data is expected to changed management practices over time and already at some mines use of Reconcilor has forced discussions around issues like naming conventions which may differ between mine planners and plant people. Breaking down the walls between the silos of geology, engineering, production, survey, plant and management has paved the way for tremendous gain at sites with Reconcilor.

“There’s now no need for different groups to have arguments at the end of the month, about dilution figures, or ore losses, for example,” Price said.

Reconcilor has not yet been installed in an underground mine but has standardised underground functionality already built into the software. Reconcilor will be used in the underground area of the Telfer operation when it commences in 2005.

As each application is site specific and would need to be set up individually Price said it would take three to eight weeks to get Reconcilor up and running at a minesite.

The software recently won the Resource Modeling and Mine Planning Software awards from UK-based Mining Magazine and the Most Innovative Mining Solution Award from the Australian Mining Prospect Awards.