The Global Optimiser used by Whittle Consulting has gone through three major versions to date. The first was based on the Milawa optimisation algorithm; it worked, but had many shortcomings. The second, known internally as ProberA, had a different approach to optimisation in that it used a series of random starting points and found the nearest local NPV maximum to each.

It is with great pleasure that I endorse Crimes Against Mine Planning by Mark Bowater. This book seeks to “call out” examples and themes of poor mine planning and mine management practices that have plagued many of us during our careers in mining.
The mining industry plays a very important role in the Australian economy, with billions of dollars of capital deployed, earning even more billions of dollars of tax and royalty generating revenue. Efficient allocation and use of capital and labour is at the heart of a successful mining operation and good quality mine planning is the key to unlocking the inherent value of an orebody by efficiently planning and scheduling the use of that capital and labour.

The purpose of these guidelines is to provide guidance on the preparation of Mine Closure Plans (or referred to as “the Plans”) to meet Western Australian regulatory requirements.
Consistent with industry leading practice, the guidelines are based on the principle that planning for mine closure should be an integral part of mine development and operations planning and should start “up front” as part of mine feasibility studies, before mining begins.