ROCK OPTIONS is very experienced in undertaking audit and optimisation projects within the UK and Europe. All operators want to optimise operational costs, but the direct reduction of only drill and blast costs can lead to overall cost increases in downstream processing (from increased oversize or fines, increased backbreak, poor face conditions and reduced productivity etc). ROCK OPTIONS aims to provide the highest quality drilling and blasting operations – by getting this aspect of the operation correct; with faces in a good condition and optimised fragmentation - then the energy intensive and expensive processing costs are reduced. Sites may also require improvements to this aspect of their operations to address specific issues such as vibration, air overpressure or limited working areas. In these cases we tailor the audit to provide the complete service, focussed on the specific issue.
To audit a site we;
- Review and analyse all available historical baseline data (SOP’s, contractual documents, complaints, misfire and flyrock occurrences, productivity figures, site equipment lists, vibration and air overpressure results etc.) and blast designs,
- review the contractual status of the operations and their costs (ROG, in house etc)
- determine with site staff and management what improvements they want in the operations,
- observe the drilling, shotfiring and blasting processes and discuss them with site operatives and if required the explosives supplier
- look at blast sizes, annual productions figures, blast location, geological structure, face orientation, the intended short term face development plans and the long term quarry development plans.
After analysing in detail all of these related aspects we produce action plans for sites which ensure that operations are conducted in a safe manner, improve productivity and blasting outputs, address any specific issues and are sustainable according to the long term quarry development plans and any planned production increases.If required, Rock Options can estimate the projected financial improvements generated through the recommended operational changes.
ROCK OPTIONS also provides a follow up service; checking the implementation of the recommendations and their level of success, recommending further refinements to the process and tracking the estimated cost savings.