C. Musingwini - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by C. Musingwini

International journal of mining, reclamation and environment, Mar 6, 2024

Journal- South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy

Minerals, 2022

Uncertainty is intrinsic to mine design and planning and introduces risk into the process. Noneth... more Uncertainty is intrinsic to mine design and planning and introduces risk into the process. Nonetheless, most mine design and planning processes have historically been undertaken as deterministic processes, often resulting in unrealistic mine designs and plans which potentially lead to the destruction of shareholder value. This paper presents a probabilistic block economic value (BEV) calculation approach to minimise the shortcoming of using deterministic BEVs, and evaluates the impact of uncertainty on stope designs. The probabilistic BEV calculation approach was applied to a synthetic geological block model of a gold mineral deposit. The uncertainty associated with BEV input parameters was simulated using Monte Carlo simulation to create equally probable economic orebody models which were then used to create stope designs at different levels of risk. The probabilistic approach generated 20% to 53% higher net present values (NPVs) compared to the deterministic approach within 30% to...

President's Corner, Editorial.Extract from Editorial: Lower commodity prices compounded by lo... more President's Corner, Editorial.Extract from Editorial: Lower commodity prices compounded by low productivity continue to be challenges that severely affect the global competiveness of the country’s mining industry. These challenges require us as an industry to continuously explore effective cost-containing strategies. It is therefore imperative that we regularly optimize and build flexibility into our business systems, respond to these challenges, and leverage the role of new technology and mechanization into our production processes so that we can mine more safely and productively.MvdH201

The Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy., Mar 1, 2017

The adverse health effects of asbestos are undisputable and well documented in mining environment... more The adverse health effects of asbestos are undisputable and well documented in mining environmental literature. The worldwide environmental anti-asbestos campaign begun in the late-1980s is premised on this fact. Consequently, major asbestos consumers like Japan, United States and most of Europe will completely ban the use of asbestos by 2005. Most asbestos mines have responded to this challenge by maintaining, reducing or ceasing production thus, portraying the industry as a sunset industry. Anticipating closure, African Associated Mines (AA Mines) took a bold step to develop and implement an ISO 14001 Environmental Management System (EMS) to minimise environmental liability at closure through improved environmental performance. The EMS was certified in February 2004 and apart from initial intentions, it enabled AA Mines to establish new asbestos markets in the Far East. This paper examines the challenges and criticisms of the certification process of AA Mines.

Mine Planning and Equipment Selection, 2014

Rare earth elements (REEs) are strategically important in the 21st century for their consumption ... more Rare earth elements (REEs) are strategically important in the 21st century for their consumption in the manufacture of mobile electronics, greener power generation equipment and cars. However, the REE industry is characterised by a limited number of primary producers located mostly in China. It is against this background that some junior and major mining companies are searching for new sources of REEs globally, while other organisations are focusing research on recycling or developing substitutes for REEs. Accordingly, this paper reviews a moderate size and grade carbonatite REE prospect called Buru Hill in Kenya by applying modern evaluation techniques and reporting codes. The prospect is an early stage exploration target that has previously undergone historical exploration and recent follow-up testing to confirm the historical data. It is significant because of its favourable logistics and infrastructure, while its development has socio-economic importance for the Kisigi province in Kenya. The work reported in this paper is part of an MSc research study done at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa and indicates positive techno-economic results to warrant further work on the prospect.

Journal of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 2016

An open pit mining complex constitutes multiple pits, ore processing streams, and metal refining ... more An open pit mining complex constitutes multiple pits, ore processing streams, and metal refining options. An open pit mine produces ore (valuable) and waste material. Ore is transported to an appropriate processing stream for producing concentrate. A refinery processes the concentrate to produce marketable metal product (Lane, 1964, 1988). Cutoff grade optimization is based on Lane's theory, where a mining system consists of three major stages such as mining, milling, and refining. In this approach the cutoff grade selection is done between six cutoff grades that involve all stages of a mining operation. Selection of the optimum cutoff grade influences the net present value (NPV) by maximizing the net cash flows from the operation. The cutoff grades include three limiting cutoff grades, which are applied where one stage of the mining system is limiting the

President's Corner, Editorial.Extract from Editorial: In the SAIMM we have a rich tradition o... more President's Corner, Editorial.Extract from Editorial: In the SAIMM we have a rich tradition of leadership succession. Before one becomes President, one must have served at least two years on the SAIMM Council, followed by a year of co-option as an Office Bearer before successively becoming Junior Vice-President, Senior Vice-President, President-Elect, and President; After the term as President, one becomes Immediate Past-President and finally retires back onto Council as a Past President.MvdH201

Resources Policy, 2020

Abstract The sustainable economic success of open-pit mines depends firstly, on the degree of int... more Abstract The sustainable economic success of open-pit mines depends firstly, on the degree of integrity of the mine planning process and secondly, on the extent to which both spatial and intertemporal requirements of approved mine plans are executed. Accordingly, an open-pit mine meeting short-term production targets may fail to achieve planned spatial targets at the detriment of delivering on its long-term mine plan requirements. Therefore, this paper presents a new approach or framework, embedding compliance driver trees (CDTs) to improve the alignment of spatial and intertemporal execution of mine plan requirements, to the mine planning process. A case study application of the CDT-based approach to an open-pit iron ore mine in South Africa showed that when using a spatial mine-to-plan (M2P) index to measure compliance, the spatial mine-to-plan compliance improved from 74% in 2013 to 92% in 2018. The spatial M2P index plateaued at above 90% in the three years 2016–2018, indicating the implementation maturity of the CDT-based approach. The approach enables improved measurement and management of the spatial mine-to-plan compliance to ensure sustainability of the mining operation by maintaining planned levels of mining operational flexibility. The CDT-based approach can be adapted for practical use by the broader open-pit mining industry for economic sustainability of their operations.

Journal of The South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 2016

Journal of The South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 2017

Journal of The South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 2016

The Merensky and UG2 reefs of the Bushveld Complex in South Africa are currently the largest sour... more The Merensky and UG2 reefs of the Bushveld Complex in South Africa are currently the largest source of known platinum resources and reserves in the world. Conventional, hybrid and mechanised mining methods are used to extract the platinum reefs. Conventional mining is the most prevalent mining method. In conventional mining, development precedes stoping primarily to provide access to and demarcate the stopes. Mining replacement rate is the rate at which development generates new stopes to replace depleting ones thus sustaining production. Therefore it is imperative to adopt an appropriate mining replacement rate that carefully balances development and stoping, noting that financial wisdom demands deferring development as far as possible into School of Mining Engineering, University of Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, WITS 2050, Johannesburg, email: Cuthbert.Musingwini@wits.ac.za. School of Computational and Applied Mathematics, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits 2050,...

This summary was prepared by Sally Braham on behalf of: Prof Cuthbert Musingwini, Head of the Sch... more This summary was prepared by Sally Braham on behalf of: Prof Cuthbert Musingwini, Head of the School of Mining Engineering at the University of the Witwatersrand.

Mine planning is a very important process which is undertaken along the mine value chain. In an i... more Mine planning is a very important process which is undertaken along the mine value chain. In an ideal setting, mine plans should be sufficiently robust to ensure that actual performance is as close to or the same as planned outcomes both in the short and long term. However, this is often not the case and in recent years financiers of mining projects have sometimes resorted to litigating against project proponents, claiming that they were misled into investing in projects that failed to deliver on promised outcomes. These challenges require that more research be undertaken on how robust mine plans can be generated and evaluated to reduce discrepancies between planned and actual outcomes. Accordingly, research findings towards closing the gap between planned and actual outcomes are presented based on lessons learnt from some of the mine planning related postgraduate research work that has recently been undertaken or is currently under way in the School of Mining Engineering at the Uni...

L vii W hen presidents or leaders are elected, it is often customary to expect them to deliver a ... more L vii W hen presidents or leaders are elected, it is often customary to expect them to deliver a speech when they attain their first 100 days in office. Barack Hussein Obama was inaugurated on 20 January 2009 as the 44th President of the United States, and gave a speech on his first 100 days in office on 29 April 2009. As is normal, his speech met with mixed reactions. Critics felt it was as vague as his campaign message, while supporters believed he was delivering on his campaign promises. It is during their first 100 days in office that presidents are scrutinized and watched particularly closely. Fortunately, in the SAIMM we have a rich tradition of leadership succession. Before one becomes President, one must have served at least two years on the SAIMM Council, followed by a year of co-option as an Office Bearer before successively becoming Junior Vice-President, Senior Vice-President, President-Elect, and President; After the term as President, one becomes Immediate Past-President and finally retires back onto Council as a Past President. There are therefore no campaign promises you need to make, as you become accustomed early on to the SAIMM's strategic direction, which you then continue to drive during your one-year Presidential term. I therefore found it prudent to write on my last 100 days in office. The past 100 days have been quite busy, but I also had time to pause and reflect. The SAIMM has weathered the prevailing tough economic times, closely watching our revenue and expenditure streams to ensure that we survive the short-term. However, our long-term strategy remains a robust one of making the Institute a great Institute that we, the members, can all continue to be proud of. For example, support for the Young Professionals Council (YPC) and regional branches has been maintained, because these are critical for growing our membership base into the future. We have managed to grow our membership base to just above the 5000 mark. However, despite the progress we have made, we cannot afford to be complacent because we are not out of the woods yet. The tough economic times are still upon us. My last 100 days have instilled confidence in me that the SAIMM will be around for a very long time to come, but we still need to do more. We still need to organize many viable quality conferences. We need to draw more into our membership ranks. We still need to continue to publish a quality Journal. We still need to continue to encourage each other in volunteering to serve on committees that drive the key activities of the SAIMM. We still need to continually motivate and support our office staff, who carry out the back-office work that ensures we can deliver the quality services that our membership mandates us to provide. There are many in our rank-and-file who can help, and they are encouraged to come forward to keep the wheels turning. The past 100 days have also been an opportunity for me to look back at my experiences as President and share these with future presidents. My broad advice resonates with that of Jeff Immelt, former CEO of General Electric, when he stepped down after 16 years of service and handed over the leadership baton to John Flannery. Jeff said that in his advice to John 'I gave him maybe the most important advice for incoming CEOs, and that is: every job looks easy when you're not the one doing it.' My advice is that it is going to be tough being President, but it is always gratifying when you give of your best. Leadership is about building a strong team. What I have learnt is this: a good leader humbles himself, asks the right questions, listens to advice, is of service to others, and above all, is willing to learn. My last 100 days have taught me to be a better person and I am grateful to the SAIMM for the opportunity of serving you as President. I leave office with a great sense of hope for the future of the SAIMM.

Journal of The South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 2017

International journal of mining, reclamation and environment, Mar 6, 2024

Journal- South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy

Minerals, 2022

Uncertainty is intrinsic to mine design and planning and introduces risk into the process. Noneth... more Uncertainty is intrinsic to mine design and planning and introduces risk into the process. Nonetheless, most mine design and planning processes have historically been undertaken as deterministic processes, often resulting in unrealistic mine designs and plans which potentially lead to the destruction of shareholder value. This paper presents a probabilistic block economic value (BEV) calculation approach to minimise the shortcoming of using deterministic BEVs, and evaluates the impact of uncertainty on stope designs. The probabilistic BEV calculation approach was applied to a synthetic geological block model of a gold mineral deposit. The uncertainty associated with BEV input parameters was simulated using Monte Carlo simulation to create equally probable economic orebody models which were then used to create stope designs at different levels of risk. The probabilistic approach generated 20% to 53% higher net present values (NPVs) compared to the deterministic approach within 30% to...

President's Corner, Editorial.Extract from Editorial: Lower commodity prices compounded by lo... more President's Corner, Editorial.Extract from Editorial: Lower commodity prices compounded by low productivity continue to be challenges that severely affect the global competiveness of the country’s mining industry. These challenges require us as an industry to continuously explore effective cost-containing strategies. It is therefore imperative that we regularly optimize and build flexibility into our business systems, respond to these challenges, and leverage the role of new technology and mechanization into our production processes so that we can mine more safely and productively.MvdH201

The Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy., Mar 1, 2017

The adverse health effects of asbestos are undisputable and well documented in mining environment... more The adverse health effects of asbestos are undisputable and well documented in mining environmental literature. The worldwide environmental anti-asbestos campaign begun in the late-1980s is premised on this fact. Consequently, major asbestos consumers like Japan, United States and most of Europe will completely ban the use of asbestos by 2005. Most asbestos mines have responded to this challenge by maintaining, reducing or ceasing production thus, portraying the industry as a sunset industry. Anticipating closure, African Associated Mines (AA Mines) took a bold step to develop and implement an ISO 14001 Environmental Management System (EMS) to minimise environmental liability at closure through improved environmental performance. The EMS was certified in February 2004 and apart from initial intentions, it enabled AA Mines to establish new asbestos markets in the Far East. This paper examines the challenges and criticisms of the certification process of AA Mines.

Mine Planning and Equipment Selection, 2014

Rare earth elements (REEs) are strategically important in the 21st century for their consumption ... more Rare earth elements (REEs) are strategically important in the 21st century for their consumption in the manufacture of mobile electronics, greener power generation equipment and cars. However, the REE industry is characterised by a limited number of primary producers located mostly in China. It is against this background that some junior and major mining companies are searching for new sources of REEs globally, while other organisations are focusing research on recycling or developing substitutes for REEs. Accordingly, this paper reviews a moderate size and grade carbonatite REE prospect called Buru Hill in Kenya by applying modern evaluation techniques and reporting codes. The prospect is an early stage exploration target that has previously undergone historical exploration and recent follow-up testing to confirm the historical data. It is significant because of its favourable logistics and infrastructure, while its development has socio-economic importance for the Kisigi province in Kenya. The work reported in this paper is part of an MSc research study done at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa and indicates positive techno-economic results to warrant further work on the prospect.

Journal of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 2016

An open pit mining complex constitutes multiple pits, ore processing streams, and metal refining ... more An open pit mining complex constitutes multiple pits, ore processing streams, and metal refining options. An open pit mine produces ore (valuable) and waste material. Ore is transported to an appropriate processing stream for producing concentrate. A refinery processes the concentrate to produce marketable metal product (Lane, 1964, 1988). Cutoff grade optimization is based on Lane's theory, where a mining system consists of three major stages such as mining, milling, and refining. In this approach the cutoff grade selection is done between six cutoff grades that involve all stages of a mining operation. Selection of the optimum cutoff grade influences the net present value (NPV) by maximizing the net cash flows from the operation. The cutoff grades include three limiting cutoff grades, which are applied where one stage of the mining system is limiting the

President's Corner, Editorial.Extract from Editorial: In the SAIMM we have a rich tradition o... more President's Corner, Editorial.Extract from Editorial: In the SAIMM we have a rich tradition of leadership succession. Before one becomes President, one must have served at least two years on the SAIMM Council, followed by a year of co-option as an Office Bearer before successively becoming Junior Vice-President, Senior Vice-President, President-Elect, and President; After the term as President, one becomes Immediate Past-President and finally retires back onto Council as a Past President.MvdH201

Resources Policy, 2020

Abstract The sustainable economic success of open-pit mines depends firstly, on the degree of int... more Abstract The sustainable economic success of open-pit mines depends firstly, on the degree of integrity of the mine planning process and secondly, on the extent to which both spatial and intertemporal requirements of approved mine plans are executed. Accordingly, an open-pit mine meeting short-term production targets may fail to achieve planned spatial targets at the detriment of delivering on its long-term mine plan requirements. Therefore, this paper presents a new approach or framework, embedding compliance driver trees (CDTs) to improve the alignment of spatial and intertemporal execution of mine plan requirements, to the mine planning process. A case study application of the CDT-based approach to an open-pit iron ore mine in South Africa showed that when using a spatial mine-to-plan (M2P) index to measure compliance, the spatial mine-to-plan compliance improved from 74% in 2013 to 92% in 2018. The spatial M2P index plateaued at above 90% in the three years 2016–2018, indicating the implementation maturity of the CDT-based approach. The approach enables improved measurement and management of the spatial mine-to-plan compliance to ensure sustainability of the mining operation by maintaining planned levels of mining operational flexibility. The CDT-based approach can be adapted for practical use by the broader open-pit mining industry for economic sustainability of their operations.

Journal of The South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 2016

Journal of The South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 2017

Journal of The South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 2016

The Merensky and UG2 reefs of the Bushveld Complex in South Africa are currently the largest sour... more The Merensky and UG2 reefs of the Bushveld Complex in South Africa are currently the largest source of known platinum resources and reserves in the world. Conventional, hybrid and mechanised mining methods are used to extract the platinum reefs. Conventional mining is the most prevalent mining method. In conventional mining, development precedes stoping primarily to provide access to and demarcate the stopes. Mining replacement rate is the rate at which development generates new stopes to replace depleting ones thus sustaining production. Therefore it is imperative to adopt an appropriate mining replacement rate that carefully balances development and stoping, noting that financial wisdom demands deferring development as far as possible into School of Mining Engineering, University of Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, WITS 2050, Johannesburg, email: Cuthbert.Musingwini@wits.ac.za. School of Computational and Applied Mathematics, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, Wits 2050,...

This summary was prepared by Sally Braham on behalf of: Prof Cuthbert Musingwini, Head of the Sch... more This summary was prepared by Sally Braham on behalf of: Prof Cuthbert Musingwini, Head of the School of Mining Engineering at the University of the Witwatersrand.

Mine planning is a very important process which is undertaken along the mine value chain. In an i... more Mine planning is a very important process which is undertaken along the mine value chain. In an ideal setting, mine plans should be sufficiently robust to ensure that actual performance is as close to or the same as planned outcomes both in the short and long term. However, this is often not the case and in recent years financiers of mining projects have sometimes resorted to litigating against project proponents, claiming that they were misled into investing in projects that failed to deliver on promised outcomes. These challenges require that more research be undertaken on how robust mine plans can be generated and evaluated to reduce discrepancies between planned and actual outcomes. Accordingly, research findings towards closing the gap between planned and actual outcomes are presented based on lessons learnt from some of the mine planning related postgraduate research work that has recently been undertaken or is currently under way in the School of Mining Engineering at the Uni...

L vii W hen presidents or leaders are elected, it is often customary to expect them to deliver a ... more L vii W hen presidents or leaders are elected, it is often customary to expect them to deliver a speech when they attain their first 100 days in office. Barack Hussein Obama was inaugurated on 20 January 2009 as the 44th President of the United States, and gave a speech on his first 100 days in office on 29 April 2009. As is normal, his speech met with mixed reactions. Critics felt it was as vague as his campaign message, while supporters believed he was delivering on his campaign promises. It is during their first 100 days in office that presidents are scrutinized and watched particularly closely. Fortunately, in the SAIMM we have a rich tradition of leadership succession. Before one becomes President, one must have served at least two years on the SAIMM Council, followed by a year of co-option as an Office Bearer before successively becoming Junior Vice-President, Senior Vice-President, President-Elect, and President; After the term as President, one becomes Immediate Past-President and finally retires back onto Council as a Past President. There are therefore no campaign promises you need to make, as you become accustomed early on to the SAIMM's strategic direction, which you then continue to drive during your one-year Presidential term. I therefore found it prudent to write on my last 100 days in office. The past 100 days have been quite busy, but I also had time to pause and reflect. The SAIMM has weathered the prevailing tough economic times, closely watching our revenue and expenditure streams to ensure that we survive the short-term. However, our long-term strategy remains a robust one of making the Institute a great Institute that we, the members, can all continue to be proud of. For example, support for the Young Professionals Council (YPC) and regional branches has been maintained, because these are critical for growing our membership base into the future. We have managed to grow our membership base to just above the 5000 mark. However, despite the progress we have made, we cannot afford to be complacent because we are not out of the woods yet. The tough economic times are still upon us. My last 100 days have instilled confidence in me that the SAIMM will be around for a very long time to come, but we still need to do more. We still need to organize many viable quality conferences. We need to draw more into our membership ranks. We still need to continue to publish a quality Journal. We still need to continue to encourage each other in volunteering to serve on committees that drive the key activities of the SAIMM. We still need to continually motivate and support our office staff, who carry out the back-office work that ensures we can deliver the quality services that our membership mandates us to provide. There are many in our rank-and-file who can help, and they are encouraged to come forward to keep the wheels turning. The past 100 days have also been an opportunity for me to look back at my experiences as President and share these with future presidents. My broad advice resonates with that of Jeff Immelt, former CEO of General Electric, when he stepped down after 16 years of service and handed over the leadership baton to John Flannery. Jeff said that in his advice to John 'I gave him maybe the most important advice for incoming CEOs, and that is: every job looks easy when you're not the one doing it.' My advice is that it is going to be tough being President, but it is always gratifying when you give of your best. Leadership is about building a strong team. What I have learnt is this: a good leader humbles himself, asks the right questions, listens to advice, is of service to others, and above all, is willing to learn. My last 100 days have taught me to be a better person and I am grateful to the SAIMM for the opportunity of serving you as President. I leave office with a great sense of hope for the future of the SAIMM.

Journal of The South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, 2017