MRIWA portfolio overview – Expand the Mining Envelope
Discover recently completed and current projects in the program area Expand the Mining Envelope
Research activity within MRIWA’s research priority program area Expand the Mining Envelope is intended to systematically advance knowledge working towards solutions for mining more ore from challenging deposits, create engineering capability and demonstrate technical feasibility of mining more selectively and deeper.
As at 30 June 2020, the investment in the program is comprised of:
- MRIWA contribution $3.9m
- Third-party contribution $6.6m
- Total grant value $9.9m
Find out more about the themes and intended outcomes under this program.
Follow the links below to individual projects, or view all case studies within the specific theme areas:
- Deep and complex extraction systems;
- Engineering in highly stressed and complex rock masses;
- Mining technology.
If you can’t find information on our website about a specific project, or if you have a research need or project idea relevant to this program, contact us to discuss further.
Themes
Deep and complex extraction systems
| Project Name | Lead Organisation | Status |
| Evaluation of in-situ barrier technology for risk mitigation and extraction optimisation for in-situ-recovery operations (M0545) | Curtin University | Current |
| Towards a mechanistic understanding of electrokinetic in situ leaching (M0544) | University of Western Australia | Current |
| Lixiviant access creation in impermeable hard rock mass for the in situ underground leaching of metals from ore (M0529) | Murdoch University | Current |
Engineering in highly stressed and complex rock masses
| Project Name | Lead Organisation | Status |
| Ground support systems optimisations (M0431) | Australian Centre for Geomechanics | Report released |
| Probabilistic stope design (M0489) | Australian Centre for Geomechanics | Report released |
| Establishing the in situ rock bolt behaviour underground in order to model and design improved rock bolt support systems (M0499) | Curtin University | Current |
| Ground support systems optimisation, Phase 2 – (M0497) | Australian Centre for Geomechanics | Current |
| Rock properties to predict rockburst vulnerability in three dimensions (M0464) | Australian Centre for Geomechanics | Current |
Mining technology
| Project Name | Lead Organisation | Status |
| Development and evaluation of fume free explosives for underground blasting applications (M0482) | Mining3 | Report released |
| Real-time mining face grade determination using hyperspectral imaging techniques (M0518) | Plotlogic Pty Ltd | Completed |
| Hard rock disc cutting technologies: Fundamentals of cutter/rock interaction and rock failure mechanism (M0487) | Mining3 | Current |
| Physics models for ore tracking in surface mines (M0522) | Mining3 | Current |
| Safe, sustainable management of filtered tailings (M0510) | University of Western Australia | Current |
Safety, Social and Environmental Sustainability
| Project Name | Lead Organisation | Status |
| A study of nano diesel particulate matter (nDPM) behaviour and physico-chemical changes in underground hard rock mines of Western Australia (M0495) | ChemCentre | Report released |
Page was last reviewed 11 May 2021