Predicting the Re-Entry Time at Chirano Gold Mine Limited Southwestern Ghana using VentSim Simulation Software

Abstract

Re-entry into blast fume affected underground areas is a safety and productivity concern for most mines. Overestimation of the re-entry time may improve clearance of noxious gases but can result in production delays  and decrease overall productivity while underestimation of the re-entry time will also lead to safety and  health problems. At Chirano Gold Mine Limited (CGML), studies show that, the blastmen use their experience to  guess the re-entry time and most often their guesses overestimate or underestimate the re-entry time. This  project seeks to eradicate the guess of the re-entry time by conducting explosive simulations using VentSim  software to serve as a tool to predict the re-entry time of any development blast. In this work, three different  ventilation models were run to evaluate the re-entry time in single and multiple headings. The models were  based on the Paboase mine at CGML. The results showed that, the VentSim can serve the purpose of always  predicting the re-entry time and by comparing the data collected with the results from the three scenarios, it is  very clear that the blastmen in their guess of the re-entry time always overestimate it.