Beyond average grade: a spatial view of your stockpile

Understanding and tracking material is central to successful stockpile management. Knowing where each load came from, where it was placed, and what was later reclaimed connects the material mined with the material sent to the plant. Using these records to understand and manage stockpiles supports three practical outcomes: more accurate knowledge of the material, better control of plant feed and blending, and improved reconciliation.

1. Understand the material in your stockpiles more accurately

A stockpile contains material mined for processing now or stored for later. Its tonnage and average grade describe the stockpile as a whole, but grade can vary considerably from one location to another. A high-grade (HG) stockpile, for example, can contain loads from across the grade range assigned to that category.

This variation is particularly important in large, lower-grade stockpiles built over long periods. Material from different mining areas is placed at different times and locations. Tracking those loads links the grade recorded at their source to the parts of the stockpile where they were placed. A 3D stockpile model uses this history to estimate how grade is distributed through the stockpile.

The same approach is useful for marginal stockpiles held for possible future processing. In some operations, tracking material currently classified as waste also preserves information for reassessment as commodity prices, processing costs, and operating conditions change. Retaining the material source, grade, and location helps teams assess these stockpiles over longer time horizons.

2. Optimize plant feed through stockpile management and blending

Understanding grade at different stockpile locations provides a stronger basis for reclaim planning. Teams can assess which areas to reclaim, in what sequence, and how much material to combine from each area. This supports plant feed decisions based on the material being reclaimed, rather than assigning the whole-stockpile average to every load.

Where suitable data is available, this assessment can include material characteristics that affect processing, often called geometallurgical properties. Linking these properties to stockpile locations helps teams consider both grade and expected processing behaviour when planning blends. The purpose is to manage the material delivered to the crusher and plant in a way that supports processing targets and value from mine to mill.

3. Improve reconciliation by understanding material movements

Reconciliation becomes more useful when teams can explain how a stockpile location received its estimated grade and tonnage. That requires a record of the loads placed there, the material removed, and the source information associated with those movements.

Following these movements connects the opening stockpile balance, additions, reclaim, and closing balance. When surveyed quantities or plant results differ from expectations, teams can trace the relevant loads and stockpile locations to investigate the difference. This makes it easier to review grade assumptions, check movement records, and understand what remains in the stockpile.

Put load tracking to work with MineDash

MineDash™ Stockpile Manager uses a physics-based stockpile management workflow to help geologists and mine planners track every load into and out of a stockpile. It brings load records, placement, reclaim, estimated tonnes, and grade together in a shared 3D view.

Using this data to understand and manage stockpiles gives teams a practical connection between material knowledge, plant feed planning, and reconciliation. Complete movement records and reliable source grades strengthen that connection, helping teams make better use of the material they have already mined.