BME claims world record for most electronic detonators fired in single blast
EXPLOSIVE EXCELLENCE The blast was conducted in the main pit of Kansanshi and involved 6 690 electronic delay detonators that were initiated using BME’s Axxis digital initiation system
Photo by BME
Johannesburg-headquartered explosives and services supplier BME says it has broken the world record for the most electronic detonators fired in a single blast.
This was achieved in conjunction with its client, Kansanshi Mining, at its Kansanshi operation, in Zambia’s North-Western province. Kansanshi Mining is a subsidiary of metals mining company First Quantum Minerals.
The blast was conducted on September 29 in the main pit of Kansanshi, which is the largest copper mine in Africa by copper production, and involved 6 690 electronic delay detonators (EDDs). These were successfully initiated using BME’s Axxis digital initiation system.
BME Zambia area manager Wayde De Bruin points out that all the holes were single-primed, with a setup that included nine different shots, 18 slave blasting boxes and one master box.
He comments that the blast moved about 455 000 bank cubic metres and consumed a total of 400 t of emulsion explosives, thereby yielding an overall average powder factor of 0.9 kg/m3. “The blasts were offset to keep the mass charge per delay to a minimum, with the highest timing recorded on this blast being 6 520 m/s.”
Further, BME’s Axxis global product manager, Tinus Brits, highlights that the company’s technical ability had again been showcased by continually pushing the boundaries through its innovations and in-house research capacity.
“This blast follows previous records that BME achieved in the past with our EDDs, as, about two years ago at Kansanshi, we set an in-house record with 4 141 EDDs in a single blast.”
Comments
Research Reports
Projects
Latest Multimedia
Latest News
Showroom
Weir Minerals Europe, Middle East and Africa is a global supplier of excellent minerals solutions, including pumps, valves, hydrocyclones,...
VISIT SHOWROOM
From batteries for boats and jet skis, to batteries for cars and quad bikes, SABAT Batteries has positioned itself as the lifestyle battery of...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Press Office
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation
