Orica (ASX: ORI), today announced the release of its latest OREPro™ 3D Predict modelling software that predicts blast movement in near real-time and optimises grade control value. 

Over 30 years of Research and Development (R&D) coupled with significant cloud-based computing power have led to the creation of OREPro™ 3D Predict software, a near real-time blast movement simulator and grade control polygon optimiser – leveraging on the power of Orica’s original OREPro™ 3D modelling expertise with an addition of the enhanced predictive SmartVector™ technology.

No longer are blast designers relying on simple rules of thumb or luck to optimise blasting for grade control, OREPro™ 3D Predict opens the door to iterative designs and the quantification of value in each blast design. Using readily available mine data as inputs, including blast designs and in-situ block models, sophisticated physics-based algorithms predict movement dynamics throughout the entire blast volume to create a swelled post-blast grade control block model. The polygon optimisation tools will then suggest delineations that can help achieve the highest value possible.

Orica Vice President Digital Solutions Rajkumar Mathiravedu said: “Orica’s purpose is to mobilise the earth’s resources sustainably and we aim to achieve this by integrating end to end workflows across the mining value chain, and it all starts with a better understanding of the orebody and the way in which it moves during extraction. 

With OREPro™ 3D Predict, our customers can now predict blast results, allowing blast designers to rapidly create blasts that increase value in near-real time instead of waiting until the blast is excavated to understand the impacts.”

Understanding where the rock mass has moved during the blast is critical to separating ore and waste effectively and creating downstream efficiencies in the mining process. OREPro™ 3D Predict takes this a step further by simulating post-blast topography when it cannot be surveyed safely, handling complex boundary conditions with ease, and providing enhanced transparency by animating the entire predicted movement.

OREPro™ 3D Predict further enhances Orica’s Digital Solutions offerings by allowing customers to plan effectively and track material through complex interactions with the surrounding geology. This product is a cornerstone of iterative optimisation and complements the industry’s leading reactive software OREPro™ 3D, creating value for its customers through a complete grade control workflow offering.