The Problem

Ore passes are critical infrastructure in underground mining operations, enabling the efficient movement of broken ore between levels. However, they also present persistent operational and safety challenges. Hang-ups and blockages can interrupt production, create uncertainty about the location and condition of material within the pass, and expose personnel to high-risk activities when intervention is required. Traditional approaches to clearing blockages, including blasting, mechanical intervention or the introduction of water, can increase exposure to hazards such as uncontrolled material release, mud-rushes and damage to ore-pass infrastructure.

The Opportunity

There is a clear opportunity to develop and trial a practical sensing solution that can detect the location of ore-pass blockages and provide operators with better information before decisions are made on how to respond. Fibre optic sensing technology offers a promising pathway because it can provide distributed measurements along the length of an installed fibre, enabling acoustic, vibration and strain signals associated with material movement, flow interruption and blockage formation to be detected and interpreted.

Mining3 has significant experience applying fibre optic sensing technologies to mining operations, including applications involving ground response, movement and vibration detection in challenging underground environments. This capability provides a strong foundation for developing the sensing configuration, data processing methods and operational outputs required to translate fibre optic measurements into actionable information for ore-pass management.

Call to action

Support is now sought from industry partners to advance this opportunity through a staged development and field trial program. By participating, sponsors can help validate a solution with the potential to reduce ore-pass uncertainty, improve operational decision-making and materially enhance safety in one of underground mining’s hazardous operating areas.