Ultimate Pit Limit Optimization Method with Integrated Consideration of Ecological Cost, Slope Safety and Benefits: A Case Study of Heishan Open Pit Coal Mine

Xiaochuan Xu, Zhenguo Zhu (), Luqing Ye, Xiaowei Gu (), Qing Wang, Yunqi Zhao, Siyi Liu and Yuqi Zhao
Additional contact information
Xiaochuan Xu: School of Resource and Civil Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China
Zhenguo Zhu: School of Resource and Civil Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China
Luqing Ye: National Energy Group Xinjiang Zhundong Energy Co., Ltd., Changji 831700, China
Xiaowei Gu: School of Resource and Civil Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China
Qing Wang: School of Resource and Civil Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China
Yunqi Zhao: School of Resource and Civil Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China
Siyi Liu: School of Resource and Civil Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China
Yuqi Zhao: School of Resource and Civil Engineering, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China

Sustainability, 2024, vol. 16, issue 13, 1-29

Abstract: The ecological impacts of mining and the instability of slopes are the key factors restricting the safe, efficient, and low-carbon production of open-pit mines. This study focused on the ultimate pit limit (UPL) optimization under the concept of sustainability by integrating consideration of the economic benefit, ecological impact, and slope geometry. The integrated UPL optimization model based on the floating cone method was proposed by establishing a quantitative model for ecological impacts arising from open-pit coal mining in arid or semi-arid weak ecological land and a cost calculation model of slope reinforcement based on the Monte Carlo method. The case study revealed that steepening the slope angle of given regions resulted in random variations in the quantity of ore rock and the limit morphology. There was an average economic profit rise of USD 9.54M with every 1° increase in slope angle, but the probability of slope instability and the reinforcement cost grows exponentially. In the arid or semi-arid weak ecological land, the ecological costs exceeded 20% of the mines’ average pure economic gains. The proposed optimization method contributes to obtaining an integrated optimal UPL, improving the benefits and the ore recovery rate.

Keywords: open-pit coal mine; ultimate pit limit optimization; vulnerable ecological regions; ecological cost; slope safety (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/13/5393/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/13/5393/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2024:i:13:p:5393-:d:1421791

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().