Underground mine planning for stope-based methods

As mineral resources exhausted in near-surface deposits of the earth crust, mining operations focus on going more in-depth. Increasing environmental concerns make underground mining more preferable because it is less harmful than surface mining. On the other hand, high operating costs of underground mining bring significant challenges to mining companies. To deal with the challenges associated with high operating costs of underground mining, the mining companies put their efforts to reduce cost and increase the efficacy of mining practices. In current practice, the problem is divided into three sub-problems: stope layout optimization, access road and network, and stope sequencing. Effects of this division on the optimality and computational efficiency are discussed. This paper also analyses recent developments in underground mining planning in such a way as to enhance the efficacy of the operations. New research avenues are proposed.