Engineering and Mining Journal - Whether the market is copper, gold, nickel, iron ore, lead/zinc, PGM, diamonds or other commodities, E&MJ takes the lead in projecting trends, following development and reporting on the most efficient operating pr
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MINING SOF TWARE gramming languages to learn, with comprehensive mathematical tools. Through Python, users can create their own solution, developing tools specific to their needs and running their own Python programs on top of Micromine. MICROMINE says Python is supported by many third-party packages and libraries, providing geospatial, statistical, graphic and user interface design tools, among others. In addition, Micromine 2013 incorporates Seam Block Models (SBM) along with the associated seam modeling workflow. Seam modeling tools simplify the creation of SBMs, including splits, plies, overburden and interburden, even in stratigraphically complex areas. Micromine said its stratigraphy display helps validate and visualize even the most complex seam hierarchy. Micromine's stratigraphic modeling tools honor the original data, with smart tools that handle seam pinching and missing holes, producing a geologically correct model. Micromine 2013 includes simple tools for generating surfaces and solids. Using these tools it is easy to create 3-D models without needing a deep understanding of geostatistics and interpolation. These models can then be used on their own as visualization tools, or as templates for a traditional interpretation. The latest version also incorporates new features and improved functionality related to Vizex, Micromine's 3-D display functionality that allows users to interactively display, query and edit multiple data layers. Micromine 2013 will include seam correlation, annotation layers, seismic SEG-Y, drillhole solid, color/hatch/symbol sets, line styles and stereo 3-D. Implicit Confidence in Computing Mintec unveiled several new features in the latest version (7.8) of its MineSight software platform, including implicit modeling technology. The company said its Implicit Modeler is unique as part of a general mine planning software package, allowing geologists to rapidly build models and grade shells directly from drillholes. Also new is MineSight Reserve, which is claimed to consolidate the power of MineSight's previous specialized reserve engines. Easier to use and with superior reporting capability, MineSight Reserve improves on the former engines with several enhancements. These include a completely integrated reserve calculation and reporting engine. The Unified Reserves Engine (URE) can be leveraged as a reserve calculation tool for scheduling tools throughout MineSight. URE supports 3-D block modeling and stratigraphic models, as well as greatly improving the ability to classify reserves. Other features include: multiple grouping fields for reporting; dynamic material classification; calculated fields, which allow creation of calculated grade items on-thefly; an easier-to-use interface; built-in reserve calculation auditing functions; and direct export of reports to Microsoft Excel, CSV, PDF and several other formats. Customers using MineSight's latest Haulage software now can apply the reporting and charting functionality of ARC, MineSight's Advanced Reporting and Charting tool. Included in the recent release of MineSight Haulage V.4, ARC offers a wide range of reporting and charting options, including pivot reports, detailed reports, pre-defined templates and custom templates. MineSight 3-D (MS3D) Version 7.8 integrates with Autodesk's RealDWG toolkit, enabling improved sharing of data between AutoCAD and MS3D. The release updates the software's DXF import/export to the latest standard and adds full DWG import/export capability. The inclusion of DWG support means convenience for clients exchanging large projects between AutoCAD and MS3D. Mintec said DWG, a native, binary format, is more efficient than the open, ASCII DXF format. DWG yields files that are several times smaller than DXF formatted data. Mintec's newest version of MineSight Strategic Planner (V.3.6), also includes ARC reporting and adds improved input and validation for entry of shovels, trucks and destinations and lifts. According to the company, MSSP offers the level of detail demanded by the mining industry for full feasibility studies of new and existing mines. It ensures that the long-term life-of-mine plan can be used effectively by short and medium-term mine planners as guidelines for their work. MSSP analyzes bench pushback reserves, material destinations and haulage parameters to provide a feasible life of mine schedule that maximizes net present value. It considers all operating constraints while meeting or exceeding project-specific objectives, period production goals and quality targets. New Avenues for Evaluation Micromine 2013 supports rotated block models, which are models with axes that are not parallel to the coordinate system. One, two and three dimension rotations are possible. 58 E&MJ; • APRIL 2013 GEOVIA, formerly known as Gemcom Software prior to acquisition in 2012 by Dassault Systèmes, released the latest version (6.5) of the GEMS geology and mine planning software application. The new version, said the company, provides tools that enable easier drillhole design, and then allow users to rapidly produce and evaluate solids from the drillhole information in ways that were not previously possible, freeing more time for evaluation and analysis. A new Dynamic Shells module allows geologists to model geologic data for visualization of grade data. Fully integrated with GEMS, this tool is designed to save time when initially evaluating deposits and www.e-mj.com