🔹 1. Introduction

Production Planning & Scheduling is the central framework that determines how a surface mine operates every single day.
It ensures:

• Correct daily/weekly/monthly targets
• Balanced shovel–truck allocation
• Achievement of annual coal/ore production
• Controlled stripping ratio
• Minimum cost per tonne
• Compliance with DGMS & Mining Plan requirements

A well-designed production plan guarantees high productivity, safety, and profitability.

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🔹 2. Levels of Mine Planning in Surface Mines 

  ⭐ A. Long-Term Planning (10–20 years)

• Final pit design
• Ultimate pit limits (UPL)
• Resource/reserve estimation
• Waste dump & infrastructure planning
• Mine life & investment decisions

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⭐ B. Medium-Term Planning (3–5 years)

• Annual production targets
• Equipment fleet requirement
• Bench & face development
• Haul road master plan
• Scheduling of dump expansion

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⭐ C. Short-Term Planning (Daily–Weekly–Monthly)

• Daily tonnage target
• Truck allocation per shovel
• Drilling & blasting schedule
• Fuel & maintenance plan
• Grade control strategy

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🔹 3. Key Components of Production Planning

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⭐ 1) Stripping Ratio (SR) Critical economic parameter.

• Low SR → High profitability
• High SR → Expensive operation

Optimum SR is defined in Mining Plan & DGMS-approved documents.

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⭐ 2) Shovel–Truck Matching To avoid idle time and bottlenecks:

Example:
Shovel bucket = 10 m³ → Ideal truck = 30–50 m³.

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⭐ 3) Cycle Time Analysis Cycle includes:

1. Loading Time
2. Hauling Time
3. Dumping Time
4. Return Time

Truck Productivity:

C = truck capacity
U = utilization
CT = cycle time

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⭐ 4) Equipment Availability & Utilization

• Mechanical Availability: 85–90%
• Effective Utilization: 60–70%

Factors affecting utilization:

• Idle waiting
• Poor haul roads
• Longer cycle times
• Blasting delays

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⭐ 5) Drilling & Blasting Planning

• Hole diameter
• Burden & spacing
• Powder factor
• Blast timing
• Pre-split / controlled blasting to protect slope

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⭐ 6) Haul Road Planning Haul road gradient: 8–10% max
Width: 3× truck width
Should include:

• Proper drainage
• Berms
• Passing bays

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⭐ 7) Grade Control & Quality Planning Ensures consistent output quality. Methods:

• Blast hole sampling
• ROM segregation
• Stockpile blending
• Route trucks to appropriate crushers/stockpiles

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⭐ 8) Dump Planning (OB/Waste Management) Dump decisions depend on:

• Angle of repose
• Slope stability
• Distance from pit
• Rehabilitation plan
• Regulatory permissions

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🔹 4. Scheduling in Surface Mining

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⭐ Daily Scheduling

• Shift-wise production targets
• Truck deployment sheet
• Drilling & blasting timings
• Fuel availability
• Pumping plan

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⭐ Weekly Scheduling

• Bench advancement
• Face opening
• Road construction
• Slope trimming & dozing

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⭐ Monthly Scheduling

• Monthly tonnage review
• OB/coal/ore performance
• Equipment maintenance schedule
• Grade consistency

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⭐ Annual Production Plan

• Total overburden (OB) target
• Ore/coal target
• Required fleet size
• Operating hours & manpower
• Contractual equipment scheduling

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🔹 5. Key Mining KPIs (Performance Indicators)

KPI	Meaning	Ideal Range
OEE	Overall Equipment Efficiency	50–65%
UA/MA	Utilization / Mechanical Availability	60–70% / 85–90%
BCM	Bank Cubic Meter moved	Mine dependent
Cost/tonne	Operational efficiency	Lower = better
Fuel consumption	Diesel/Energy efficiency	Optimized daily

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🔹 6. Production Cycle – Text Diagram DRILLING → BLASTING → LOADING → HAULING → DUMPING → RETURNING → REPEAT Each cycle directly affects total daily production.

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🔹 7. Common Problems Affecting Production

• Poor fragmentation
• Equipment mismatch
• Rainfall/monsoon hazards
• Congested haul roads
• Frequent truck queues
• Slope failures
• Breakdown beyond allowable limits

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🔹 8. Production Planning Tools Used in Modern Mines

• MinePlanner
• Surpac
• Datamine
• Hexagon MineOps
• Fleet Management Systems (FMS)
• Dispatch Optimization Software

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🔹 9. Text Diagram – Hierarchy of Planning LONG-TERM PLAN ↓ MEDIUM-TERM PLAN ↓ ANNUAL PRODUCTION PLAN ↓ MONTHLY PLAN ↓ WEEKLY PLAN ↓ DAILY TARGETS ↓ SHIFT-WISE KPIs

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🔥 25 MCQs (DGMS Pattern) with Answers

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1) Production planning starts with — 

a) Blasting
b) Fuel storage
c) Mine planning
d) Truck dispatch
e) None
Answer: c

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2) Stripping ratio is — 

a) Ore/OB
b) OB/Ore
c) Trucks/Shovels
d) Density × volume
e) None
Answer: b

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3) Shovel–truck matching improves —

a) Lighting
b) Productivity
c) Roof support
d) Explosive intensity
e) None
Answer: b

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4) Cycle time includes —

a) Only hauling
b) Only dumping
c) Loading + Hauling + Dumping + Returning
d) Drilling
e) None
Answer: c

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5) Haul road gradient in mines —

a) 2–3%
b) 8–10%
c) 40%
d) 0%
e) None
Answer: b

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6) Best availability range —

a) 30–40%
b) 50–60%
c) 85–90%
d) 100%
e) None
Answer: c

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7) Powder factor refers to —

a) Coal quality
b) Drill accuracy
c) Explosive used per tonne
d) Truck capacity
e) None
Answer: c

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8) Grade control is done by —

a) Tyre pressure
b) Sampling & blending
c) Drainage
d) Ventilation
e) None
Answer: b

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9) Daily scheduling includes —

a) Mine life
b) UPL design
c) Shift targets
d) Fence building
e) None
Answer: c

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10) OEE stands for —

a) Overall Engine Efficiency
b) Overall Equipment Efficiency
c) Overburden Efficiency Estimate
d) Ore Extraction Efficiency
e) None
Answer: b

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11) Blocked haul roads increase —

a) Grade
b) Safety
c) Cycle time
d) Bench slope
e) None
Answer: c

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12) Good fragmentation helps —

a) More dust
b) Faster loading
c) Low coal grade
d) Poor slope
e) None
Answer: b

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13) Annual plan includes —

a) Only drilling
b) OB + coal/ore targets
c) Ventilation speed
d) Bench alignment
e) None
Answer: b

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14) A truck queue at shovel leads to —

a) Higher productivity
b) Good blending
c) Low shovel utilization
d) Better gradients
e) None
Answer: c

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15) Dump planning aims to reduce —

a) Drilling
b) Haul distance
c) Hardness
d) Grade variation
e) None
Answer: b

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16) Effective utilization considers —

a) Total calendar hours
b) Actual operating hours
c) Tire size
d) Explosive type
e) None
Answer: b

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17) Bench advancement is part of —

a) Long-term plan
b) Weekly/Monthly plan
c) Yearly plan
d) Blasting plan
e) None
Answer: b

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18) Longer haul distance —

a) Improves productivity
b) Increases cycle time
c) No effect
d) Increases dump height
e) None
Answer: b

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19) Good blasting reduces —

a) Rock strength
b) Shovel digging effort
c) Pit depth
d) Density
e) None
Answer: b

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20) Dispatch system controls —

a) Workers
b) Explosive timing
c) Lights
d) Real-time truck allocation
e) None
Answer: d

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21) Monthly planning includes —

a) Ultimate pit slope
b) Blast schedule
c) Core logging
d) Shaft sinking
e) None
Answer: b

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22) Dump stability depends on —

a) Rainfall
b) Haul road
c) Angle of repose
d) Powder factor
e) None
Answer: c

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23) Productivity increases when —

a) Trucks wait more
b) Cycle time reduces
c) Bench increases
d) Gradient increases
e) None
Answer: b

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24) Grade consistency achieved by —

a) Excess blasting
b) Spray water
c) Blending & sorting
d) Long benches
e) None
Answer: c

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25) Production depends mainly on —

a) Color of rock
b) Crew uniform
c) Fleet size & cycle time
d) Overloading
e) None
Answer: c

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🔚 Conclusion 

Production Planning & Scheduling is the heart of surface mining operations.
Through scientific control of:

• Stripping ratio
• Fleet matching
• Cycle time
• Bench advancement
• Blasting
• Grade control
• Waste dumping
• Daily/weekly/monthly targets

…mines achieve maximum productivity with minimum cost and full compliance with DGMS norms. Smart planning = Safe mining + High efficiency.

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