SHERPA
COST-ESTIMATING SOFTWARE FOR SURFACE MINES
Photo by Don Keill
Sherpa for Surface Mines is an innovative, engineering-based software system that helps you estimate the costs of open-pit mining. Sherpa combines engineering-based estimating procedures with cost data from
Western Mine Engineering, Inc.'s Mining Cost Service to determine the pertinent capital and operating costs
associated with surface development and mining.
Sherpa for Surface Mines offers:
- Quick estimates based upon minimal project information (e.g., reserves, production rate, haul distances). Sherpa provides suggested values for all necessary engineering parameters, including items such as hole loading factors,
material densities, explosive types, and bench heights. If instructed to do so, the program then proceeds to determine all
pertinent costs with no further user input.
- Detailed estimates in which experienced estimators can override any or all of Sherpa's suggested engineering parameters by simply assigning values for each item. Equipment, supply, and manpower requirement values suggested by the program may also be overwritten.
This feature allows you to incorporate your experience directly into the algorithms used by the program.
- All necessary salaries, hourly wages, and equipment and supply prices, drawn directly from a cost database included with the program.
- An intuitive method of overwriting most of the information contained in the cost database. For instance, local wage information may be used in place of the wages supplied with the database.
Since costs can be adjusted for local conditions, the program is applicable worldwide.
- A fully menu-driven environment in which all screens are carefully designed for clarity and ease of use.
- A user's manual that fully explains software operation, utility functions, and program algorithms. Also included is a detailed tutorial example which enables you to quickly
learn the primary features of the program.
- Help screens for each entry. These screens explain the type of information requested and the way in which Sherpa determines its suggested values.
Help screens also provide alternate data that can used to modify Sherpa's suggested values.
- Evaluations using either English or Metric units.
- Complete project output reports may be sent directly to any printer. In addition, program output may be saved to text files
which can then be imported into word processing software to further enhance printed output.
HERE'S How Sherpa for Surface Mines works:
our approach to estimating
costs
The cost estimating techniques used by Sherpa rely on a number of project-specific engineering parameters, such as material densities and swell, powder factors,
rolling resistance, drill penetration rates, drill bit and rod wear, and bench heights. These parameters, along with user specified haul profiles and ore and waste production rates, provide
the foundation upon which the cost estimate is based. You may, of course, enter all these values directly into Sherpa and manipulate them as needed. However, in cases where some or all of this information
is unavailable, Sherpa suggests reasonable entries. In addition to its suggested entries, Sherpa's help screens provide guidance in determining alternate values.
Sherpa's suggested entries allow you to complete reasonable estimates with a minimal amount of information. The only items that absolutely must be specified are daily
production rate, shift schedules, haul distances and gradients for both ore and waste, and the total resource size.
Equipment Selection
Once production and deposit data have been entered, Sherpa begins the process of selecting equipment. With Sherpa, you either specify you own fleet, or request that the software
perform the task. If Sherpa suggests the fleet, standard engineering techniques are used to select the types and determine the sizes of the excavators and haulers. The program then goes through
an optimization process to determine the most economically attractive excavator/hauler combination.
Excavator and hauler productivities are determined using widely accepted engineering techniques. Equipment availability, bucket fill factors, material densities and swell, fixed cycle times, and travel speeds
(adjusted for load and gradient) are all considered when determining productivity.
Once excavators and haulers have been selected, the program examines the specified powder factors, bench heights, and production requirements to select the type and determine the size of the blasthole drills.
Requirements for ancillary equipment, including graders, pumps, dozers, lighting plants, water tankers, pick-up trucks, maintenance trucks, and explosives loaders are
also provided. You may, of course, alter any or all of the fleet
selected by Sherpa by simply overwriting the suggested values.
Cost Estimates
With the equipment fleet specified, Sherpa begins the task of determining requirements for all other aspects of the operation. The numbers of hourly and salaried workers required to meet the specified production rate are estimated.
Consumption rates for all pertinent supplies, including blasting materials, drill bits and rods, diesel fuel, electricity, repair parts, lubricants, and tires are calculated. The sizes of the shop, mine office, change house, and warehouse are provided,
as are requirements for explosives storage facilities and the electrical distribution system. Sherpa also estimates pre-production development and haul road requirements, as well as working capital, engineering, and management parameters.
Once all necessary cost engineering parameters have been determined, they are used in conjunction with the information contained in the cost database to calculate all relevant capital
and operating costs. The results are then displayed on the screen or sent to a printer.
DEVELOPED BY: AVENTURINE ENGINEERING, INC.
IN CONJUNCTION WITH WESTERN MINE
ENGINEERING, INC.
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