Justification of the marginal boundaries of the Pavlik open-pit mine

The article presents a justification of the marginal boundaries of an open-pit mine using the Pavlik deposit as a case study. The authors performed an analysis and evaluation of the methodology to optimize the open-pit boundaries with account of the economic, environmental and social factors. The Lerchs-Grossmann algorithm is used as the main method to define the final outlines of the open pits. The Lerchs-Grossmann algorithm provides the planning flexibility due to its ability to integrate dynamic data and subsequently adjust the open-pit boundaries. The model is used to calculate the value of each elementary block, defined as the profit earned from selling the extracted mineral, minus the department costs of mining, ore processing and general factory expenses. As a result of the optimization based on the selected algorithm, the optimal set of blocks was formed, which represents the shape of the optimal open-pit for the deposit development. This method makes the use resources more efficient, avoiding the collapse of slopes and other dangerous events, which directly affects the occupational safety. At the same time, the result of optimization calculations is an auxiliary tool for justification of the optimal boundaries, based on the fact that the final solution is established by comparing the boundary and contour stripping ratios.