Longitudinal Stope Splitting

The Stope Splitting tools in MSO post-processing allows you to subdivide larger stopes into smaller units for more practical scheduling and operational implementation.

The Longitudinal splitting strategy splits stopes along their length, aligned to the chosen axis (U or V). It’s useful for long, narrow stopes that require length-based segmentation.

You choose this type of splitting using the Post Processing screen's LongitudinalSplitting Type.

In more detail:

Longitudinal Stope Splitting divides a stope along the strike or length of the orebody, producing a series of narrower stopes aligned with the dominant geological direction. This approach is commonly used where orebodies are elongated and continuity is strongest along strike.

This method is useful when:

  • The orebody extends significantly in one direction.

  • Mining is planned to progress along strike rather than across width.

  • Long stopes need to be broken into manageable sections.

  • Sequencing, access, or ventilation benefits from along-strike segmentation.

By aligning splits with geological continuity, longitudinal splitting can preserve grade trends and improve the practicality of extraction.

Things to watch out for:

  • Longitudinal splitting can create very narrow stopes if applied to short or irregular orebodies.

  • If geological continuity varies along strike, splits may separate higher- and lower-quality material in unexpected ways.

  • Care should be taken to ensure split lengths remain compatible with mining equipment and sequencing plans.

As with all stope splitting methods, results should be reviewed visually to confirm that the resulting stopes are mineable and align with operational intent.

Longitudinal versus Transverse Splitting

The rule of thumb when choosing between these methods is:

Aspect Transverse Splitting Longitudinal Splitting
Split direction Across the orebody width Along the orebody length
Relation to strike Perpendicular to strike Parallel to strike
Best suited to Wide orebodies Long, continuous orebodies
Primary goal Control span and stope width Preserve along-strike continuity
Typical stope shape Shorter, wider sections Longer, narrower sections
Impact on geology May break along-strike trends Preserves geological trends
Mining progression Across strike Along strike
Common use case Ground control or stability focus Sequencing and continuity focus

Create Longitudinal Splits

Activity steps:

  1. Create an MSO scenario and define a block model.

  2. Configure other settings as required.

  3. Display the Post Processing screen.

  4. Check Use Stope Splitting.

  5. Expand Splitting Type and select Longitudinal.

  6. Choose U or V Split Axis for longitudinal splitting.

  7. Define the number of equal segments (Splits) to divide each stope.

  8. Save your settings and continue defining other post-processing options.

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