COMRES Process

To access this process:

See this process in the Command Table.

Process Overview

Generates a file that contains summary results from a number of different RESULTS files, that have been produced by processes such as  MODRES or TRIVAL.

The output file generated is suitable for subsequent mine planning and scheduling purposes, such as interactive production scheduling (PRODSH). The file will contain reserve figures for production units that have been classified by the user into primary and secondary categories, and it will contain all grade fields that are contained in the input RESULTS files.

Production scheduling requires some initial definition of the quantities and grades of the mining units to be scheduled. The final product of any evaluation is a comprehensive RESULTS file that contains data describing the mining reserves. There are a number of standard fields in a RESULTS file, which allow each logical part of an evaluation to be stored as a data record with entries including the tonnage, volume, grade(s), grade intervals, block model position, perimeter numbers and wireframe zone numbers.

The COMRES process accepts the input from one or more such RESULTS files (maximum 20) and generates a RESERVE file, which will be used for subsequent production scheduling. Each record of the RESERVE file describes the tonnage and grade of a production unit. The classification of production units stems from user selection of various options during the operation of COMRES. This allows production units to be classified into primary and secondary categories, based on criteria available from the RESULTS files. This flexibility allows the scheduling extension module to be used for both open pit and underground mining applications.

Two numeric fields in the RESERVE file, PNUM and SNUM, contain the primary and secondary numbers for each production unit. The data entries in these fields come directly from the input RESULTS files or are assigned logically according to the selected classification option, e.g. if the secondary classification is based on perimeters, the SNUM values will come from the PERIMID values in the RESULTS file(s). If a number of RESULTS files are input, and primary classification by model is required, the PNUM entries will increment 1, 2, 3 etc. for each RESULTS file.

If secondary classification is by ore/waste, the SNUM values will be either 1 for ore or 2 for waste. Another alphanumeric field, UNIT, allows a clear primary descriptor to be assigned for each production unit, which will appear on the schedule screen in the PRODSH process.

The production rate at which each production unit will be mined may also be defined in the COMRES process. The RESERVE file is a normal Datamine binary file, and so may be listed, edited or joined with other files using the available relational database facilities.

Results Files

Enter the name of each RESULTS file, followed by <return>. Typing <?> will show a list of the currently selected RESULTS files. Typing a back arrow, <, will clear all the filenames entered and reprompt from the beginning. Entries are terminated by just typing <return>.  Pressing <!> will terminate the process.  When more than one RESULTS file is entered, it is expected that each contains the same grade fields.

Production Rates

Enter required production rate for each RESULTS file.  Pressing <return> will put absent data into the production rate data record for that RESULTS file.  These production rate values may be initialized or modified in the PRODSH production scheduling process.  These values will be stored in the PRATE field of the RESERVE file.

Production Unit Classification

For production scheduling purpose, production units are classified from data held in the RESULTS files, and this may be done in a number of ways.  A primary and optionally a secondary means of classification is available, allowing a number of features during production scheduling. 

If more than one RESULTS file has been entered, the user will get the following prompt:

> IS THE SAME TYPE OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY CLASSIFICATION REQUIRED FOR EACH RESULTS FILE [Y]/N  > If N or NO is entered, the user will get primary and secondary classification options for each RESULTS file that has been entered.

If the default option has been taken for the above prompt, then the classification selected below will used for each of the supplied RESULTS files.

Primary Classification

Options are:

  1. Model or Sample File
  2. Plane
  3. Perimeter
  4. Zone

Enter number for required type of primary classification, which will determine the manner of primary tonnage and grade accumulation, in addition to the primary names and numbers in the output RESERVE file. Just typing <return> will take the default 'MODEL' or 'SAMPLE FILE' (from a SECTED evaluation) primary classification.

Secondary Classification

Options are:

  1. No secondary classification
  2. Plane
  3. Perimeter
  4. Zone
  5. Ore/Waste
  6. Grade Interval

Enter number for required type of secondary classification. Just typing <return> will take the default, omitting any secondary classification.

These primary and secondary classification prompts will be repeated for each RESULTS file entered, if a a separate means of classification for each file was requested above.

Once the primary and secondary classification is complete the RESERVE file will be generated.

Output Files

Name

I/O Status

Required

Type

Description

RESERVE

Output

Yes

Undefined

The output file generated, for use in subsequent scheduling processes, such as PRODSH. It will contain the following fields, in addition to all of the grade fields in the RESULTS file(s). UNIT A,8 Field containing the name of each production unit. PNUM N Any blocks being scheduled may be categorised according to a primary and secondary classification. The PNUM field contains the primary number. The values held in this field will depend on the type of primary classification selected. SNUM N Secondary classification number. The values held in this field will depend on the type of secondary classification selected. If ore/waste secondary classification is selected, it will contain values of 1 for all ore units, and values of 2 for all waste units. NY N Implicit field, defining the total number of production units in the file, equal to the number of records. PRATE N Notional production rate at which each production unit is to be mined. This may contain absent data values, as individual production rates may be defined or changed during operation of PRODSH. TONNES N Reserve tonnage for each production unit.

Fields

Name

Description

Source

Required

Type

Default

ZONE

Optional numeric zone identifier field that has been used to define individual wireframe zones. This field need only be defined if reserve classification by wireframe zone is required.

RESERVE

No

Numeric

Undefined

Example

---------------------------------------------------------------------- 
FILENAME RESERVE1 SHEDXDIR 
---------------------------------------------------------------------- 
FILE CREATED BY MICL USING COMRES ON 5/ 4/89 
---------------------------------------------------------------------- 
FILE CONTAINS 19 RECORDS EACH OF LENGTH 10 
---------------------------------------------------------------------- 
FIELD TYPE WORD.NO STORED START DEFAULT 
---------------------------------------------------------------------- 
UNIT A 1 Y 1 
UNIT A 2 Y 2 
PNUM N 1 Y 3 0.0 
SNUM N 1 Y 4 0.0 
TONNES N 1 Y 5 0.0 
PRATE N 1 Y 6 0.0 
CU N 1 Y 7 2.0 
ZN N 1 Y 8 3.0 
PB N 1 Y 9 4.0 
NY N 1 N 0 19.0 


>>> PRESS <RETURN> TO CONTINUE (OR ! TO TERMINATE) > 

UNIT      PNUM SNUM TONNES   PRATE CU 

LEV 15    15.0 15.1 13840.5  300.0 3.497105 
LEV 15    15.0 15.2 14341.5  300.0 2.970047 
LEV 15    15.0 15.3 8631.188 300.0 2.275357 
LEV 14    14.0 14.1 13860.19 300.0 4.34134 
LEV 14    14.0 14.2 15619.88 300.0 3.577554 
LEV 14    14.0 14.3 15822.19 300.0 3.674741 
LEV 13    13.0 13.1 16597.31 300.0 5.150764 
LEV 13    13.0 13.2 17079.19 300.0 3.56348 
LEV 13    13.0 13.3 10059.56 300.0 4.590841 
LEV 12    12.0 12.1 16504.13 300.0 8.868559 
LEV 12    12.0 12.2 18105.19 300.0 4.606041 
LEV 12    12.0 12.3 16858.31 300.0 4.573792 
LEV 11    11.0 11.1 14872.31 300.0 10.59326 
LEV 11    11.0 11.2 19954.13 300.0 5.090855 
LEV 11    11.0 11.3 17112.0  300.0 3.988503 
ASSAYS D   2.0 17.1 26924.92 160.0 8.142336 
ASSAYS D   2.0 18.2 27832.03 160.0 1.841848 
ASSAYS D   2.0 19.6 24682.9  160.0 3.375697 
ASSAYS D   2.0 20.5 35343.56 160.0 2.756991 

19 RECORDS LISTED

Error and Warning Messages

Message

Description

>>> INVALID NAME FOR RESERVES FILE SUPPLIED

This message indicates that an illegal name has been supplied for the output RESERVE file.

>>> FILE AAAAAAAA CANNOT BE FOUND

This means that one of the RESULTS filenames supplied cannot be found.

>>> RESULTS CANNOT BE COMBINED FOR THIS PRIMARY/SECONDARY CLASSIFICATION

Illegal type of primary/secondary classification has been requested, e.g. it is not possible to have the same type of primary and secondary classification.

>>>  NOT A VALID RESULTS FILE :
 FIELD AAAAAAAA MISSING OR WRONG TYPE
 ERR 103 <<< ( 1) IN ULGFIL

When checking each RESULTS file, one of the essential fields is missing or it is numeric when it should be alphanumeric or vice versa.

>>>  ILLEGAL RESULTS FILE : AAAAAAAA

One of the RESULTS files supplied does not have the correct data definition for a RESULTS file, one of the essential fields is missing.

>>> SUPPLIED NAME FOR ZONE FIELD DOES NOT EXIST IN FILE :AAAAAAAA

If the optional ZONE field has been defined, and this wireframe zone classification is required for one of the input RESULTS files, the user will get this error if the supplied *ZONE field cannot be found.

>>> NO GRADE INTERVALS IN AAAAAAAA, SO CANNOT SPLIT RESERVES INTO ORE AND WASTE

If a secondary classification of ore/waste is required, the RESULTS file(s) that has been input must contain evaluation data for different grade intervals.

>>> NO. OF RESULTS FILES EXCEEDS SYSTEM LIMIT OF :N.

There is a limit to the number of RESULTS files that may be entered during one operation of COMRES. If the current limit is exceeded this error message will result.

>>> DIFFERENT NUMBER OF GRADE FIELDS IN THE RESULTS FILES SUPPLIED

When more than one RESULTS file is used as input to COMRES, it is expected that each of these files will have the same number of grade fields.

>>> MIS-MATCH OF DDS IN RESULTS FILES

When more than one RESULTS file is used as input to COMRES, it is expected that each of these files will have the same data definition. If this is not the case, this message will result.

>>> SUPPLIED ZONE FIELD IS NOT NUMERIC

If categorization is required using wireframe zones, the supplied *ZONE field must be numeric.