The benefits of a well-designed mine are extraordinary, ranging from operational advantages, such as shorter haul distances and less waste handling, to economic gains for the operator. Without proper planning, reserves may be sterilized unnecessarily and it may be difficult to meet certain product grade requirements. A block model is one of the tools used by Skelly and Loy in mine planning when site geology and product grade are variable. Within the context of a mining operation, a “block model” refers to a three-dimensional graphical representation of the physical and chemical properties of the mineral resource.….read complete article