An operator, designing a tar sands synthetic crude complex, becomes acutely cognizant of the enormity of the mining and materials handling tasks that he must face. Indeed, the mining and materials handling requirements of an extraction plant have, perhaps, the largest influence on the capacity, design and viability of the plant.
More than one-third of the capital costs of a synthetic crude complex are represented in the equipment and installations forming the mining and materials handling sectors of the complex. In addition to providing feedstocks to the extraction plant, mining must handle and manage the disposal of several forms of mine reject and related plant wastes.
Exclusive of capital and operating costs there are three paramount considerations in the selection of a mining and materials handling scheme:
1. Considerations pertinent to the overall complex such as capacity and optimum performance.
2. Considerations relevant to the mine such as equipment availability, productivity and mine development.
3. Considerations germane to equipment compatibility and service factors.
Calculations of “present value of all cost” indexes for 55 mining schemes indicate that draglines coupled with reclaimers and railways offer the most economical approach to mining. Bucket wheel excavators and conveyors for mining and transporting of tar sand in conjunction with draglines and trucks for waste removal are an alternate.