NEW APPROACH FOR REDESIGNING THE INGASSANA CHROMITE MINE IN SUDAN

The present article deals with the use of a computer program which has been used to design the
methods of minerals extraction. The work was carried out on the chromite deposits at Ingassana in
Sudan, in order to improve the working, i.e. increasing the extraction ratio of the ore and
increasing the safety at the stopping areas. The (ARMPS) computer program which being
universally used to design metallic and non-metallic ores mining methods, was applied on the
Sudanese chromite ores at Ingassana.
Using this program the stope and pillar mining method which its pillars are irregularly shaped and
sized and either randomly located or located in low grade ore, was changed to room and pillar
method having sequre cross sectional pillars (sized and shaped) instead of rectangular cross
section pillars. An increase in the extraction ratio of 12% was achieved at a safe factor of 1.6
which is usually adopted in the extraction of mineral ores and coal.