Coal: Complex, Integrated Pit To Port Coal Chain

At PT Kaltim Prima Coal (KPC), coal is mined at various grades and blended through a series of intermediate stockpiles that are linked by a 13 kilometre overland conveyor before being loaded as multiple products onto ships.

To determine the potential consequences of increased production and alternative production scenarios, our client required an understanding of the interaction between throughput and quality, and how these are impacted by any changes in infrastructure and / or operating policy.

This Coal Chain model is a large complex model that incorporates many features to enable it to accurately replicate the real operation.

The inputs for this model include:

• Key Plant and Equipment
  • Equipment capability / capacity
  • Equipment reliability (planned and unplanned downtime)

• Equipment configuration
  • High level operating goals
  • Mine plans
  • Shipping plans

The integrated DES model has helped our client in making strategic long term decisions, short term planning decisions and also provides the possibility of aiding the operational decisions of creating and evaluating weekly plans.

The analysis of coal grade (energy) loaded on ships showed the effect of changes in the system. While tonnage throughput could be maintained, often the quality of the coal processed was compromised, hence the critical trade-off between production requirements and quality of product requirements was able to be evaluated to assist operational decision making.