Blast hole characterisation system and method

Abstract

Provided is a blast hole characterisation system (10) comprising a docking arrangement (12) comprising an elongate body (14) defining first and second ends (16 and 18). Docking arrangement (12) includes a probe deployment mechanism (20) arranged at the first end (16) and is configured continuously to deploy into or retrieve from a blast hole (22), respectively, a down-hole probe (24). The deployment mechanism (20) is also configured to measure a depth of the blast hole (22). Docking arrangement (12) also includes a GNSS module 26 disposed within the body (14) and having respective GNSS receivers (28.1 and 28.2) each positioned at said first and second ends (16 and 18) of the body (14). A distance D between GNSS receivers 28.1 and 28.2 are predetermined for enabling static bearing determination by the GNSS module (26). Also included is a processor (30) disposed within the body (14) and arranged in signal communication with the GNSS module (26) and deployment mechanism (20) and configured for data measurement. System (100) also comprises a down-hole probe (24) deployable by the probe deployment mechanism (20) for measuring a pitch of the blast hole (22). In this manner, a depth, bearing, pitch and geographic position of the blast hole are measurable by the processor (30) when the deployed down-hole probe (24) is retrieved and docked with the docking arrangement (12).

Description

BLAST HOLE CHARACTERISATION SYSTEM AND METHODTECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] This invention relates broadly to opencast mining and associated characterisation of drilling and blasting boreholes , and more speci fically to a system and associated method for blast hole characterisation .BACKGROUND ART

[0002] The following discussion of the background art i s intended to facilitate an understanding of the present invention only . The discussion i s not an acknowledgement or admission that any of the material referred to is or was part of the common general knowledge as at the priority date of the application .

[0003] Blast hole drilling is generally a technique used in mining whereby a hole is drilled into the surface of rock, for the purposes of packing such drilled borehole with explosives for detonation . The intention is to induce cracks in the inner geology of the surrounding rock, in order to facilitate overburden removal and associated mining activity . The drilled hole into which the explosives are packed is typically known as a blast hole and such blast hole drilling is a primary surface drilling procedure used in surface or opencast mining operations .

[0004] In opencast mining operations , blast hole measurement plays a key role in maximising the ef ficiency of blast planning and execution . The location, explosive charge and detonation sequence of blast holes are strategicallyselected to produce the most ef ficient and optimal rock fragmentation . The consequences , therefore , of a deviation in drill hole traj ectories from the initial designed pattern may result in overs i ze boulders , rock toes and / or poor rock fragmentation . This leads to extra drilling, ore dilution, ore loss , increased explosive consumption, time wastage and associated delays in the chain of mining production operations . The impact of unintentional blast-hole deviations is felt throughout the production cycle , excavating, hauling and mineral processing processes .

[0005] Due to the importance of blast hole measurement , conventional practices for borehole probing have been developed . Such blast hole characterisation techniques typically involve lowering or inserting a probe into the borehole in order to record a stream of data for later processing, said data typically including multiple pitch and bearing points . Such pitch and bearing data is generally determined by a magnetometer and accelerometer . Conventional down-hole logging tools generally include a variety of sensors , such as one or more accelerometers , one or more gyroscopes , and one or more magnetometers in order to properly determine the pitch and bearing characteristics of a drilled blasthole .

[0006] For example , conventional blasthole probes exist that comprise an inertial measurement unit ( IMU) which contains a triaxial accelerometer, magnetometer, and gyroscope . Prior to deployment into a blast hole , such conventional probes require calibration against a known orientation, typically on a specialised j ig, in order to establish a starting reference azimuth for the gyroscope . Once in the hole , the probe records data from the IMU at fixed intervals accompanied by a time stamp . The probe is deployed along a borehole at fixedintervals and at each interval stop, a reading is taken . When the end of the hole is reached, the probe is retrieved and all the measurements with their associated time stamps are recorded . Using the starting cal ibrated coordinates and the calibrated gyroscope values , the measurements can be converted into X, Y, Z coordinates so that a model of the hole may be created .

[0007] However, such known blasthole characterisation practices relying on conventional probes using magnetometers are typically adversely af fected by local interference , thus requiring constant calibration to be accurate . Such need for initial and ongoing calibration typically takes signi ficant time to complete , which often results in the probes not being adequately calibrated, such as only once per working shi ft , often leading to compromised accuracy and associated collected data quality loss . Additionally, such conventional probes and techniques are often used by unsophisticated personnel , further compounding data accuracy and veracity problems due to incorrect or poor calibration . This causes i ssues with downstream processing of the data and potential incorrect decision making resulting from the incorrect data .

[0008] For example , Australian patent application nos . 2022201380 and 2021212011 provide examples of the use of such known borehole characterisation practices . In light of these known shortcomings associated with conventional blasthole characterisation practices , Applicant has identi fied a need in the art for improving ef ficiency, accuracy and detail of blast hole characterisation and the current invention was conceived with this goal in mind .SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The skilled addressee is to appreciate that reference herein to a 'blast hole ' or 'blasthole ' generally comprises reference to a borehole drilled for drilling and blasting practices in surface or opencast mining . It is also to be appreciated that reference herein to 'GNSS ' generally refers to any suitable Global Navigation Satellite System able to provide autonomous geo-spatial positioning, including the GPS , GLONASS , Galileo , Beidou and other regional satellite systems . The skilled addressee is further to appreciate that reference hereon to a down-hole probe generally comprises reference to conventional borehole probes typically including an accelerometer, a magnetometer, and / or a gyroscope for measuring a pitch of a borehole .

[0010] It is also to be appreciated that reference herein to a 'dock' and associated derivatives broadly refers to an arrangement or device which interacts with another to form a complementary hardware extension to allow or enable additional capabilities for an electronic device or contrivance . Accordingly, the associated action of 'docking' between devices as referenced herein may refer to establishing a physical connection between such devices , e . g . one device fits into a suitable dock or receptacle for the exchange of information or signals , but such docking may also comprise establishing a wireless or remote information exchange between such devices to enable additional capabilities .

[0011] According to a first aspect of the invention there is provided a method for blast hole characterisation, said method comprising the steps of :deploying, by means of a docking arrangement , a down-hole probe into a blasthole in a continuous manner to measure a pitch thereof ; measuring, by means of said docking arrangement , a depth of said blasthole as part of such probe deployment ; and determining, by means of at least two respective GNSS receivers disposed at a predetermined distance from each other on said docking arrangement , a static bearing and geographic position of the blast hole ; wherein a depth, bearing, pitch and geographic position of the blast hole are measurable when the deployed down-hole probe is retrieved by said docking arrangement .

[0012] In an embodiment , the step of deploying the probe to measure a pitch o f the blast hole comprises measuring the blast hole both when the probe is deployed into as well as retrieved from the blast hole , i . e . twice , with such measurements averaged to minimise pitch measurement deviations and / or anomalies to improve pitch measurement accuracy . The skilled addressee will appreciate that such measured pitch broadly comprises the angle and / or orientation at which such a blast hole sits or is bored within a surface , such as the ground, or the like .

[0013] In an embodiment , the step of deploying the probe is performed continuously at a substantially constant velocity, i . e . lowered or raised at substantially zero acceleration .

[0014] In an embodiment , the step of determining the static bearing is performed by a suitable processor of the docking arrangement determining and comparing a geographic position of each GNSS receiver disposed at respective ends of the docking arrangement , i . e . orientating such respective GNSS geographicpositions with respect to each other to determine the static bearing .

[0015] In an embodiment , the method comprises a step of sensing a presence and / or depth of water in the blast hole .

[0016] In an embodiment , the method includes a step o f sensing a temperature within the blast hole .

[0017] In an embodiment , the method includes a step of hyperspectral mineralogical mapping of the blasthole by means of the down-hole probe as the probe is lowered or raised in a continuous manner .

[0018] In an embodiment , the method includes a step of gamma ray mineralogical logging of the blasthole by means of the down-hole probe as the probe is lowered or raised in a continuous manner .

[0019] In an embodiment , the method includes a step of transmitting blast hole characteristics selectable from a group consisting of a blasthole depth, blasthole bearing, blasthole pitch, blasthole geographic position, presence of water within a blasthole and depth of water within a blasthole , a hyperspectral mineralogical mapping and a gamma ray mineralogical logging to a remote processing system .

[0020] In an embodiment , the method includes a step of disregarding blast hole measurements i f a measured geographic position of a blast hole when the probe is deployed does not correspond with a measured geographic position o f the blast hole when the probe is retrieved .

[0021] According to a second aspect of the invention there is provided a blast hole characterisation docking arrangement comprising : an elongate body defining first and second ends ; a probe deployment mechanism arranged at the first end and configured continuously to deploy into or retrieve from a blast hole , respectively, a down-hole probe , said deployment mechanism further configured to measure a depth of the blast hole ; a GNSS module disposed within the body and having respective GNSS receivers each positioned at the first and second ends of the body, a distance between GNSS receivers predetermined for enabling static bearing determination by said GNSS module ; and a processor disposed within the body and arranged in signal communication with the GNSS module and deployment mechanism and configured for data measurement ; wherein a down-hole probe is deployable from the docking arrangement by the probe deployment mechanism for measuring a pitch of the blast hole so that a depth, bearing, pitch and geographic position of the blast hole are measurable by the processor when the deployed down-hole probe is retrieved by the docking arrangement .

[0022] In an embodiment , the elongate body is configured to be easily man-portable .

[0023] In an embodiment , the elongate body is configured to be mounted to a mobile platform, such as an unmanned ground vehicle , a drone , etc .

[0024] In an embodiment , the probe deployment mechanism comprises a winch assembly configured continuously to deployor retrieve the down-hole probe at a substantially constant velocity, i.e. at substantially zero acceleration.

[0025] In an embodiment, the probe deployment mechanism is configured to measure a depth of the blast hole by the processor being configured to measure a length of line deployed by the winch assembly.

[0026] In an embodiment, the probe deployment mechanism is configured to measure a depth of the blast hole by including a time-of-f light distance measurement sensor.

[0027] In an embodiment, the processor is configured continuously to measure a pitch of the blast hole both when the probe is deployed into as well as retrieved from the blast hole, i.e. twice, with the processor configured to average such measurements to minimise pitch measurement deviations and / or anomalies to improve pitch measurement accuracy.

[0028] In an embodiment, the processor is configured to measure a static bearing by determining and comparing a geographic position of each GNSS receiver disposed at respective ends of the body.

[0029] In an embodiment, the docking arrangement includes a water sensor for sensing a presence and / or depth of water in a blast hole, e.g. a hydrostatic pressure sensor, a capacitive sensor, etc.

[0030] In an embodiment, the docking arrangement includes a temperature sensor for sensing a temperature within a blast hole, e.g. a thermocouple, an infrared sensor, or the like.

[0031] In an embodiment , the down-hole probe includes a hyperspectral sensor configured for hyperspectral mineralogical mapping of the blasthole as the probe is lowered or raised in a continuous manner in the blasthole .

[0032] In an embodiment , the down-hole probe includes a gamma-ray spectrometer configured for gamma ray mineralogical logging of the blasthole as the probe is lowered or raised in a continuous manner in the blasthole .

[0033] In an embodiment , the processor includes a transceiver for transmitting and receiving data to a remote processing system .

[0034] In an embodiment , the processor is configured to transmit blasthole characteristics selectable from a group consisting of a blasthole depth, blasthole bearing, blasthole pitch, blasthole geographic position, presence of water within a blasthole , depth of water within a blasthole , a blasthole temperature , a hyperspectral mineralogical mapping and a gamma ray mineralogical logging to a remote processing system .

[0035] In an embodiment , the processor is configured to disregard blast hole measurements i f a measured geographic position of a blast hole when the probe is deployed does not correspond with a measured geographic position of the blast hole when the probe is retrieved .

[0036] According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a blast hole characterisation system comprising : a docking arrangement comprising : i . an elongate body defining first and second ends ;ii . a probe deployment mechanism arranged at the first end and configured continuously to deploy into or retrieve from a blast hole , respectively, a down-hole probe , said deployment mechanism configured to measure a depth of the blast hole ; iii . a GNSS module disposed within the body and having respective GNSS receivers each positioned at the first and second ends of the body, a distance between GNSS receivers predetermined for enabling static bearing determination by said GNSS module ; and iv . a processor disposed within the body and arranged in signal communication with the GNSS module and deployment mechanism and configured for data measurement ; and a down-hole probe deployable by the probe deployment mechanism for measuring a pitch of the blast hole ; wherein a depth, bearing, pitch and geographic position of the blast hole are measurable by the processor when the deployed down-hole probe is retrieved and docked with the docking arrangement .

[0037] In an embodiment , the elongate body is configured to be easily man-portable .

[0038] In an embodiment , the elongate body is configured to be mounted to a mobile platform, such as an unmanned ground vehicle , a drone , etc .

[0039] In an embodiment , the probe deployment mechanism comprises a winch assembly configured continuously to deployor retrieve the down-hole probe at a substantially constant velocity, i.e. at substantially zero acceleration.

[0040] In an embodiment, the probe deployment mechanism is configured to measure a depth of the blast hole by the processor being configured to measure a length of line deployed by the winch assembly.

[0041] In an embodiment, the probe deployment mechanism is configured to measure a depth of the blast hole by including a time-of-f light distance measurement sensor.

[0042] In an embodiment, the processor is configured continuously to measure a pitch of the blast hole both when the probe is deployed into as well as retrieved from the blast hole, i.e. twice, with the processor configured to average such measurements to minimise pitch measurement deviations and / or anomalies to improve pitch measurement accuracy.

[0043] In an embodiment, the processor is configured to measure a static bearing by determining and comparing a geographic position of each GNSS receiver disposed at respective ends of the body.

[0044] In an embodiment, the docking arrangement includes a water sensor for sensing a presence and / or depth of water in a blast hole, e.g. a hydrostatic pressure sensor, a capacitive sensor, etc.

[0045] In an embodiment, the docking arrangement includes a temperature sensor for sensing a temperature within a blast hole, e.g. a thermocouple, an infrared sensor, or the like.

[0046] In an embodiment , the down-hole probe includes a hyperspectral sensor configured for hyperspectral mineralogical mapping of the blasthole as the probe is lowered or raised in a continuous manner in the blasthole .

[0047] In an embodiment , the down-hole probe includes a gamma-ray spectrometer configured for gamma ray mineralogical logging of the blasthole as the probe is lowered or raised in a continuous manner in the blasthole .

[0048] In an embodiment , the processor includes a transceiver for transmitting and receiving data to a remote processing system .

[0049] In an embodiment , the processor is configured to transmit characteristics selectable from a group consisting of a blasthole depth, blasthole bearing, blasthole pitch, blasthole geographic position, presence of water within a blasthole , depth of water within a blasthole , a blasthole temperature , a hyperspectral mineralogical mapping and a gamma ray mineralogical logging to a remote processing system .

[0050] In an embodiment , the processor is configured to disregard blast hole measurements if a measured geographic position of a blast hole when the probe is deployed does not correspond with a measured geographic position o f the blast hole when the probe is retrieved .

[0051] According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a method for blast hole characterisation, a blast hole characterisation docking arrangement and a blast hole characterisation system, substantially as herein described and / or illustrated .BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGSThe description will be made with reference to the accompanying drawings in which :Figure 1 is a diagrammatic overview representation of a blast hole characterisation system lowering a down-hole probe into a blast hole, in accordance with an aspect of the present invention;Figure 2 is a diagrammatic overview representation of the blast hole characterisation system of Figure 1 used to characterise a plurality of blastholes at an opencast mine ;Figure 3 is diagrammatic overview representation of the blast hole characterisation system of Figure 1 , showing a typical configuration of a down-hole probe ;Figure 4 is a diagrammatic overview representation of the blast hole characterisation system of Figure 1 , showing constituent parts of a docking arrangement and down-hole probe thereof ; andFigure 5 is a functional block diagrammatic representation of method steps representing a method for blast hole characterisation, in accordance with an aspect of the present invention .DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0052] Further features of the present invention are more fully described in the following description of several nonlimiting embodiments thereof . This description is includedsolely for the purposes of exempli fying the present invention to the skilled addressee . It should not be understood as a restriction on the broad summary, disclosure or description of the invention as set out above .

[0053] In the figures , incorporated to illustrate features of the example embodiment or embodiments , like reference numerals are used to identi fy like parts throughout . Additionally, features , mechanisms and aspects well-known and understood in the art will not be described in detail , as such features , mechanisms and aspects will be within the understanding of the skilled addressee .

[0054] Additionally, the accompanying figures do not represent engineering or design drawings , but provide a functional overview of the invention only . As a result , features and practical construction details required for various embodiments may not be indicated in each figure , but such construction requirements will be within the understanding of the skilled addressee .

[0055] Broadly, the present invention provides for a system 10 and associated method 100 for characterising or determining certain characteristics of a blast hole 22 . Accordingly, such blast hole characteristics typically comprise a pitch, a depth, a bearing and a geographic position, but may also include a presence of water within the blast hole , a depth of water within the blast hole , a temperature within the blast hole , a hyperspectral mineralogical mapping, a gamma ray mineralogical logging of the blasthole , or the like .

[0056] With reference now to the accompanying Figures , there is exempli fied one embodiment of a blast holecharacterisation system 100 which generally comprises a docking arrangement 12 from which a down-hole probe 24 is deployable and retrievable. Such a down-hole probe 24 typically includes an on-board processor 24.1 arranged in signal communication with a gyroscope sensor 24.2, an accelerometer 24.2 and a magnetometer 24.2, but of course variations hereon are possible and anticipated.

[0057] The docking arrangement 12 typically comprises an elongate body 14 defining first and second ends 16 and 18, as shown. The elongate body 14 is typically configured to be easily man-portable, and may comprise a suitable harness or the like to enable such ergonomic man-portability and useability. For example, as shown, the elongate body 14 may be 'balanced' with such a harness at a central portion thereof, or the like. Of course, variations hereon are possible and anticipated .

[0058] In another embodiment, the elongate body 14 is configured to be mounted to a mobile platform, such as an unmanned ground vehicle, a drone, or the like. In such an embodiment, the docking arrangement 12 may be autonomously deployable for determining blast hole characteristics across a mine site, or the like.

[0059] The docking arrangement 12 includes a probe deployment mechanism 20 arranged at the first end 16, which is configured continuously to deploy into, or retrieve from, a blast hole 22, respectively, a down-hole probe 24. The probe deployment mechanism 20 is further configured to measure a depth of the blast hole 22. In one embodiment, the probe deployment mechanism 20 comprises a winch assembly which is configured continuously to deploy or retrieve the down-holeprobe 24 at a substantially constant velocity, i . e . raising or lowering said probe 24 at substantially zero acceleration . In one embodiment , the probe deployment mechanism 20 i s configured to measure a depth of the blast hole 22 by the processor or processing engine 30 being configured to measure a length of line deployed by such a winch assembly . In another embodiment , the probe deployment mechanism 20 may be configured to measure a depth of the blast hole 22 by including a time-of- f light ( ToF) distance measurement sensor, or the like . For example , such a time-of- f l ight distance measurement sensor may include an acoustic ToF sensor, an electromagnetic radiation ToF sensor, a laser ToF sensor, etc .

[0060] The skilled addressee is to appreciate that , in other embodiments , the probe deployment mechanism 20 may be configured to facilitate substantially manual deployment or retrieval of the probe 24 . For example , in one embodiment probe deployment mechanism 20 may comprise a simple rope or wire guide for guiding a rope or line from which the down-hole probe 24 is suspended from the docking arrangement 12 , or the like . Such a guide may include , for example , an aperture at the first end 16 via which the rope or l ine is passed to deploy or retrieve the probe 24 , or the like . Again, variations hereon are possible and expected .

[0061] The docking arrangement 12 may also include a suitable docking mechanism or dock 36 configured to facilitate docking of the down-hole probe 24 with the docking arrangement 12 . For example , the docking mechanism 36 may comprise a suitable electronic interface or plug which operates complementarily with the probe deployment and retrieval mechanism 20 to facilitate deployment and retrieval of the down-hole probe 24 . Such an electronic interface or plug ofthe docking mechanism 36 typically facilitates the processor capturing measurements recorded by the down-hole probe 24, but the down-hole probe may include a suitable processor 24.1 arranged in wireless communication with the processor 30 to allow exchange of data, or the like. Alternatively, or additionally, the docking mechanism 36 may comprise a wireless interface via which information may be exchanged between the down-hole probe 24 and the processor 30.

[0062] The docking arrangement 12 further includes a GNSS module 26, such as a GPS receiver, which is disposed within the body 14 and, importantly, having two respective GNSS receivers 28.1 and 28.2 each respectively positioned at the first end 16 and second end 18 of the body 14, as shown. Importantly, a distance D between the GNSS receivers 28.1 and 28.2 is predetermined for enabling static bearing determination by the GNSS module 26, i.e. the GNSS receivers 28.1 and 28.2 are sufficiently separated by distance D to enable the processor 30 to determine a bearing measurement using the individual geographic positions of the respective GNSS receivers 28.1 and 28.2 via GNSS module 26 and suitable GNSS system 34.

[0063] The docking arrangement 12 also includes a processor 30, or processing engine, which is disposed within the body 14 and arranged in signal communication with the GNSS module 26, and where relevant, the deployment mechanism 20. The processor 30, or processing engine, is typically configured for data measurement and recording. Typically, the processor or processing engine 30 comprises any suitable processor or microcontroller configured to receive input, perform logical and arithmetical operations on a suitable instruction set, and provide output, as well as transitory and / or non-transitoryelectronic storage, e.g. a programmable logic controller(PLC) , or the like.

[0064] In one embodiment, the processor 30 is configured continuously to measure a pitch of the blast hole 22 both when the probe 24 is deployed into, as well as retrieved from, the blast hole 22, i.e. measuring twice, with the processor 30 configured to average such measurements to minimise pitch measurement deviations and / or anomalies to improve pitch measurement accuracy. In one embodiment, the processor 30 is configured to measure a static bearing by determining and comparing a geographic position of each GNSS receiver 28.1 and 28.2 disposed at respective ends 16 and 18 of the body 14.

[0065] In one embodiment, the down-hole probe 24 and / or docking arrangement 12 also includes additional sensors 32, such as a water sensor 32 for sensing a presence and / or depth of water in a blast hole 22, e.g. a hydrostatic pressure sensor, a capacitive sensor, etc. In one embodiment, the docking arrangement 12 further includes an additional temperature sensor 32 for sensing a temperature within a blast hole 32, e.g. a thermocouple, an infrared sensor, or the like.

[0066] In one embodiment, the down-hole probe 24 includes an additional hyperspectral sensor 32 configured for hyperspectral mineralogical mapping of the blasthole 22 as the probe 24 is lowered or raised in a continuous manner in the blasthole. In one embodiment, the down-hole probe includes a gamma-ray spectrometer 32 configured for gamma ray mineralogical logging of the blasthole 22 as the probe 24 is lowered or raised in a continuous manner in the blasthole.

[0067] In one embodiment , the proces sor 30 includes a transceiver for transmitting and receiving data to a remote processing system 38 . In one embodiment , the processor 30 is configured to transmit blast-hole characteristics , such as measured blasthole depth, a blasthole bearing, a blasthole pitch, a blasthole geographic position, presence of water within a blasthole , depth of water within a blasthole , a hyperspectral mineralogical mapping, a gamma ray mineralogical logging, and the like , to a remote processing system 38 .

[0068] In this manner, the down-hole probe 24 is deployable and subsequently retrievable by the docking arrangement 12 , wherein a depth, bearing, pitch and geographic position of the blast hole 22 are measurable by the processor 30 when the downhole probe 24 is retrieved and docked with the docking arrangement 12 . For each blast hole characterised in this manner, the processor 30 is able to capture such characteristics for transmission, for example , to a remote processing system 38 which compiles a drilling and blasting plan to facilitate mining operations .

[0069] In one embodiment , the processor 30 may be configured to disregard blast hole measurements i f a measured geographic position of a blast hole when the probe 24 is deployed does not correspond with a measured geographic position of the blast hole when the probe 24 is retrieved, e . g . an algorithm that enables the processor 30 to veri fy whether the starting point of the 'down' measurement aligns with the endpoint of the 'up' measurement . I f these start and end points do not match, the measurement ( s ) will be flagged as invalid, or the like .

[0070] The skilled addressee is also to appreciate that the present invention includes an associated method 100 for blasthole characterisation, as broadly represented by the flow diagram in Figure 5. Such a method 10 typically comprises the steps of deploying 102, by means of the docking arrangement 12, a down-hole probe 24 into a blasthole 22 in a continuous manner to measure a pitch thereof; measuring 104, by means of the docking arrangement 12, a depth of the blasthole 22 as part of such probe deployment; and determining 106, by means of the two respective GNSS receivers 28.1 and 28.2, a static bearing and geographic position of the blast hole 22. In this manner, a depth, bearing, pitch and geographic position of the blast hole 22 are measurable when the down-hole probe 24 is retrieved by said docking arrangement 12.

[0071] In one embodiment, the step of deploying 102 the probe to measure a pitch thereof comprises measuring the blast hole both when the probe is deployed into as well as retrieved from the blast hole, i.e. twice, with such measurements averaged to minimise pitch measurement deviations and / or anomalies to improve pitch measurement accuracy. In one embodiment, the step of deploying 102 the probe is performed continuously at a substantially constant velocity, i.e. at substantially zero acceleration. In one embodiment, the step of determining 106 the static bearing is performed by the processor 30 determining and comparing a geographic position of each GNSS receiver 28.1 and 28.2 disposed at respective ends 16 and 18 of the docking arrangement 12.

[0072] In one embodiment, the method 100 also comprises a step of sensing 108.1 a presence and / or depth of water in the blast hole. In one embodiment, the method 100 further includes a step of sensing 108.1 a temperature within the blast hole. In one embodiment, the method 100 includes a step of hyperspectral mineralogical mapping 108.2 of the blasthole bymeans of the down-hole probe as the probe 24 is lowered or raised in a continuous manner . In one embodiment , the method 100 includes a step of gamma ray mineralogical logging 108 . 3 of the blasthole by means of the down-hole probe 24 as the probe 24 is lowered or raised in a continuous manner .

[0073] The method 100 may also include an optional step of transmitting 110 such blast hole characteristics comprising a blasthole depth, a blasthole bearing, a blasthole pitch, a blasthole geographic position, presence of water within a blasthole , depth of water within a blasthole , a temperature within a blasthole , a hyperspectral mineralogical mapping of a blasthole , a gamma ray mineralogical logging of a blasthole, etc . to a remote processing system 38 .

[0074] Applicant believes it particularly advantageous that the present invention provides for continuous lowering or raising of the probe 24 , rather than conventional practices of stopping the probe at pre-defined intervals with timestamped measurements . Conventional techniques typical ly involve holding the probe at a certain depth for a prede fined period of time to capture timestamped measurements before continuing to the next position . The present invention relies on continuous deployment of the probe 24 which is considerably faster to complete so that more blast holes 22 can be captured within a predefined period . The ergonomic docking arrangement 12 is also considerably more ergonomic and less taxing on the human body to use .

[0075] The present invention also allows measuring blast hole data during both the lowering and raising of the probe during blast hole characterisation and averaging such measurements to determine a more realistic model of the blasthole and minimising any potential deviations / anomalies . This mitigates so-called "hole to probe width" anomalies, i.e. the amount of bounce the probe 24 experiences within the blast hole 22 whilst measurements are captured which provides more accurate blast hole data modelling.

[0076] The present invention further facilitates integration of heading data using the probe heading sensor, i.e. magnetometer 24.2 as a 'relative' sensor rather than an 'absolute' value. Conventional techniques require down-hole probe 24 calibration at specific intervals, typically at the start of a shift where multiple blast holes 22 will be characterised. This single calibration is then used as the absolute output during the entire shift, e.g. orientation to north is 320°, which is used in the calculation of the hole data. The present invention, being able to calculate heading or bearing with the respective GNSS receivers 28.1 and 28.2 for each blast hole 22, allows an "initial" heading direction relative to the reading on the probe's heading sensor, i.e. magnetometer 24.4 to be used as a reference offset for all additional probe heading measurements as the probe 24 is lowered and raised. Such reference offset is then useable to calculate an interim "virtual heading" (i.e. rotation of the probe 24 when deployed, which enables calculation of bearing on every blast hole.

[0077] Such a specific 'per blast hole' bearing measurement obviates interference due to local magnetic fields, i.e. interference from other electrical devices, which typically results in incorrect measurements . The present invention allows much higher accuracy in measuring the heading orientation of a blast hole, as well as accurate repeatability of measurement between different blast holes. The presentinvention, being able to accurately capture 'per hole ' GNSS measurements , further allows a measured hole depth to be captured relative to , for example , sea level , rather than conventional practices reliant on relative to ground level measurements . Such ' absolute ' level or depth of the bottom of a blast hole is more desirable from a mine planning perspective as this information is critical to the next blasting process ( and any potential associated consequences ) . The current process assumes the current " ground level" surface is accurate to the plan levels , however this is often not the case . This can lead to production delays in future operations due to undesirable floor levels .

[0078] The present invention further allows automatic association of measured blast hole characteristics for each blast hole directly with a mine or blasting plan through GNSS , where a geographic position of each hole can automatically be associate with such a mine of blasting plan . Conventional practices are prone to error in a field of large hole arrays where it is di f ficult to orientate the exact hole in the plan or pattern . Having the ability to match start points with end points during measurements further improves veracity of blast hole surveying .

[0079] The present invention further facilitates improved recording of blasthole characteristics by means of , for example , hyperspectral mineralogical mapping and gamma ray mineralogical logging of the blasthole . In this manner, the invention is able to record both a blasthole position and characteristics , as described, and combine a smooth, continuous gamma-ray radioactivity curve with a detailed mineral picture from hyperspectral imaging in order to deliver an easy-to-read downhole report for each blasthole .

[0080] In the example embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known technologies are not described in detail, as such will be readily understood by the skilled addressee. Optional embodiments of the present invention may also be said to broadly consist in the parts, elements and features referred to or indicated herein, individually or collectively, in any or all combinations of two or more of the parts, elements or features. Where specific integers are mentioned herein which have known equivalents in the art to which the invention relates, such known equivalents are deemed to be incorporated herein as if individually set forth .

[0081] It is to be appreciated that reference to "one example" or "an example" of the invention, or similar exemplary language (e.g., "such as") herein, is not made in an exclusive sense. Various substantially and specifically practical and useful exemplary embodiments of the claimed subject matter are described herein, textually and / or graphically, for carrying out the claimed subject matter. These examples are intended to assist the skilled person in performing the invention and are not intended to limit the overall scope of the invention in any way unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0082] Variations (e.g. modifications and / or enhancements) of one or more embodiments described herein might become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading this application. The inventor (s) expects skilled artisans to employ such variations as appropriate, and the inventor (s) intends for the claimed subject matter to be practiced other than as specifically described herein.

[0083] The use of the terms "a", "an", "said", "the", and / or similar referents in the context of describing various embodiments in the context of the claimed subject matter are to be construed to cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicated herein or clearly contradicted by context. The terms "comprising," "having," "including," and "containing" are to be construed as open-ended terms (i.e., meaning "including, but not limited to,") unless otherwise noted. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0084] Spatially relative terms, such as "inner," "outer," "beneath, " "below, " "lower, " "above, " "upper, " and the like, may be used herein for ease of description to describe one element or feature's relationship to another element (s) or feature (s) as illustrated in the figures. Spatially relative terms may be intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the figures. For example, if the contrivance in the figures is turned over, elements described as "below" or "beneath" other elements or features would then be oriented "above" the other elements or features. Thus, the example term "below" can encompass both an orientation of above and below. The contrivance may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein interpreted accordingly.

[0085] Any method steps, processes, and operations described herein are not to be construed as necessarily requiring their performance in the particular order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as an order of performance. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be employed.

Claims

CLAIMS1 . A blast hole characterisation docking arrangement comprising : an elongate body defining first and second ends ; a probe deployment mechanism arranged at the first end and configured continuously to deploy into or retrieve from a blast hole , respectively, a down-hole probe , said deployment mechanism further configured to measure a depth of the blast hole ; a GNSS module disposed within the body and having respective GNSS receivers each positioned at the first and second ends of the body, a distance between GNSS receivers predetermined for enabling static bearing determination by said GNSS module ; and a processor disposed within the body and arranged in signal communication with the GNSS module and deployment mechanism and configured for data measurement ; wherein a down-hole probe is deployable from the docking arrangement by the probe deployment mechanism for measuring a pitch of the blast hole so that a depth, bearing, pitch and geographic position of the blast hole are measurable by the processor when the deployed down-hole probe is retrieved by the docking arrangement .2 . The arrangement of claim 1 , wherein the elongate body is configured to be easily man-portable and / or the elongate body is configured to be mounted to a mobile platform, such as an unmanned ground vehicle , a drone , etc .3 . The arrangement of either of claims 1 or 2 , wherein the probe deployment mechanism comprises a winch assembly configured continuously to deploy or retrieve the down-holeprobe at a substantially constant velocity, i.e. at substantially zero acceleration.

4. The arrangement of any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the probe deployment mechanism is configured to measure a depth of the blast hole by the processor being configured to measure a length of line deployed by the winch assembly.

5. The arrangement of any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the probe deployment mechanism is configured to measure a depth of the blast hole by including a time-of-f light distance measurement sensor .

6. The arrangement of any of claims 1 to 5, wherein the processor is configured continuously to measure a pitch of the blast hole both when the probe is deployed into as well as retrieved from the blast hole, i.e. twice, with the processor configured to average such measurements to minimise pitch measurement deviations and / or anomalies to improve pitch measurement accuracy.

7. The arrangement of any of claims 1 to 6, wherein the processor is configured to measure a static bearing by determining and comparing a geographic position of each GNSS receiver disposed at respective ends of the body.

8. The arrangement of any of claims 1 to 7, wherein the docking arrangement includes a water sensor for sensing a presence and / or depth of water in a blast hole, e.g. a hydrostatic pressure sensor, a capacitive sensor, etc.

9. The arrangement of any of claims 1 to 8, wherein the docking arrangement includes a temperature sensor for sensinga temperature within a blast hole , e . g . a thermocouple , an infrared sensor, or the like .10 . The arrangement of any of claims 1 to 9 , wherein the downhole probe includes a hyperspectral sensor configured for hyperspectral mineralogical mapping of the blasthole as the probe is lowered or raised in a continuous manner in the blasthole .11 . The arrangement of any of claims 1 to 10 , wherein the down-hole probe includes a gamma-ray spectrometer configured for gamma ray mineralogical logging of the blasthole as the probe is lowered or raised in a continuous manner in the blasthole .12 . The arrangement of any of claims 1 to 11 , wherein the processor includes a transceiver for transmitting and receiving data to a remote processing system .13 . The arrangement of any of claims 1 to 12 , wherein the processor is conf igured to transmit blasthole characteristics selectable from a group consisting of a blasthole depth, blasthole bearing, blasthole pitch, blasthole geographic position, presence of water within a blasthole , depth of water within a blasthole , a blasthole temperature , a hyperspectral mineralogical mapping and a gamma ray mineralogical logging to a remote processing system .14 . The arrangement of any of claims 1 to 13 , wherein the processor is configured to disregard blast hole measurements i f a measured geographic position of a blast hole when the probe is deployed does not correspond with a measuredgeographic position of the blast hole when the probe is retrieved .15 . A method for blast hole characterisation, said method comprising the steps of : deploying, by means of a docking arrangement , a down-hole probe into a blasthole in a continuous manner to measure a pitch thereof ; measuring, by means of said docking arrangement , a depth of said blasthole as part of such probe deployment ; and determining, by means of at least two respective GNSS receivers disposed at a predetermined distance from each other on said docking arrangement , a static bearing and geographic position of the blast hole ; wherein a depth, bearing, pitch and geographic position of the blast hole are measurable when the deployed down-hole probe is retrieved by said docking arrangement .16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the step of deploying the probe to measure a pitch of the blast hole comprises measuring the blast hole both when the probe is deployed into as well as retrieved from the blast hole , i . e . twice , with such measurements averaged to minimise pitch measurement deviations and / or anomalies to improve pitch measurement accuracy .17 . The method of either of claims 15 or 16 , wherein the step of deploying the probe is performed continuously at a substantially constant velocity, i . e . lowered or raised at substantially zero acceleration .18 . The method of any of claims 15 to 17 , wherein the step of determining the static bearing i s performed by a suitable processor of the docking arrangement determining and comparinga geographic position of each GNSS receiver disposed at respective ends of the docking arrangement , i . e . orientating such respective GNSS geographic positions with respect to each other to determine the static bearing .19 . The method of any of claims 15 to 18 , which comprises a step of sensing a presence and / or depth of water in the blast hole .20 . The method of any of claims 15 to 19 , which includes a step of sensing a temperature within the blast hole .21 . The method of any of claims 15 to 20 , which includes a step of hyperspectral mineralogical mapping of the blasthole by means of the down-hole probe as the probe is lowered or raised in a continuous manner .22 . The method of any of claims 15 to 21 , which includes a step of gamma ray mineralogical logging of the blasthole by means of the down-hole probe as the probe is lowered or raised in a continuous manner .23 . The method of any of claims 15 to 22 , which includes a step of transmitting blast hole characteristics selectable from a group consisting of a blasthole depth, blasthole bearing, blasthole pitch, blasthole geographic position, presence of water within a blasthole and depth of water within a blasthole , a hyperspectral mineralogical mapping and a gamma ray mineralogical logging to a remote processing system .24 . The method of any of claims 15 to 23 , which includes a step of disregarding blast hole measurements i f a measured geographic position of a blast hole when the probe is deployeddoes not correspond with a measured geographic position of the blast hole when the probe is retrieved .25 . A blast hole characterisation system comprising : a docking arrangement in accordance with any of claims 1 to 14 ; and a down-hole probe deployable by the probe deployment mechanism for measuring a pitch of the blast hole ; wherein a depth, bearing, pitch and geographic position of the blast hole are measurable by the processor when the deployed down-hole probe is retrieved and docked with the docking arrangement .

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