Zoning of mineral deposits based on the rock hardness ratio determined through the energy intensity of blast hole drilling
I.B. Agarkov1,2, I.S. Kryuchkov1,2, E.A. Storozhenko1, I.M. Ignatenko2
1 VIOGEM JSC, Belgorod, Russian Federation
2 Belgorod State National Research University, Belgorod, Russian Federation
Russian Mining Industry №5S/ 2025 p. 107–114
Abstract: Application of the drilling energy intensity indicator to determine the rock mass hardness ratio makes it possible to quickly assess areas with insufficient previous geomechanical studies, which contributes to optimization of the drilling and blasting operations. This is achieved by standardizing the drilling parameters at the design stage and subsequently adjusting them in accordance with the expected physical and mechanical properties of the rocks, in order to ensure the required size of the muck pile fragments. The authors propose an innovative approach based on the automated processing of telemetry data obtained from drilling rigs in real time. The study provides a detailed examination of the stages of statistical data filtering to eliminate anomalous values, calculation of the energy consumption while drilling using calibration coefficients, and the construction of block models that represent distribution of the energy consumption and the rock hardness. Based on the research conducted, it was found that the use of a floating correlation factor allows combinig telemetry data collected from different types of drilling rigs, which in turn makes it possible to maintain a single telemetry database, ensuring high detail in zoning the rock mass by the energy intensity. In the future, the energy intensity of blast hole drilling may be used to calculate the optimal specific consumption of explosives per blast hole, ensuring the required process-specified size of the muck pile fragments with a minimum amount of explosives, which will increase the economic efficiency of the drilling and blasting operations.
Keywords: energy intensity of drilling, rock hardness ratio, open-pit mining, drillability, drilling and blasting operations, drilling rig telemetry, drilling optimization, blasting optimization
For citation: Agarkov I.B., Kryuchkov I.S., Storozhenko E.A., Ignatenko I.M. Zoning of mineral deposits based on the rock hardness ratio determined through the energy intensity of blast hole drilling. Russian Mining Industry. 2025;(5S):107–114. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.30686/1609-9192-2025-5S-107-114
Article info
Received: 29.08.2025
Revised: 09.10.2025
Accepted: 10.10.2025
Information about the authors
Ivan B. Agarkov – Head of the Laboratory of Mining and Industrial Geology at the All-Russian Research Institute for Dewatering of Mineral Deposits, Protection of Engineering Structures from Water Inflow, Special Mining Operations, Geomechanics, Geophysics, Hydrotechnics, Geology, and Mine Surveying (VIOGEM JSC); Senior Lecturer, Belgorod State National Research University, Belgorod, Russian Federation; e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Ivan S. Kryuchkov – Junior Researcher at the All-Russian Research Institute for Dewatering of Mineral Deposits, Protection of Engineering Structures from Water Inflow, Special Mining Operations, Geomechanics, Geophysics, Hydrotechnics, Geology, and Mine Surveying (VIOGEM JSC); Lecturer, Belgorod State National Research University, Belgorod, Russian Federation; e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Ekaterina A. Storozhenko – Engineer, All-Russian Research Institute for Dewatering of Mineral Deposits, Protection of Engineering Structures from Water Inflow, Special Mining Operations, Geomechanics, Geophysics, Hydrotechnics, Geology, and Mine Surveying (VIOGEM JSC); Belgorod, Russian Federation; e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Ignat M. Ignatenko – Cand. Sci. (Eng.), Associate Professor, Vice-Rector for the Development of Science-Intensive Production, Belgorod State National Research University, Belgorod, Russian Federation; e-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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