Moscow State Mining University (Moscow, Russia):

Kutuzov B. N., Professor, Doctor of Engineering Sciences

“Polyus Gold” Company (Krasnoyarsk, Russia):

Tokarenko A. V., Executive Officer of Olimpiadinskiy Ore Dressing and Processing Enterprise

“Polyus” Company (Krasnoyarsk, Russia):

Timofeev I. N., Deputy Chief Engineer on Drilling and Blasting Operations, e-mail: sekretar@polyusgold.com
Gulenkov E. V., Head of Drilling and Blasting Shop
Skorik L. F., Head of Mining Administration

This article has been written with the participation of:
Head of Mining Department V. A. Karpov;
Deputy Head of a Shop D. S. Savintsev;
Head of Open Pit I. A. Ambrosenok;
Head of Open Pit M. N. Nevmerzhitskiy.

Hole loading by emulsion explosive VET-700 (ВЭТ-700) is held during the blasting operations on Olimpiadinsky ore dressing and processing enterprise. Due to the normative documents, obtaining of this emulite grade permits the usage of only granulate ammonium nitrate of “B” grade, which corresponds to the State Standard 2-85. The granulate ammonium nitrate is delivered for Olimpiadinsky ore dressing and processing enterprise in “bigbags” by automonile transport from Lesosibirsk warehouse. The distance from the warehouse to the “Polyus” explosives` storehouse is approximately 350 kilometers. For about 100 kilometers of this road has a very bad surface. Due to this, the car body swings and granules displace in the transportated saltpetre and the outer glass coating of the granules obliterates. The granules gain the capacity to adsorp the mineral (straw) oil.
From the beginning of March 2011 to October 2011, there were held 10 standard blasts in various rocks of Vostochnyy mine. Two control sections were determined on each unit. First section was loaded by explosives with porous nitrate. Second section was loaded by explosives with solid nitrate (State Standard 2-85). According to the results of the held test blast, the commission members draw a conclusion about a reasonability of further testings` holding for changing the composition of VET-700, with changing the dry phase of emulsion explosive from the porous nitrate with 500 grade, to the granulate nitrate with “B” 800 grade.
The cost of a porous nitrate is more than 2000 roubles per tone higher, in the comparisson with solid nitrate. Due to this, such changing will be economically sound.
It should be also noted, that the emulsion is obtained on the solid nitrate, whereas the porous nitrate is used for addition in the VET-700 in dry phase.