Mobile oil sands mining system

摘要

A method of increasing a dwell time of a slurry facility at a given ore processing location by using a mobile oil sands mining system. The method involves coordinating the operation of at least two mining conveyors to facilitate mining at least one arc-shaped sector of ore that otherwise would not be within operational reach of the slurry facility at the ore processing location. The method increases the slurry facility's operational time at the ore processing location before relocation thereof is required to keep the slurry facility within operational reach of at least one receding mine face.

主权项

1. A method of increasing a dwell time of a slurry facility between relocations thereof to keep the slurry facility within operational reach of at least one receding mine face, the slurry facility being operably configured to produce a slurry from the ore excavated from the at least one mine face, the method comprising:
positioning a first mining conveyor having a first discharge end and a first distal end such that the first discharge end is in communication with a first ore receiving location of the slurry facility; positioning a second mining conveyor having a second discharge end and a second distal end such that the second discharge end is in communication with a second ore receiving location disposed along the first mining conveyor; excavating a first body of ore within operational reach along a length of the second mining conveyor, and conveying the first body of excavated ore via the second mining conveyor to the first mining conveyor, and via the first mining conveyor to the first ore receiving location of the slurry facility; repositioning the second mining conveyor to reposition the second ore receiving location along the first mining conveyor, excavating a second body of ore within operational reach along a length of the repositioned second mining conveyor, and conveying the second body of excavated ore via the repositioned second mining conveyor to the first mining conveyor, and via the first mining conveyor to the first ore receiving location of the slurry facility; and rotating the second mining conveyor generally about the second discharge end while keeping the second discharge end in communication with the first mining conveyor to facilitate excavating a generally arc-shaped third body of ore within operational reach along a length of the rotated second mining conveyor, excavating the third body of ore including from a plurality of excavation locations alongside the rotated second mining conveyor, depositing excavated ore from the plurality of excavation locations onto the second mining conveyor at a corresponding plurality of ore receiving locations along the length of the rotated second mining conveyor, and conveying the third body of excavated ore from the plurality of ore receiving locations along the length of the rotated second mining conveyor to the first mining conveyor, and via the first mining conveyor to the first ore receiving location of the slurry facility.