Abstract
Continuously increasing costs and weakening commodity prices have forced mining companies to focus on improving their efficiency in order to enhance production rates. Because of this, more companies are treating their daily mining operations as a project for the purpose of achieving this goal. This paper focuses on an underground stoping panel project where platinum group metals (PGMs) are extracted using conventional drill-and-blast mining methods. A conventional stope can be classified as a project due to its uncertain and unpredictable characteristics, many variations, and a large number of interdependencies. These interdependencies may be minor linked activities with characteristics that tend to increase the risk of failure. The ’project management approach’ to be applied to this case study should consider the risks associated with each event and be able to serve as a method to avoid disruption caused by unforeseen events. In project management, specific methods are applied to achieve objectives. In this study the critical chain project management (CCPM) approach and the event chain project management (ECPM) approach are compared to determine which is more applicable for use in an underground stope. The aim is to improve the efficiency of day-to-day stoping activities using a project management approach. The day-to-day operations are guided by a definite goal – achieving the most effective blast. This approach will improve project planning, therefore assisting in preparation for any uncertainty.