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By T A. Carter

In 2010 Agnew Gold Mine (AGM) struggled to produce the required tonnages from its stopes. The longhole rises used to create void in stopes were unreliable and often failed to gain the designed rise height. The number of firings per stope was having an adverse impact on the ground conditions at the stope brows, impeding stope productivity.Through practical experimentation with longhole drill rigs, box hole rigs and development drill rigs as well as trialling new methods in conjunction with reviewing drill hole data, drill hole accuracy was observed to be an issue on-site. Innovative dragging methods such as the reverse drag, combined with a slope instead of a vertical face on the rear of stopes, have improved dragging and a reduction of firings per stope, enabling larger production blasts.The methods trialled and subsequently implemented at AGM have facilitated the mine achieving budgeted targets for six consecutive quarters. This paper documents the use of these methods in a key lode of AGM’s operations to improve drill and blast practices in order to achieve production targets.CITATION:Carter, T A, 2014. Improving production drilling and blasting in the Kim South orebody at Agnew Gold Mine, in Proceedings 12th AusIMM Underground Operators’ Conference 2014 , pp 251–258 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Mar 24, 2014

By R Burke, G Ramage, C Donnelly

Over the decades, Redpath has undertaken a multitude of tunnelling and underground excavation projects for civil and mining clients both domestically and internationally. These projects have been undertaken through varying strata conditions with differing excavation methods in remote locations and in central business districts.With the recent turbulent nature of the global financial environment, project drivers have been challenged with the emphasis being placed on methods to gain early access to orebodies, rapid development techniques, lower capital costs and reduced labour requirements to name a few.A number of mining companies seeking to achieve these objectives have commenced the journey to better understand the operational constraints, challenges and opportunities that may be available with the use of alternative excavation methods.The development of safe and effective alternative excavation methods that comply with both domestic and international mining legislation and regulatory requirements is a challenge the industry needs to embrace. Given the current cost pressures being faced by the Australian mining industry, some alternative excavation methods offer the potential for longer term sustainability and rapid development of resources.More recently work has been undertaken on a project that challenged the norm and implemented an alternative excavation method with the use of an excavator with a rotating drum cutter head.This paper will review this recent project and provide technical and operational insight into some of the challenges faced in implementing an alternative excavation method in the metalliferous industry.CITATION:Donnelly, C, Ramage, G and Burke, R, 2014. Challenging the norm – alternative excavation method in mining, in Proceedings 12th AusIMM Underground Operators’ Conference 2014 , pp 187–190 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Mar 24, 2014

By B Crowdey, J Wall

The particular underground operation relating to this paper is a gold producer and has an orebody predominately consisting of rhyolite and marcasites pyrite. The ore has been identified as being reactive to nitrates.Operations currently utilise two twin boom Tamrock™ Super-Drill Jumbos for development mining. Capital (waste) headings have a nominal size of 7 m wide × 6 m high, while ore headings are designed at 5 m wide × 5 m high, with the lower reaches of the mine narrowing down to a 4.5 m × 5 m design. Production drilling is currently undertaken with an Atlas-Copco L6 Solo. Due to the reactivity of the ore, inhibited emulsion phase bulk explosives are used for all blasting activities, with electronic detonators utilised in the production sequence.Sublevel shrinkage stoping is utilised when the orebody is stronger than the host rock. After blasting the ore, and during extraction, the surrounding host rock cannot maintain integrity and it ‘collapses’ on top of the ore. Gravity forces this collapsing rock to follow the blasted ore through the drawpoints.The highest risk involved with sublevel shrinkage stoping is the necessity for charge crews to work upon ‘rills’ at the drawpoints, which are occasionally unstable, to charge the next blast ring to be fired. To overcome this issue a loading technique called ‘precharging’ is used whereby two to three rings are charged, but only the first ring is fired. This technique can minimise risks by taking the charge crew away from the rill and brow.As this mine contains hot and reactive ground, strict guidelines from the Australian Explosives Industry and Safety Group Inc (AEISG) are adhered to. These guidelines relate to the sleep time for the precharged rings.This paper describes the issues faced with precharging in hot and reactive ground, the monitoring required and the systems and procedures that were put in place to enable a successful outcome.CITATION:Crowdey, B and Wall, J, 2014. Precharging sublevel shrinkage production rings in hot and reactive ground with electronic blasting systems, in Proceedings 12th AusIMM Underground Operators’ Conference 2014 , pp 283–288 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Mar 24, 2014

By L Sandery, S Light

Within 22 months of commencing decline development, the Prominent Hill Ankata Underground Project achieved its full production rate of 1.2 Mt/a.In 2010 construction of the Ankata Underground Project was approved. Decline development commenced in November 2010 and the turnout for the first sublevel was reached by August 2011. The first stoping ore was produced in the first quarter of 2012 and production was successfully ramped up to full production during the third quarter of 2012.Diamond drilling commenced in October 2011 and was conducted concurrently with the underground development. This presented challenges as mining and production targets had to be balanced with underground exploration activities. To achieve production on schedule, without adversely affecting the diamond drilling program and future development, meticulous and adaptive planning techniques were required. This included involvement from engineers, geologists, underground operators and underground diamond drillers.The granularity of these planning techniques allowed the management and prioritisation of development and diamond drilling down to an almost hourly basis. A constant flow of information from drill assay results was fed back into the planning systems. This resulted in a constantly evolving mine plan as the orebody was further refined. High priority areas were identified and targeted to allow continued development and a successful rapid ramp up to full production.CITATION:Sandery, L and Light, S, 2014. Managing the diamond drilling interactions in commissioning the Ankata underground mine, in Proceedings 12th AusIMM Underground Operators’ Conference 2014 , pp 75–80 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Mar 24, 2014

By I T. Ross

In the last 50 years there have been tremendous improvements in equipment used in development on underground mines. Compressed air powered jacklegs have been replaced by high powered electro-hydraulic drifters on sophisticated drill jumbos and load haul dump units have taken over from small shovels and rail cars.Despite the increase in power applied in key parts of the development cycle, average advance rates have fallen and costs have increased. The factor that is most often regarded as the main contributor to slowing advance rates is increased support requirements. Whilst there is no denying that the drive to improve safety has resulted in the requirement for more bolting and the installation of a skin support (mesh or shotcrete), this is not the only factor.Within the industry as a whole, many of the basic principles of development appear to have been lost over time. This paper looks at a historical case study and discusses some of the features of old development cycles that are no longer in use. This highlights some of the basics that appear to have been forgotten. These may be indicators to what may provide improvements in the conventional drill and blast development cycle.CITATION:Ross, I T, 2014. Development – back to basics, in Proceedings 12th AusIMM Underground Operators’ Conference 2014 , pp 67–74 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Mar 24, 2014

By D Cumming-Potvin

Incidents that trap miners in underground mines have serious consequences for the miners and the mine operators involved. It is of utmost importance that mine operators utilise all available tools when trying to locate and rescue trapped miners. From testing conducted at underground hard rock mines, Cumming-Potvin et al (2013) found that pre-existing microseismic monitoring systems, which are routinely used for seismic risk management, have the potential to be used for detecting and locating trapped miners.This paper reflects on the Anzac Day seismic event that trapped two miners at Tasmania Mine, Beaconsfield, on 25 April 2006. The Anzac Day event occurred at 2123 on a Tuesday evening. Rescuers were unable to confirm that the trapped miners had survived until 1930 on Sunday evening. It is not possible to speculate on how the rescue operation may have been different had the technology to use the microseismic monitoring system for the purpose of detecting the trapped miners been available. However, it almost certainly would have been different. The recent research project has demonstrated that knowing the fate of the Beaconsfield miners might have been achievable up to 100 hours earlier than was the case in 2006. That knowledge would have been invaluable to the rescue effort.By examining the seismic array at the Tasmania Mine, the reliability of detection over the working levels of the mine could be quantified. Had the methodology been available, adding six additional sensors (at a cost of $40 000), would have been sufficient to increase the likelihood of detection to greater than 90 per cent in the working levels of the mine. This was true both at the time of closure of the mine in 2012, and just prior to the Anzac day event.CITATION:Cumming-Potvin, D and Hills, P B, 2014. Use of a pre-existing microseismic monitoring system to detect trapped miners (with reflections on Beaconsfield 2006), in Proceedings 12th AusIMM Underground Operators’ Conference 2014 , pp 143–150 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Mar 24, 2014

By A Boeing

Rock-breaker automation and remote operation improves the safety and efficiency of mining operations. This paper presents an overview of the Rocklogic rock-breaker automation system architecture that provides collision avoidance, automated parking and remote operation functionality. The system consists of a distributed computer control system that interfaces with sensors attached to the rock-breaker, the rock-breaker hydraulics and the site infrastructure. We present results of an automated Transmin rock-breaker installed in a production environment at an underground Australian mine site. The system has been in production use for over 900 days, during which there have been no reported collisions and 100 per cent adoption of the remote operation technology. As a result, Rocklogic has significantly improved the safety of rock-breaking operations and reduced the rock-breaking cycle time, thereby improving the site’s overall throughput.CITATION:Boeing, A and Douglas, E, 2014. A remotely operated robotic rock-breaker with collision avoidance for the mining industry, in Proceedings 12th AusIMM Underground Operators’ Conference 2014 , pp 131–136 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Mar 24, 2014

By C Vejrazka, A Wyllie

A common problem faced by underground mining operations around the world is airborne dust sourced from production and auxiliary processes. In most underground mining methods, air is generally directed through a limited number of drives and is thus more effective at carrying dust away from operational areas quickly. In a block caving operation, there are a number of ways to set up ventilation systems. In its simplest form the air is entering the extraction level through access drives and then split over the number of extraction drives—based on the pressure differences—without being regulated. This is the case at Northparkes Mines. Larger operations and panel caves most often utilise designated ventilation levels and ventilation raises with some form of regulation to ensure adequate airflow to all work areas.Northparkes Mines utilise electric loaders as a productive means to transport ore to the run-of-mine (ROM) bin, which have the added advantage of allowing the mine to require less airflow through the extraction drives as dilution of exhaust gases is no longer required. Dust was controlled during the operational period of the previous two block caves by using water spray bars in each of the drawpoints, which were seen as the main source of dust. These drawpoint spray bars only wet the surface of muck piles and require a lot of water to achieve an effect on the overall air quality. The drawpoint sprays can be remotely operated from mine control, whenever a loader is sent to bog a particular drawpoint. A significant amount of airborne dust is also generated during loading as rilling of material occurs, with further dust being generated during tramming and dumping activities as only limited mixing of the water and ore occurs. The water sprays are ineffective at precipitating dust that has already become airborne.When built, the currently operational E48 cave was fitted with drawpoint water sprays. As the cave is in a different orebody with higher silica content, the water sprays were not able to keep airborne dust and thus silica quantities under control efficiently. It was therefore necessary to find more sustainable solutions. The problem was further intensified by the concurrent load-haul-dump (LHD) processes across multiple extraction drives and tipping points, as well as secondary breaking, using non-explosive blasting and development activities occurring nearby.This paper describes the practical approach taken at Northparkes Mines to reduce personal dust exposure on the E48 extraction level. As the extraction level is one of the main contributors to airborne dust at the mine, it is believed that much can be learnt by focusing improvement efforts initially on this part of the mining process and later applying the effective solutions in other parts of the mine.CITATION:Vejrazka, C and Wyllie, A, 2014. Reduction of airborne dust on the E48 extraction level at Northparkes mines, in Proceedings 12th AusIMM Underground Operators’ Conference 2014 , pp 227–232 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Mar 24, 2014

By M B. Lovitt

At present there exist few engineering calculations and principles to determine exclusion zones for personnel in the vicinity of underground explosive storage areas. This paper is written to encourage discussion and proposes a method to determine the impact of a blast wave through scientific principles. Then, criteria to determine an ‘exclusion zone’ need to be identified.There has been much work on identifying the pressure rise and the energy of explosive detonations underground but little to develop standards in criteria that can be used to identify exclusion zones for useful design of underground infrastructure. The author presents the newest ways of calculating the pressure rise and energy (impulse) of detonations and puts forward some criteria to be used in the identification of personnel exclusion zones to spark peer review and discussion of these criteria towards developing standards for engineering design.Smith and Sapko (2005) used Sach’s scaling laws to develop a relationship for both pressure rise and impulse, which incorporated factors for intersections. Intersections will have a large bearing on the peak pressure and the energy of the blast wave and needs to be incorporated. Silvestrini, Genova and Leon Trujillo (2009) developed the scaling laws with an energy concentration factor to predict blast propagation in partially confined geometries and together the author has proposed equations for determining the peak side pressure and the impulse in a tunnel. Given the weight and type of the explosive, the average cross-section of the tunnel complex and the number and type of intersections encountered, the pressure and impulse can be calculated.The military has carried out many investigations as to the influence of blast pressure and impulse on the human body. Lung damage, ear damage and velocity knock down are three of the criteria standards that are presented as possible methods of determining exclusion zones around an underground explosives magazine. The author suggests that the velocity curves presented by Bowen, Fletcher and Richmond (1968) could be an acceptable method of determining an exclusion zone as it incorporates the side pressure and the energy of a blast wave to determine the ability of the wave to knock down personnel.CITATION:Lovitt, M B, 2014. Exclusion zone calculation for underground explosives storage, in Proceedings 12th AusIMM Underground Operators’ Conference 2014 , pp 319–326 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Mar 24, 2014

By T Purvis, J Calverd, A-K Greve

The Ernest Henry Mining (EHM) underground mine is situated adjacent to the Great Artesian Basin in North Queensland and within a fracture zone. Underground development commenced in February 2008 and has extended to approximately 1000 vertical metres below the surface.Groundwater has been encountered in numerous locations throughout the mine, predominantly on the eastern side of the orebody and often related to fault structures. Most of the groundwater encountered has been managed with conventional pumping systems; however, on occasions large water inflows have been encountered, which have had a significant impact on the planned development of the mine. Some of the intersections encountered had the potential to compromise the mine from a combination of high temperature (over 45°C), high pressure (3500 kPa) and high flows (50–100 L/s).This paper describes three case studies where significant water inflows were encountered and then controlled by the injection of cementitious grout into the rock mass. The case studies are the 1650 mid-shaft heading, the 1325 shaft access decline and the 1625 to 1475 fresh air rise (FAR) raise bore. Each case study includes a brief description of the event that occurred and the grouting equipment and techniques developed to enable mining to continue.The paper also describes the development of a hydrogeological map of the mine, the probe-hole regime used for high-risk headings and the required processes and systems to inject both cementitious grouts and polyurethane resin into the rock mass.CITATION:Purvis, T, Calverd, J and Greve, A-K, 2014. Management of high-pressure groundwater in underground development at Ernest Henry Mine, in Proceedings 12th AusIMM Underground Operators’ Conference 2014 , pp 217–226 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Mar 24, 2014

By C Beal

Proper understanding and management of production drilling in sublevel cave (SLC) mines is essential for meeting production targets and for avoiding inefficiencies that could lead to costly bottlenecks. In many SLC mine management models drilling is considered a derivative activity of firing and bogging. Its scheduling is considered to be implied in a firing schedule and given an arbitrary target completion, ‘several weeks’ or ‘a month’, ahead of production firing. Like development, drilling activities are most efficient when conducted separately from other production activities. Unlike development, however, it is not apparent during planning and feasibility how far in advance of firing drilling activities ought to be conducted. This paper presents a method of defining a minimum threshold of drilled stocks above which drilling, firing and bogging operations occur most efficiently. As an example, the drilling activities, procedures, and maintenance at Glencore Xstrata’s Ernest Henry Mine are presented, and the larger scale consequences of improvements to these areas are presented to illustrate their importance in the operation of an SLC mine.CITATION:Beal, C, 2014. Understanding the role of production drilling and drilled stocks in efficient operation of a sublevel cave mine, in Proceedings 12th AusIMM Underground Operators’ Conference 2014 , pp 235–242 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Mar 24, 2014

By J P. Sykes, A Trench

Mineral commodity prices are subject to volatility over both the short and longer run – driving fluctuating operating margins for mining companies over time. Such market dynamics influence mine operating decisions depending on the interplay of company-specific and mineral market factors. The company factors include corporate financial strength and price-risk management strategy, as well as mining practices and methods at the operation level. The critical mineral market factor is the price of the ex-mine product. This results from underlying microeconomic and macroeconomic root-causes pertaining to mineral supply and demand, in addition to the activities of financial participants within commodity markets.Significant changes in commodity prices of an extended duration, either up or down, remain the principal influence upon mine economics – and therefore on mining practices too. Accurate and precise forecasting of commodity prices (and of relevant exchange rates) continues to prove elusive both to mineral economists and market analysts. Thus, at any given point in time, there are often widely differing price forecasts available for both the relevant commodity and currency. Companies as a result are unclear how to respond in practical operating terms to such price-side uncertainty – other than to manage incremental capital and operating expenditure. Typical company – and industry financier – responses to the difficulty in predicting future mineral commodity prices are to take measures to manage uncertainties in mining project revenues and costs. These operating practices are prudent – yet come at an economic cost: that is, lost revenue and margin opportunity is inevitable in any such system not easily capable of responding to price volatility in the market. The mine of the future will seek to capture this lost economic opportunity. This paper presents a three-stage framework for analysing commodity price forecasts to aide understanding of the commodity price cycle and the periods of high-margin opportunity.CITATION:Trench, A and Sykes, J P, 2014. Perspectives on mineral commodity price cycles and their relevance to underground mining, in Proceedings 12th AusIMM Underground Operators’ Conference 2014 , pp 19–32 (The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy: Melbourne).

Mar 24, 2014

An upgrade to Vale?s existing Clarabelle dual-pinion, semiautogenous (SAG) mill was completed by the power and automation technology company, ABB. The mill is used to reduce the size of the ore at the company?s nickel and copper mines in the Sudbury area. The project was completed on time and on budget with an excellent safety record. Located in Ontario about 400 km (250 miles) north of Toronto, Vale?s Sudbury operations are primarily underground nickel sulfide mines, with integrated mining, milling, smelting and refining operations. One of the characteristics of Clarabelle Mill is to accept nickel-copper ore from various sources and companies and to produce a nickel-copper concentrate and copper concentrate for further processing. The size of the ore is further reduced in SAG mills, rod mills and ball mills, where all milling is done wet.

Mar 1, 2014

Caterpillar unveiled a new dozer, the new Cat D10T2 dozer, that builds on the success the company has had with its D10T model. The newest version of the dozer includes refinements to its power train, automated controls and structures. The result, the company said, is high productivity with superior fuel efficiency, reliable operation with long-lived structures, as well as enhanced access for service technicians and operators. The D10T2 uses the latest load-sensing hydraulics technology combined with Cat advanced engine controls to maximize the amount of material moved for every drop of fuel burned. Improved filtration protects the fuel system, hydraulic system and power train oil system to help ensure high reliability and minimal machine downtime. Refined large structures, such as redesigned track roller frames, deliver longer service before rebuilds. Improved access and egress features enhance safety and productivity of technicians and operators, and optional powered access systems and platforms enable configuring the D10T2 for the site. Caterpillar offers the D10T2 with two variations of the Cat C27 engine with ACERT Technology. One version is U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Tier 4 Final certified, and the other is capable of achieving emission levels equivalent to EPA Tier 2 standards. Both engine configurations produce net power of 447 kW (600 hp) in forward gears and 538 kW (722 hp) in reverse gears. The engine controller automatically adjusts power output based on the direction of travel. With the new system, the D10T2 has about 20 percent more power in reverse compared to its predecessor model. The result is faster cycle times and greater productivity in certain applications. The D10T2 is suited for a variety of applications including mining, heavy construction and bulk materials handling.

Mar 1, 2014

In subterranean mining operations, access to communication networks deep underground is critical for transporting data, voice and video, and other supporting applications that are essential for efficient and safe operations. Whether accessing sophisticated ERP or maintenance management systems, engaging in fleet management, video surveillance, or access control, or protecting miners with wireless locator systems, these networks serve as a literal lifeline between workers deep within mines and surface operations. For this, mining networks require more than permanently installed network cabling, it also requires unique deployable systems designed for quick installation, extension and even relocation as the active mine site area moves, or equipment is moved in and out.

Mar 1, 2014

By Salomón David Albis Pacheco

El presente texto señala una herramienta de gestión actual que mejore las operaciones logísticas de la empresa, perfeccione el sistema de información con los proveedores y brinde una mejor respuesta a los clientes mejorando el nivel de servicio. En ese sentido, Supply Chain Management (gestión de la cadena de suministro) es una herramienta de gestión que ofrece minimizar los costos y logra un mejor servicio al cliente - en tanto al aplicarla a una contratista minera de perforación diamantina, optimiza los contratos, compras, almacenes, transporte de materiales, tecnología de información y maneja la responsabilidad social y ambiental.

Mar 1, 2014

By F. Calizaya

A booster fan is an underground ventilation device installed in the main airstream to handle the total quantity of air circulated to one or more working districts. It is installed in a permanent stopping and equipped with airlock doors, a monitoring system and interlocking devices between the main fan and the booster fan. When adequately installed, a booster fan can be used to reduce the main fan pressure, reduce leakage and decrease the power consumption. However, an inadequate installation can increase the likelihood of mine fies and recirculation of air contaminants. This study identifies hazards associated with the operation and maintenance of booster fans. It analyzes the accompanying risks and recommends control measures to reduce those risks to acceptable levels. The ventilation network of an existing coal mine was updated to include a booster fan. The hazards associated with the operation of this fan were identified, the risks analyzed and the esponse to each failure mode established.

Mar 1, 2014

By Giovanni Franco Sepúlveda

Dado que los procesos de planificación minera en los depósitos a cielo abierto en Colombia se realizaron a través de herramientas deterministas que excluyen la evaluación de riesgos y las incertidumbres del negocio minero, se plantea modelos alternativos de planificación minera que optimizen las condiciones de competitividad y productividad a través del uso de los algoritmos genéticos y su aplicación a los procesos de planificación minera para explotaciones a cielo abierto. Es decir, se busca realizar una aproximación al planteamiento minero estocástico desde dichos algoritmos genéticos y así mejorar la cadena productiva del proceso minero.

Mar 1, 2014

By David J. Hatem

Public-private partnerships (PPP) are gaining in popularity at the federal, state and local levels as the public sector seeks private capital to finance infrastructure and other projects that traditionally have been funded with public funds. In general, a PPP involves a development agreement between a public owner and a private sector concessionaire. Under the development agreement, the concessionaire is responsible for financing, designing, constructing and typically operating and maintaining the completed project for a concession period (often multi-decades in duration). The concessionaire typically enters into an agreement ? the design-build agreement ? with a design-builder to design and construct the project. The concessionaire may secure financing from banks, investors or from a combination of these and other sources (collectively the financier). While the PPP experience in the United States has been modest to date, an increasing number of projects involving tunneling or other significant subsurface work are already being delivered in the PPP mode. Public owners have significant options to address risk allocation for subsurface conditions on PPP projects. The same sound and fundamental principles of fairness in risk allocation that apply in other major subsurface projects should be applied and adopted in the PPP context

Mar 1, 2014

By Andrew C. Katen

The mining industry faces increasing geopolitical risk in the coming decades. Constraints such as resource nationalism, corruption and social license could grow to outweigh fundamental limitations like geology or supply and demand (Ernst & Young, 2013; Verrastro et al. 2010). Lurking beneath these more immediate and palpable concerns, however, may be more significant risks entrenched in geography and history. Deep-rooted cultural and strategic forces that emerge slowly ? or erupt suddenly and unexpectedly ? can generate momentous and far-reaching political, social and economic changes. While multinational enterprises routinely assess for political risk, the nature of minerals extraction means long-term and systemic geopolitical conditions are especially important for mining companies to identify and understand. Mine development is a decades-long process that binds companies to the land and makes changing course to avert emerging threats a difficult and costly option. Consequently, geopolitical assessment is a pertinent and valuable tool that mining companies can use to more comprehensively evaluate strategic threats and opportunities. Geopolitics is the study of society, politics and strategy through the lens of geography (Gray, 1996). Its emphasis on relatively permanent physical features of the earth makes geopolitics a uniquely valuable tool for assessing political risk. Topography, climate and natural resources have shaped, constrained and motivated peoples and governments throughout history. These influences transcend regimes, policies and borders ? and even states themselves ? which, by contrast, change often and dramatically. Framing politics against mountains, deserts and rivers supports identification of historical patterns and forecasts of emerging trends. In other words, the physical map provides an objective and consistent model for studying a subjective and dynamic subject such as politics (Sloan and Gray, 1999). Consequently, geopolitical assessment can highlight threats and opportunities that go unaddressed by other risk methodologies that emphasize current conditions (Glancy, 2012). Taken together, the permanence of geography, hindsight afforded by centuries of political history, and interconnectedness of world events makes geopolitical assessment a valuable approach for conceptualizing strategic risk.

Mar 1, 2014