Author:

Name & Surname: Glubokii S. S.
Company: Apatit JSC (Kirovsk, Russia)
Work Position: Chief Geologist
Contacts: e-mail: SGlubokiy@phosagro.ru

In terms of the mines within Apatit company, where the many-years high-rate extraction of apatite-nepheline ore has depleted reserves suitable for opencast mining and thus the underground mining method becomes topside, the article highlights the key trends of adjusting the strategy of geological exploration in order to enhance mineral production and extend life of mines. The author describes in brief the recent decade projects aimed at expansion of scope of operational and detailed exploration and at the techno-economically justified change in the extracted ore quality requirements towards reduced cutoff grade, which enabled refinement of boundaries and quality of ore bodies, transition of ore reserves to higher category extent of exploration, addition of ore reserves previously assumed as lost in pillars and, as a whole, the mining gain in operating mines.