On October 24th students from the Iron Range Engineering student chapter of the Society of
Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration had the opportunity to observe drilling and
blasting operations at Minntac, one of the two facilities that make up U.S.
Steel’s Minnesota Ore Operations. U.S. Steel employees Guy Holmes and Jeremy
Williams presented the students a full tour of the operations involved in the
pit. The students first observed a two hundred forty-hole mine blast from a
lookout point in the pit some 4,000 feet away. After the blast, students where
shown the drilling equipment used to prep each drill site. Students were also
shown the logistical operations at Mine Control. At Mine Control, students
learned how the haul trucks are coordinated, how communications within the pit are
operated, and how the correlation between the locations of the ore body
affected pellet quality. The overall learning experience for students
emphasized the importance of communication and safety.
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