By Neville Judd
Fuel is one of the largest operating costs in surface mining, and the challenge is only becoming more complex. As mines mature, haul distances increase, pits deepen, and operators must move more material to maintain production levels. The result creates pressure on fuel consumption, operating costs, and emissions.
Traditionally, mine planning and operations have often worked in separate cycles. Planners create the optimal design, then operations teams execute it in the field. However, the reality of mining rarely unfolds exactly as planned. Weather events, changing road conditions, equipment performance, maintenance activities, and operational variability can all create a gap between the plan and actual performance.
The key to reducing that gap lies in creating a continuous feedback loop between planning and operations.
Moving beyond the “plan and hope” approach
Many mine plans are built using the best information available at the time. Yet even the most sophisticated design is only as effective as its execution. A haul road may be designed with an ideal gradient, but road conditions can change. Equipment may perform differently than expected. Operators may encounter challenges that were not visible during planning.
This is where a closed-loop mining approach becomes valuable.
By connecting Hexagon MinePlan with real-time operational data from Hexagon’s fleet management system, OP Pro, and asset health monitoring solutions, mines can continuously compare planned outcomes against actual performance. Rather than simply reacting to problems, operations teams can identify root causes, while planners gain the information needed to refine future designs and forecasts.
The result is a cycle of continuous improvement that helps mines improve fuel efficiency, productivity, and operational stability.
Why operational stability matters
Fuel consumption is influenced by more than equipment specifications alone. In haulage operations, stability plays a major role in determining efficiency. Variations in truck assignments, road conditions, queue times, and operating practices can all increase fuel burn.
When fleet management systems help stabilise truck assignments and reduce unnecessary variability, mines can improve productivity while lowering fuel consumption.
A recent customer study highlighted this relationship. By using fleet management technology to coordinate and optimise truck assignments, the operation achieved fuel ratio reductions of between 27% and 33% while maintaining productive haulage performance.
The lesson is clear: consistency creates efficiency.
Maintaining a consistent haul road gradient reduces unnecessary gear shifting and improves engine performance, helping trucks to operate more efficiently.
Four planning and operational levers for fuel efficiency
Reducing fuel consumption requires action from both planners and operators. A recent Hexagon webinar highlighted four key levers that become significantly more effective when planning and operations are connected.
1. Optimise haul road gradients
Road design has a direct impact on fuel consumption. Maintaining a consistent haul road gradient, typically between 8% and 10%, helps trucks operate more efficiently by reducing unnecessary gear shifting and improving engine performance.
However, planning alone is not enough.
Using detailed operational data, OP Pro can monitor truck performance segment by segment, identifying areas where actual conditions differ from design assumptions. Information such as gear changes, speed profiles, and engine behaviour can reveal where roads are causing inefficiencies.
That information can then be fed back into MinePlan, helping planners calibrate future designs using real-world performance data.
2. Manage rolling resistance proactively
Rolling resistance is one of the most significant hidden contributors to fuel consumption. Every 1% increase in rolling resistance effectively adds the same load as a 1% increase in road gradient. Small changes in road quality can therefore have a substantial impact on fuel burn.
Good road design helps minimise rolling resistance through proper drainage, cross-fall, centre crowns, and maintenance planning. However, operational monitoring is essential to ensure roads remain in optimal condition.
By combining asset health data, machine telemetry, payload information, and location data, mines can identify deteriorating road conditions before they become major problems.
Integrated fleet management workflows can automatically generate maintenance tasks, dispatch support equipment to problem areas, and reduce the time required to restore road quality.
3. Reduce haul distances through smarter mine layouts
Hauling material is one of the most fuel-intensive activities on a mine site. That is why mine planners spend considerable effort optimising dump locations, haul routes, infrastructure placement, and material movement strategies.
Opportunities such as in-pit dumping, trolley assist systems, and strategic infrastructure placement can significantly reduce haul distances and fuel consumption. Yet operational disruptions are inevitable. Dump locations may become unavailable, roads may be blocked, and conditions can change rapidly.
This is where intelligent assignment engines within OP Pro can help. By evaluating alternative destinations, queue times, idling costs, and travel distances in real time, operations teams can make better decisions that maintain productivity while minimising fuel use.
4. Improve grade blending and destination control
Material movement decisions have implications far beyond fuel consumption. Accurate grade blending and destination control affect processing performance, compliance, reconciliation, and overall mine economics.
Advanced planning tools can optimise material routing by matching ore quality to the most appropriate destination. However, execution remains critical.
Machine guidance systems allow shovel operators to identify material accurately and load according to plan. OP Pro can then track material movements, validate payloads, and ensure trucks are directed to the correct destinations.
This reduces rehandling, prevents misrouting, and eliminates unnecessary fuel consumption caused by moving material multiple times.
Closing the loop between planning and operations
The greatest opportunity is not found in any single technology. It comes from connecting them. When operational data flows back into planning systems, planners gain a clearer understanding of actual haul times, fuel consumption, road maintenance requirements, and equipment performance. Forecasts become more accurate, assumptions become more realistic, and future plans become more achievable.
At the same time, operations teams gain the tools needed to enforce plans in real time, respond to changing conditions, and minimise inefficiencies before they affect production. This continuous cycle of planning, execution, measurement, and refinement creates a true closed-loop mining environment.
The future of fuel-efficient mining
As mines continue to deepen and operational complexity increases, reducing fuel consumption will require more than isolated improvements. Success will depend on connecting planning and operations through shared data, integrated workflows, and real-time decision-making.
By combining MinePlan, OP Pro, and asset health insights, mining organisations can move beyond the traditional “plan and hope” model and build a more stable, efficient, and sustainable operation.
The result is improved productivity, lower fuel consumption, reduced emissions, and a mine plan that continuously improves with every shift.
Watch the webinar recording to hear Hexagon experts David Prior and Ernesto Vivas discuss the practical applications of closed-loop mining and the technologies helping operations bridge the gap between planning and execution.