Preventing Ore Losses with a ROM Pad Digital Twin | NTWIST

How One Mine Prevented $0.5M in Losses by Digitizing Its ROM Pad

Ore misplacement may sound like a minor operational hiccup - but for many mid-tier mines, it's a recurring and expensive one. In the chaos of a ramp-up, one site discovered just how much it was costing them. The solution? A real-time digital twin of their ROM pad.

The Problem: Misplaced Ore and Missed Value

At an open-pit gold operation in Brazil producing around 50,000 ounces annually, the mine was ramping up production. But ore and waste were frequently delivered to the wrong stockpiles. Coordination between planning, geology, and operations relied on spreadsheets, radio calls, and outdated estimates. There was no unified, real-time view of material flow.

The cost? Misplaced loads that impacted blending, recovery, and ultimately, revenue.

The Fix: A ROM Pad Digital Twin

NTWIST deployed a site-specific digital twin of the mine’s ROM pad. The system integrated live haulage data and mapped dump events in real time, flagging inconsistencies and alerting operators before issues escalated. Teams gained a shared dashboard that reflected up-to-the-minute stockpile status - including grade, hardness, and mass.

For this mine, the impact was immediate:

• 24 misplaced dumps detected and addressed early
• $0.5 million in potential ore losses prevented
• Short-interval control enabled across departments

Visual Intelligence, Operational Impact

Before this deployment, there was no reliable way to verify whether a load had been placed correctly. Afterward, operators could see - in real time - where every haul truck dumped, what was in each pile, and how it fit into the broader blending strategy. Misroutes didn’t just get logged. They got fixed.

Above: The ROM Pad digital twin flagged $0.5M in misplacement risk during a ramp-up. Visual overlays helped teams react faster and coordinate better.

Beyond Prevention: Better Blending Starts with Clarity

Stockpile management is more than a tracking problem - it’s a planning one. With the digital twin in place, this site didn’t just prevent misroutes. It enabled higher-confidence blending and eliminated guesswork between teams. The result was faster decision-making, fewer re-handlings, and a foundation for continuous improvement.

Each cell in the grid reflected live grade, hardness, and mass values — without relying on spreadsheets or manual entry.

Interested in Fixing the Same Problem?

Misrouted material is more common than you think. If you’re relying on disconnected systems and manual reconciliation, your ROM pad is likely leaking value. NTWIST’s Mine-to-Mill Optimization solution solves this by connecting planning, haulage, and process teams through real-time data and AI-driven insights.

Ready to see it in action? Reach out to book a live walkthrough of how our ROM pad digital twin works - and what it could mean for your operations.