The Water Optimisation Modelling Business Analysis Tool (WOMBAT) is an online software platform that integrates information and workflows relating to the management of mine water across Rio Tinto’s mine sites. WOMBAT came about due to the requirement of the Water Resource - Orebody Knowledge & Planning (WRES-OKP) of Rio Tinto Iron Ore for a strategic methodology to effectively inform Rio Tinto’s stakeholders of the dewatering requirements for the below water table (BWT) resources. WOMBAT addresses efficient integration, assessment and analysis of dewatering planning and operations by bringing mine planning information, numerical models and workflows into a single digital platform focused on improving operational planning and reconciliation.
WOMBAT was implemented in a series of phases which involved capturing Rio Tinto’s work-flows linked to various stakeholders including Mine Planners, Hydrogeologists, Groundwater modellers and Hydrogeology & data superintendents and principles. WOMBAT supports high level water strategy monitoring and planning by providing centralised volume data for tonnage and dewatering across all mine sites, deposits and dewatering models and is used for preliminary dewatering volume forecasting based on wet tonnage and ore body type.
WOMBAT enables the implementation of robust and timely PDAC (plan-do-check-adjust) management approach with the aim of reducing operating cost, optimizing capital deployment strategies, mitigating mining risks and providing a single point of truth for decision making. Planning is improved by integrating mine plans with groundwater models for short to medium term forecasting. It also provides facilitates the centralised management and archiving of mathematical groundwater models as well as of mine plans and mine schedules.