Systems thinking approaches to artisanal and small-scale gold mining supply chains in Peru
dc.contributor.advisor | Düzgün, H. Sebnem | |
dc.contributor.advisor | Flamand, Tulay | |
dc.contributor.author | Aranoglu, Fatih | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2024-07-09T22:00:48Z | |
dc.date.available | 2024-07-09T22:00:48Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2023 | |
dc.identifier | Aranoglu_mines_0052E_12769.pdf | |
dc.identifier | T 9687 | |
dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/11124/179122 | |
dc.description | Includes bibliographical references. | |
dc.description | 2023 Fall. | |
dc.description.abstract | Artisanal and Small-scale Gold Mining (ASGM) is a socio-technical complex system that includes social aspects of gold mining as well as many supply chain components with intertwined relationships. It is also a data-scarce system that needs to be further examined. This dissertation investigates the ASGM supply chain systems using systems thinking approaches. First, in Chapter 2, we analyze the spatial distribution of gold production in Peru per region per mining scale to identify the areas with significant gold production from the ASGM. In Chapter 3, we propose a system dynamics (SD) model to examine the dynamics of an informal ASGM supply chain that has interactions with the informal gold supply chain in the Amazon rainforest region, Madre de Dios (MdD), Peru. Our findings suggest that the dynamics of informal mines are highly affected by the mercury supply, fuel supply, and availability of workers. The system is highly resilient and can recover quickly after releasing external stressors. In Chapter 4, we address the surface ASGM in Ananea, Peru, by developing an SD model to examine the current operations of the gold supply chain and its interplay with mercury and gas suppliers. The high mercury usage of the current mining operations causes potential health and environmental issues. As a potential solution to overcome such problems, we introduce a cyanidation processing facility into the SD model and examine the willingness of miners to adopt this solution. Using this analysis, we formulate a mixed-integer programming model that prescribes the optimal transition plan of a miner from producing gold locally to selling their ore to the facility within a time horizon in a way that maximizes the miner’s profit. In Chapter 5, we model the alluvial, surface sedimentary, and underground hard rock ASGM systems in MdD, Puno, and Arequipa, respectively, and examine the CO2 and mercury emissions for each system. We model the energy system of each ASGM, and discuss potential alternative systems that would decrease the CO2 emission rates. | |
dc.format.medium | born digital | |
dc.format.medium | doctoral dissertations | |
dc.language | English | |
dc.language.iso | eng | |
dc.publisher | Colorado School of Mines. Arthur Lakes Library | |
dc.relation.ispartof | 2023 - Mines Theses & Dissertations | |
dc.rights | Copyright of the original work is retained by the author. | |
dc.subject | artisanal and small-scale gold mining | |
dc.subject | gold supply chains | |
dc.subject | informal gold supply chains | |
dc.subject | optimization | |
dc.subject | system dynamics modeling | |
dc.subject | systems thinking | |
dc.title | Systems thinking approaches to artisanal and small-scale gold mining supply chains in Peru | |
dc.type | Text | |
dc.date.updated | 2024-06-25T01:20:28Z | |
dc.contributor.committeemember | Newman, Alexandra M. | |
dc.contributor.committeemember | Smith, Nicole M. | |
dc.contributor.committeemember | Kaunda, Rennie | |
dcterms.embargo.expires | 2024-12-24 | |
thesis.degree.name | Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) | |
thesis.degree.level | Doctoral | |
thesis.degree.discipline | Mining Engineering | |
thesis.degree.grantor | Colorado School of Mines | |
dc.rights.access | Embargo Expires: 12/24/2024 |