Optimizing the exploratory drilling rig route based on the Multi-Objective Multiple Traveling Salesman Problem

Abstract

Exploratory drilling is one of the most important and costly stages of mineral exploration procedures, so the continuation of mining activities depends on the gathered data during this stage. Due to the importance of cost and time-saving in the performance of mineral exploration projects, the effective parameters for reducing the cost and time of drilling activities should be investigated and optimized. Road construction and the sequence of the drilling boreholes by drilling rigs are among these parameters. The main objectives of this research were to optimize the overall road construction cost and the difference in length drilled by each drilling rig. The problem has been modeled as a Multi-Objective Multiple Traveling Salesman Problem (MOmTSP) and solved by the Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm-II (NSGA-II). Finally; the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method has been used to find the optimal solution among the solutions obtained by the NSGA-II.