ROM Stockpile Days Calculator
See how many days (and weeks) of plant feed a run-of-mine (ROM) stockpile holds, given the stockpile tonnage and the processing plant's feed rate. Useful for planning mining-to-milling buffers and checking that the stockpile can cover a planned mining stoppage.
Enter Values
Before you rely on this: First-pass guide only. Verify safety-critical or regulated work against the relevant standards, your project requirements and a qualified professional.
How to use this calculator
- Enter the current stockpile tonnes.
- Enter the plant feed rate in tonnes per day.
- Read the days and weeks of feed the stockpile provides.
How it works
Days of feed is simply the stockpile tonnes divided by the plant feed rate in tonnes per day. Dividing that by 7 converts it to weeks. It assumes a steady feed rate and that the whole pile can be reclaimed.
Worked example
Worked example. A 500,000 t ROM stockpile feeding a plant at 25,000 t/day lasts 500,000 / 25,000 = 20 days, or 20 / 7 = 2.86 weeks.
Common mistakes
- Using a plant feed rate in tonnes per hour or per year instead of per day.
- Assuming the whole stockpile is reclaimable - dead stock at the base may not be recoverable.
- Ignoring that the feed rate varies; this gives a constant-rate estimate only.
Frequently asked questions
Does this account for dead stock in the pile?
No. It assumes full reclaim of the total tonnes. If part of the stockpile is dead (non-reclaimable) stock, enter only the live, reclaimable tonnage for a realistic buffer.
What if my feed rate is in tonnes per hour?
Convert it to tonnes per day first (multiply t/h by the operating hours per day) so the result comes out in days.
Related tools
- Metal Content Calculator
- Stockpile Grade Blending Calculator
- Mining Recovery & Dilution Impact Calculator
- Pit Optimisation Revenue Estimator
- ROM Grade Calculator
- ROM Pad Capacity Calculator
Explore more in Mining, Quarry, Earthworks, Drill & Blast.
Tip: Enter any known values to calculate the remaining results.
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