Geotechnical applications in open pit mining

Detailed geotechnical data is often a major unknown factor in open pit design and mining, the lack of which constitutes a significant risk in any mining venture. As geotechnical data is accumulated so the risk of unforeseen conditions reduces, and so safety and productivity can be increased. Previously, most geotechnical work undertaken at open pit mines has focused on the slopes. The work done at Sandsloot open pit situated on the northern limb of the Bushveld Complex, 250 km north east of Johannesburg, however, has involved using geotechnical data for production, as well as slope stability benefits. Solutions to production problems encountered in a rapidly developing open pit are best formulated once some geotechnical control at the pit has been attained. At Sandsloot open pit this was achieved by delineation of geotechnical design zones from a detailed face mapping and drilling programme. Optimum design parameters then were assigned to these zones and geotechnically related problems assessed. This allowed slope management programmes to be initiated, as well as slope optimization of the hangingwall. The latter resulted in an improved slope configuration and an increase in the ultimate angle of the wall by 7°. This resulted in substantial savings, as well as an improvement in safety. In addition, the zones can be used for planning, costing and pit scheduling. The methods have proved successful in optimizing blast fragmentation and thereby loading, crushing and milling rates; in reducing secondary blasting and improving floor conditions; and in reducing drilling, blasting and comminution costs.     

Vibration Simulation Method to Control Stability in the Northeast Corner of Escondida Mine

Vibrations due to production blasting can induce damage to the rock mass at large distances by altering larger geological structures, fault areas or other structures, where the orientation with respect to the mine geometry is unfavorable and can cause displacement of large rock volumes. Past occurrences of this nature in Escondida Mine placed geomechanical safety restrictions as to maximum allowable blast size in the northeast area of the mine. These restrictions limited the efficiency of drilling and blasting operations seriously limiting daily production. This is what prompted this study to attempt to increase shot size while reducing stability problems. This would permit keeping stable the slope over which the ore extraction belts are located, as well as the main access ramp to the mine. Using a rigorous and systematic instrumentation and monitoring effort of blasting vibrations at multiple locations with respect to an unstable location allowed the development of a database to establish acceptable vibrations limits. A parallel effort was the development and gauging of a mechanistic model for the prediction and simulation of blasting vibrations. Excellent results were obtained from a comparison between the measured and predicted results. This allowed the use of the gauged model to verify the practicality of increasing the shot size in the restricted blasting zones, without exceeding safe vibration limits. The practical success achieved using this research approach resulted in increased blasting size, with a consequent increase of blasted material per shot, and contributed to more flexible mining operations.     

探地雷达在黑龙江漠河县城区冻土勘测中的应用

在气候变暖影响下, 多年冻土对人类活动的响应更加敏感, 以至加速退化. 冻土退化后带来的生态环境和工程建筑热稳定性问题也会更加明显. 以黑龙江省漠河县城区为例, 结合钻孔资料和温度监测数据, 应用探地雷达对城区中心以及周边的多年冻土分布特征进行了探测, 研究分析了城市化对多年冻土的热影响. 结果表明: 雷达波在漠河城区地层的传播速度为0.07~0.08 m·ns^-1, 探地雷达结果与钻孔、温度监测资料相一致, 能够较准确的确定融化深度、冻土类型、地层结构. 城区对冻土退化影响较大, 城区中心冻土退化严重, 探测范围(0~10 m)内无冻土存在; 城郊周围沼泽化湿地下部普遍发育含冰量较高的多年冻土, 人为扰动影响较小, 冻土上限较浅, 冻土热状况相对稳定. 随着漠河城区逐渐扩张, 拟建或在建市政工程大多将修建在城郊周围沼泽化湿地上, 人为活动不断增加势必会加速多年冻土退化, 但其长期热影响范围和程度还需深入研究.     

瞬变电磁法(TEM)在多年冻土区的应用研究

多年冻土的上下限是在多年冻土区从事冻土研究、工程设计施工、气候水文生态模式等方面非常重要的参数,它可以通过破坏环境的有损方法(坑探和钻孔)或无损的物探方法来获取.结合少量的坑探和钻孔资料,应用瞬变电磁法(TEM)对青海省兴海县温泉地区多年冻土进行探测.基本查清了本地区多年冻土分布特征、上下限深度和多年冻土层的厚度,获取...     

中国冻土区天然气水合物调查研究

中国是世界上第三大冻土国,在青藏高原和东北大兴安岭地区分布着大片的多年冻土区,并有较好的天然气水合物形成条件和找矿前景。20世纪90年代末就有部分科研人员开展了中国冻土区天然气水合物形成条件和分布预测的研究工作。2002年开始,中国地质调查局先后设立了5个地质调查项目,对中国冻土区开展了地质、地球物理、地球化学和遥感调查工作,并在祁连山冻土区成功地钻获了天然气水合物实物样品,取得了找矿工作的重大突破,使中国成为世界上既有陆地水合物也有海底水合物的少数几个国家之一。目前中国冻土区天然气水合物研究中仍存在着调查研究程度较低、技术装备落后、未开展试生产研究等问题。随着国家对天然气水合物重视程度的加强,中国冻土区天然气水合物的调查研究进程将会进一步加快,并有可能在不久的将来实现试生产。     

时间域激电法在浅覆盖区萤石矿勘查中的应用—以河南省方城县铁炉萤石矿床为例

河南省方城县独树镇一带萤石矿区属于第四系浅层覆盖区。为寻找该区隐伏萤石矿床,对区域成矿条件、邻近同类型萤石矿床特征进行了分析研究,将该地区萤石矿赋矿地质体及接触带作为地球物理探测目标体,开展了时间域激发极化法(TDIP)测量。激电中梯与激电测深高低阻之间的电性变化带(或过渡带)和对应的弱极化异常特征,有效地定位和预测了覆盖区萤石矿赋矿地质体、接触带的空间分布特征及蚀变矿化特征,为钻探工程布置提供良好的地球物理信息,经钻探验证,取得了较好的找矿效果。勘查表明：时间域激发极化法在独树镇一带浅覆盖区寻找隐伏萤石矿是行之有效的,可为矿区外围或相似地区进行类比寻找同类型萤石矿床提供重要的指导或示范作用。     

西藏帮浦东段—笛给铅锌矿区CSAMT异常特征与深部找矿预测

西藏帮浦东段矿区浅部资源逐渐减少,深、边部开拓势在必行。采用CSAMT在帮浦东段—笛给矿区开展铅锌矿深部勘探与找矿预测工作,利用磁场强度H y计算全区视电阻率共计42840个,得到了勘探区CSAMT全区视电阻率异常图,进一步分析获得导电特性异常区4个,即高阻异常区R1、R2、R3和低阻异常区R4。通过结合以往勘探资料成果,对本次CSAMT资料进行地质解释,建立了相应的找矿预测模型;钻孔验证结果证明了CSAMT预测结果的可靠性。     

激电中梯测量在晴隆丁头山铅锌矿找矿中的应用

丁头山是一个老铅锌矿区,2014年贵州省普安罐子窑—水城花嘎铅锌矿整装勘查工作中,在物探方法试验的基础上,选用激电中梯剖面测量开展面积性测量工作。在圈定物探异常的基础上,对重点异常进行了激电测深和不同极距的电阻率联合剖面测量,在丁头山找矿靶区内,根据物探解译成果布置钻孔进行工程验证,在深部发现新的铅锌矿体,新增了铅锌资源量,取得明显的找矿效果。为研究物探手段在老矿区找矿工作中的应用方法及效果,结合前期工作成果,对如何运用物探方法在铅锌区域成矿带中寻找构造控制铅锌矿体进行了初步的探索,对老矿山增储具有一定指导作用。     

Fault/fracture density and mineralization: a contouring method for targeting in gold exploration

A widely observed correlation between high fracture density and mineralization throughout terranes and geological time indicates a fundamental underlying ore-forming process. In Archaean greenstone-hosted deposits, high-density fracturing was accompanied by enhanced fluid flow during fault/fracture network development, producing regional-scale fluid pressure gradients that focussed hydrothermal fluids into preferentially fractured areas. Fracture density is both increased and decreased during faulting and fault healing, and fracture density accumulates over time, in zones of high palaeo-fluid flow. Localised zones where the density of fracturing is increased by deformation, become permeability nodes for migrating hydrothermal fluids leading to large zones of alteration and gold precipitation. The Ora Banda mining centre in Western Australia contains significant gold deposits that appear to demonstrate a close association between high-density fracturing and gold precipitation. Fracture density in the Ora Banda mines was enhanced by fault–fault intersections, fault–contact intersections and changes in fault geometry. The mine-scale relationships between fracture density and gold mineralization are repeated at smaller and larger scales, hence these relationships may be used in targeting for gold exploration. Contouring the density of fracturing in a region provides a semi-quantitative way to rank areas for exploration and uses data from mapping, drilling and high-quality geophysical data as a basis for analyses. Fracture density contouring is complementary to other prospectivity-analysis methods.     

Optimum Blasting? Is it Minimum Cost Per Broken Rock or Maximum Value Per Broken Rock?

In most mining operations the ore undergoes several processes such as drilling, blasting, loading, hauling, crushing, grinding and liberation to become the final salable product. Drilling and blasting is an important step in this process chain and it's results such as fragmentation, muckpile shape and looseness, dilution, damage and rock softening effect the efficiency of downstream processes. The value created per ton of broken ore is the difference between the price it commands when sold as the final product and the cost to produce it. Traditionally, the total process in the mining industry is classified into two groups as mining and milling. These are managed as separate cost centres inspite of the interdependency. Each process has a budget and production target and emphasis is usually on maximising production (tons) and minimising cost rather than the overall profitability of the whole business unit. The efficiency of each process is considered to be satisfactory as long as they are within budget and meet the production targets. The mine and mill managers usually try to optimise each process independently rather than the entire process. This paper discusses the potential pitfalls of decreasing the drilling and blasting cost per ton of broken rock without considering its impact on downstream processes. It introduces a holistic approach to blast optimisation by identifying and measuring the leverage that blast results have on different downstream processes and then optimising the blast design to achieve the results that maximise the overall profitability rather than just minimising the drilling and blasting costs. This paper demonstrates the benefits of such a holistic approach to blasting based on computer model simulations and field studies from metal and open cut coal mining.     

成矿区三维可视化与立体定量预测——以钦-杭成矿带庞西垌地区下园垌铅锌矿区为例

矿产资源是人类生存与社会进步的根本物质保障。近年来,随着地表矿、浅部矿产资源的日益枯竭,采用新技术、新方法的深部矿产资源预测成为地质勘查的主要研究方向。基于数字化、三维可视化及矿产定量预测为主的三维地质建模技术,为当前矿产资源远景预测与找矿工作提供了有力的工具。本文在现代成矿预测理论研究基础上,运用三维地质建模技术建立了钦杭成矿带下园垌矿区地质、地球物理、地球化学、钻孔等三维模型,揭示了区内构造地质特征、地球化学异常表征及地层岩体要素,据此探讨了矿床的成因及矿体分布特征。并在此基础上,采用证据权方法对研究区地质、地球物理、地球化学等多源信息进行融合,运用断裂缓冲区、地球化学异常、东岗岭组沉积岩地层等为证据因子来计算单位体积成矿后验概率,进行立体成矿预测,并圈定出铁锰矿、方铅闪锌矿、铅锌银综合矿等3处找矿有利靶区及估算出预测区内矿产资源储量总量为88710吨。研究结果表明:综合分析地质、地球物理、地球化学及钻孔数据进行矿区的三维地质空间定位、定量预测研究,可以有效的识别矿致异常信息,圈定找矿远景区,为成矿预测研究领域提供了新方向,可以将此方法应用至其他矿山。     

滇西北香格里拉东炉房铜钼矿床斑岩-热液成矿特征及找矿预测

东炉房铜钼矿床位于扬子西缘坳陷带,是滇西北香格里拉地区近年新勘查评价的中型矿床,该矿床具大型规模远景。本次通过地质详查及综合研究工作,基本查明了矿床特征,理清了成矿规律,提出了深部及外围找矿预测区。研究认为:铜钼铅锌金多金属矿化与石英闪长玢岩-石英二长斑岩复式侵入岩紧密相关,矿化蚀变具有斑岩型-矽卡岩型-中低温热液脉型成矿系统特征;矿区共圈定24条矿体,其中斑岩型钼(铜)矿体3条,矽卡岩型铜(钼)矿体14条,中低温热液脉型铅锌(金)矿体7条,具有由内到外,由高温至中低温为Mo(Cu)→Cu(Mo)、Fe→Pb、Zn、Au的斑岩成矿系统元素分带特征;结合矿区矿床地质、地球物理、土壤地球化学特征,矿区外围及深部圈定3处寻找斑岩型-矽卡岩型铜钼多金属矿找矿靶区。该矿床的评价对区内寻找同类型矿床具有重要指示意义。     

冲击矿渣堆的人工冻结技术研究及合理采矿技术的进展

The tailing dump of concentrating mills is specific ground massifs in permafrost areas, which -impacts on geological environment heavily. The deposits are important, namely, the sources of the rare metals in the Norilsk industrial area. The engineering process of the permafrost tailing dump mining is discussed in this paper based on the study of the artificial cryogenesis.     

Simulation analysis of the impacts of underground mining on permafrost in an opencast coal mine in the northern Qinghai–Tibet Plateau

Based on two-dimensional heat-conduction equations with a phase-change component, this study investigates the impact of underground mining on the permafrost environment in an opencast coal mining pit. The dynamics of the maximum thawed and freezing depths at different depths around a borehole wall are determined. The spatial distributions of these dynamics are also determined at different locations of the wall profile. The results show that (1) the maximum freezing depth tends to increase over 100 years; (2) the maximum thawed depth increases along a borehole wall over 100 years. In particular, the maximum thawed depth increases faster near the junctions of permafrost and seasonally frozen soil; (3) due to the small cross section of mining laneways, coal mining does not cause rapid increases in permafrost temperature around borehole walls. Once disturbance to permafrost around a borehole wall decreases, the once-insignificant effect of temperature will become more obvious. Underground mining does have some impacts on permafrost surrounding borehole walls, but it does not cause large areas of deformation due to thermal disturbance.     

河南栾川西沟铅锌银金矿床三维地质建模与深部找矿预测评价

随着矿区浅部矿的日益减少,深部找矿越来越受到重视,三维地质建模技术在成矿预测、资源定量评价等方面得到了广泛的应用。本文利用三维地质建模平台GOCAD中的三维建模技术及地质统计学等方法,基于收集测试得到的地质图、钻孔和采样点的地层、岩性、构造、品位等数据,构建了西沟铅锌银金矿区的三维地质模型,包括断裂构造模型、矿体模型及地层模型等,并且通过离散光滑插值及克里金插值等方法建立了西沟铅锌银金矿区的三维属性模型,完成了矿区3处找矿预测靶区的圈定与评价。基于地质认识及建立的矿区三维地质模型的研究认为:(1)该矿床的找矿有利标志主要为地层、构造、辉长岩以及品位指示等4个方面;(2)基于三维地质建模技术的找矿预测方法科学有效;(3)S139矿体的中部及东南部深部仍有找矿潜力。本文能够为将来的深部找矿突破提供一定的参考依据。     

Asymmetric Blasting: A Rock Mass Dependent Blast Design Method

Blasting has been the most frequently used method for rock breakage since black powder was first used to fragment rocks, more than two hundred years ago. This paper is an attempt to reassess standard design techniques used in blasting by providing an alternative approach to blast design. The new approach has been termed asymmetric blasting. Based on providing real time rock recognition through the capacity of measurement while drilling (MWD) techniques, asymmetric blasting is an approach to deal with rock properties as they occur in nature, i.e., randomly and asymmetrically spatially distributed. It is well accepted that performance of basic mining operations, such as excavation and crushing rely on a broken rock mass which has been pre conditioned by the blast. By pre-conditioned we mean well fragmented, sufficiently loose and with adequate muckpile profile. These muckpile characteristics affect loading and hauling [1]. The influence of blasting does not end there. Under the Mine to Mill paradigm, blasting has a significant leverage on downstream operations such as crushing and milling. There is a body of evidence that blasting affects mineral liberation [2]. Thus, the importance of blasting has increased from simply fragmenting and loosing the rock mass, to a broader role that encompasses many aspects of mining, which affects the cost of the end product. A new approach is proposed in this paper which facilitates this trend 'to treat non-homogeneous media (rock mass) in a non-homogeneous manner (an asymmetrical pattern) in order to achieve an optimal result (in terms of muckpile size distribution).' It is postulated there are no logical reasons (besides the current lack of means to infer rock mass properties in the blind zones of the bench and onsite precedents) for drilling a regular blast pattern over a rock mass that is inherently heterogeneous. Real and theoretical examples of such a method are presented.     

综合物探方法在蒙—甘—新相邻（北山）地区东段铜矿预查区勘查评价中的应用

内蒙古内部额勒根乌兰乌拉和乌珠尔嘎顺是两处极富地质找矿前景的铜矿预查区，物探测量发现多处激电和磁法异常，有些异常沿走向尚未封闭，少量槽探及钻孔均见不同程度矿化和硫化矿体。地质－物探综合研究认为，物探异常中多为矿致异常，说明激电、高精度磁法在该预查区矿产资源勘查与评价中是有效的。同时表明，该预查区具有良好的地质找矿前景。     

山西省废弃矿井煤层气地面钻井开发关键问题与对策

随着我国煤炭去产能政策的有力实施,一批资源枯竭及产能落后矿井将陆续关停废弃。废弃矿井仍赋存着大量的煤层气资源,其开发利用是实现煤炭产业清洁安全高效低碳发展、促进煤矿安全生产、优化能源结构、实现温室气体减排等方面的重要举措。基于山西省煤基重点科技攻关(煤层气产业链)项目相关研究,系统阐述了废弃矿井煤层气开发面临着资源量评价不准、钻进体系不健全、井上下联合缺失等关键问题。针对这些问题提出以下几点对策:废弃矿井精准地质探测是采空区地面钻井轨迹设计的重要依据,尤其是炮采等落后采煤工艺的废弃矿井,地球物理勘探精度应达到米级才能有效降低钻遇煤柱风险;优选废弃矿井煤层气地面“L”型钻井思路,即选采空区周边一定距离的保安煤柱作为L型井位,并配套特殊钻进工艺;煤矿企业应将废弃矿井资源开发利用纳入煤矿全生命周期规划,尤其是矿井废弃前应确保煤层气抽采通道畅通,以实现煤层气井“一井多用”的新型井上下联合开采模式,提高废弃矿井煤层气开发效率;采用防回火、各种传感器等装置,并对关键参数设置自动报警停机界限值,从而使废弃矿井煤层气地面开采工艺安全、高效;对不同浓度废弃矿井煤层气,需要采取相应的梯级利用模式,从而提高整体开发利用价值。以山西省废弃矿井为示范区,研究认识对推动全国煤矿区废弃矿井煤层气开发利用具有重要的指导和示范意义。      

老采空区勘查技术方法研究

老采空区往往无矿产勘查资料和历史矿产开采资料,圈定采空区范围,分析采空塌陷灾害发育程度,只能通过多方面的地质勘查技术手段确定。本文通过实例浅部采空区勘查工作总结研究,采用地质调查、地球物理探测、钻探等多种勘查技术方法,综合研究分析如何准确圈定采空区平面范围,并通过岩石力学实验与计算的方法确定采空塌陷影响范围,为老窑采空区边界和深度的准确判定,提供实际经验和理论上的支持。     

矿井通风对多年冻土井筒围岩热影响的数值分析 (Ⅱ): 多年冻土井筒围岩温度的变化规律

在多年冻土区进行煤矿地下开采, 通风作用改变了井筒围岩的热平衡条件, 从而引起了多年冻土上限及其井筒周围冻土季节融化层的变化, 有可能影响到井筒支护结构的稳定性. 因此, 研究在矿井通风作用下, 多年冻土温度场分布及随季节的变化趋势是有意义的. 基于ANSYS有限元分析软件, 针对多年冻土区某煤矿的赋存条件、 试验采场位置以及通风作用对冻土的影响范围, 建立了二维数值计算模型, 利用焓式有限元方法对多年冻土井筒围岩的温度特性进行了数值模拟, 分析了矿井通风对多年冻土井筒围岩的热影响程度, 其计算方法和结果为下一步多年冻土煤矿地下开采井筒支护设计提供参考依据.