Kimberlitic Tubes Underquarry Reserves Mining Technology

Andreev Maxim Nickolaevich

National Mineral Resources University, Russian Federation

Abstract. Article is in touch with mining industry and devoted to the analysis and generalisation of world experience of underground mining of kimberlitic tubes underquarry reserves. In article the urgency of research of new technologies of underground mining of kimberlitic tubes underquarry reserves in the conditions of the deposits, developed by diamond stock company ALROSA is formulated and basic problems arising in this area are defined. Keywords: Kimberlitic tubes, underquarry reserves, water-bearing level, compound of backfill material.

1 General Information
The fourth part of world diamond extraction is produced by the diamond-mining industry of Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and makes a basis of its modern economy. Basically working out of diamond deposits is conducted by open way in extremely difficult hydro-geological conditions characterised by presence of perpetually frozen rocks and highly pressured mineralized brines. The world theory and practice of mining has no experience of excavation of deposits with a similar complex of problems. In the nearly future the transition to mining works is inevitable. It is driven by formation of ore underquarry reserves and economical efficiency. The research of new technological and technical decisions for full development of kimberlitic tubes underquarry reserves with providing the minimum losses and dilution of a valuable mineral is necessary. Unfortunately, the examples of underground development of kimberlites which are close to conditions of the Yakutian deposits do not exist.

2 Yakutian Kimberlitic Tubes Mining

Kimberlitic tubes "Mir" and "Internationalnaya" cross the heavy layer (to 200 meters) of water-bearing bed containing aggressive chloride-sodium brines with dissolved hydrogen sulphide. Transition to underground extraction of these reserves under the water-bearing bed with raised water content, does not allow conducting work with rockslide technologies (technologies with a collapse of ore
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and containing rocks). Besides, it is necessary to create barrier cranch between water-bearing bed and the first underground level. In such conditions underground extraction of the first turn should be conducted with a stowing of the developed space and without application of large-scale mass explosions to avoid break of water from the water-bearing bed into mining developments. Uncontrollable water transit from a surface through the broken-down rocks or the beaten off ore around excavation works creates emergency danger (it is not excluded - catastrophic) of breaks of water and water sated arcillas. Probably also adfreezing of water content rocks and ore with their uncontrollable lags, it conducts to uncontrollable and dangerous carrying out of mining works.

2.1 Modern Situation

Nowadays mining operations under water-bearing bed on kimberlitic tube "Internationalnaya" are conducted (fig. 1), works are carried out by the open and underground ways in parallel. The ore body is presented by a sub vertical tube of the oval form executed by diamond bearing kimberlitic rocks. They are monotonous on structure and consist on 93 % from porphyritic kimberlites and autolithic kimberlitic breccias, with kimberlitic massive columns of non-changed structure among them (7%).
Fig. 1 The opening scheme of mine "Internationalniy": 1 - water-bearing bed; 2 kimberlitic tube; 3 - opening developments; 4 - left barrier cranch

3 1 2 4
Kimberlitic Tubes Underquarry Reserves Mining Technology 33

Kimberlites are characterized by small durability and considerable degree of rock jointing. Oil and gas blowouts on a deposits containing rocks are tracked until the depth of 1200 m. On mine the system of working out with a consolidating stowing and stoping by selective heading machine in blind passes by an ascending or descending order is applied. Parametres of blind passes are accepted in limits: width of 5,1-5,4 m; height of 4,0-4,75 m.

2.2 Mining Operations and Machines Used to Excavate Diamond Ore

Stoping consists of consecutive excavation of stoping tapes (rooms) on a layer with barrier establishing between the fulfilled tapes (rooms) not less than two width of a tape (10,2 m, 10,8). Layers are excavates completely without ore barrier establishing. Stoping works are conducted by four mining complexes: the mining combine 75 or 105 Alpine-Miner Germany and load-haul-dump machine EST-6 or TORO-400. The maximum distance of delivery of ore to the divisional millhole does not exceed 150 m.

3 The Technological Problems Met While Excavating

However the applied technology does not give possibility to excavate all underquarry reserve because of a difficult hydro-geological situation (fig. 1). Also at a bottom of the mined-out quarry the rocks are destroyed by mass explosions and at mining of last top layer, at ascending working off of a deposit, inevitably there will be a hydraulic communication of mining developments with the developed space of a quarry. The applied mining technology does not give possibility to avoid break of underground waters from water-bearing bed. In addition it has low intensity of excavation of the ore and the raised danger, when miners stay directly in a stoping face. Serious problem is represented by the organisation of transition to mining works after end of open-cast mining of a deposit. It is necessary to create the uniform project of working out of underquarry reserves in the open and underground ways of extraction, technologically and organizational interconnected among themselves in optimum system providing effective application. Thus it is necessary to form the general schemes of opening and development of reserves, joint decisions of questions of geomechanics, ventilation, water outflow and transportation of ore.

4 Technology Which Is Suggested as Solution

As the solution of the above listed problems can serve the mining technology offered by authors water content underquarry reserves of diamond deposits (fig. 2). It includes simultaneous conducting of open and underground mining
34 A.M. Nickolaevich - -

1 4 3 5 9

10

2
-

6 8 1 12 13 1
Fig. 2 The scheme of mining technology of water content underquarry reserves of diamond deposits mining: 1 - bottom of open-pit; 2 - stowing-airway; 3 stoping pass; 4 - artificial barrier cranch; 5 - haulage gate; 6 ore drift; 7 worked out stoping pass; 8 - millhole; 9 cross slit of ramp with an ore entry; 10 - ramp; 11 a watertight pillow; 12 - strengthening cranch; 13 - stowing hole

works, deepening of open-pit to limiting depth, creation of a canned pillow at the bottom of open-pit and its dumping by overburden, and also creation of the barrier artificial and strengthening artificial pillars before the beginning of mining underground capital works.

4.1 Description of Patented Technology

The essence of method of kimberlitic tubes underquarry reserves mining consists the following. The deposit is simultaneously developed by open and underground ways. After working off of a quarry to the maximum depth at the bottom of openpit 1 by means of a concrete stowing and an isolating film is formed a watertight pillow 11 after that dumping of quarry is conducted by overburden. Then the ore body is opened with vertical shafts and crossdrifts, divided into levels by drifting of haulage gates 5. On the centre of an ore body a ramp 10 is drifted, exploited for transportation of the mining equipment. For stowing of the worked-out stoping passes 3 in the top part of the block the stowing-airway 2 is drifted.
Kimberlitic Tubes Underquarry Reserves Mining Technology 35

Using the continuous heading machine the ring site on a contour of an ore body and a part of an ore file across the strike of tube are worked-out, which are filled with a concrete stowing, forming thereby artificial barrier 4 and strengthening cranches 12. Working out of extraction chambers by underground way begins from below to upwards by layer system of mining with a hardening stowing after creation of artificial barrier cranch 4 and strengthening cranch 12, leading to dividing the block on chambers. Then after carrying out of development and face-entry drivages begins the dredging of ore in extraction chambers using of a shearer and load-haul-dump technique. The ore beaten off by a shearer from stoping pass is delivered using of the load-haul-dump technique to millhole 8 on ore drift 6. Working out of stoping passes is conducted on an alternate order. The worked out stoping passes are barricaded and are filled in with a hardening stowing by stowing hole 13. After working out of all stoping passes 3 in a layer, the mining equipment is transported by the ramp 10 on the following layer where the stoping cycle repeats.

5 Conclusion
Authors carried out the analysis of experience of underground working out the Method of kimberlitic tubes underquarry reserves mining Necessity of research of new technologies of kimberlitic tubes underquarry reserves in the conditions of the deposits developed by Diamond Stock Company ALROSA is proved and basic problems arising in this area are defined.

With consideration of colligation of world experience of working out of diamond deposits authors develop a Method of water content kimberlitic tubes underquarry reserves mining.

References
[1] Ajnbinder, I.I.: To a working off problem of underquarry tube reserves Mir in the underground way / I.I.Ajnbinder, N.P. Kramskov. Mining Magazine 8 (2000) [2] Zamesov, N.F.: Technical decisions on the accelerated opening and preparation for operation of underquarry reserves of Mir diamond tube stocks. Mountain Magazine 2 (2000) [3] Kaplunov, D.R.: The combined geotechnology at development of a diamondiferous deposit of a tube Udachnaya / M.V. Rylnikova, V.V. Kalmykov, U.A. Petrov, V.A. Suslov. Mining Industry 4 (2005) [4] Osintsev, V.A.: The complex of opened-underground way of working out of ore deposits with abrupt non-working boards of an open-cast mine. Mining Magazine of News of HIGH SCHOOLS 3 (2005) [5] Boguslavskiy, E.I.: Technology of kimberlitic tubes mining. Boguslavskiy, E.I., Andreev, M.N. / Scientific Reports on Resource Issues, Freiberg, Germany (2010)