CHARACTERISTIC OF MUD INRUSHES DISTRIBUTION FROM CAVED ZONE INTO DEPOSIT LOCATED UNDER SEDIMENTARY STRUCTURE

Abstract

The relevance of research. Water and mud inrushes into underground working pose a serious threat for underground mining. There was a series of mud inrushes at «Sokolovskaya» mine over the past two decades. The largest of them led to the death of two miners. Recovery of the mine took several months. The aim of the research is identification of inrushes distribution pattern to reduce the risk of mud inrush into the mine workings under overlying aquifers. Methods. Analysis of mud inrushes includes identification of spatial and temporal distribution of the accidents occurred from 2003 to 2018; consideration of the mechanism of accumulation and transfer of mud masses from overlying aquifers into mine workings through caved zone and determination of factors affecting the volume of inrushes; geostatistical analysis of aquifer parameters; comparison of aquifer parameters and distribution of inrushes. Results. The main part of the large inrushes occurred in lower levels under central and north caved zones. They usually occurred during the initial stage of ore body extracting on the lowest level. Further frequency and volume of the inrushes are reduced. A necessary condition for formation of large-scale inrush is high water cut of caved zone. Sources of high water cut of the northern and central caved zones are high water level areas of the Cretaceous aquifer to the north and west of the deposit. The main way to reduce the risk of mud inrush is the targeted drainage of the rock mass around the mine in the Cretaceous aquifer high water level areas.

Keywords

• funnel of caved zone
• caved zone
• water inflow
• mud inrush
• clay minerals
• flooding