PROSPECTS<i> </i>FOR THE USE OF PERMAFROST AT THE DALDYNSKOE KIBERLITE FIELD FOR INJECTION OF DRAINAGE WATER FROM ZARNITSA AND UDACHNAYA DIAMOND PIPES

Abstract

Environmentally friendly disposal of drainage water arising from the development of diamond tubes is currently becoming very acute for reducing technogenic load on the environment and for introducing new methods and technical solutions. Drainage water from the Daldynskoe kimberlite field were pumped into the Oktyabrsky (1985–2002), Kiengsky (2003–2012), and Levoberezhny (2012–2023) sites at different periods of the deposit development. Currently, Levoberezhny-2 site is being used, which has partially exhausted its useful capacity. As a result, the task was set to determine the possibilities for the further use of permafrost reservoirs in the study area, to identify and evaluate the most promising areas for future injection. The objects of study include the Upper Cambrian strata in the permafrost bottom, below the main erosion bases in the study area. A set of search features (criteria) of structures suitable for pumping drainage water into permafrost has been identified. These are tectonic, structural, geophysical, gas-dynamic, geomorphological, hydrogeological, temperature criteria. Taking into account the analysis of the available information on cryohydrogeological, lithofacial and structural-geological structure of the study area, a forecast map of areas that are promising for geological study and further trial operation was compiled, with an assessment of their useful volumes. The most promising areas are Daldynsky, Pravoberezhny and Sugunakhsky sites. The preliminary estimated useful volumes of these areas, in the case of the use of already developed technologies, are: Daldynsky ~11 million m3; Pravoberezhny ~17.5 million m3; and Sugunakhsky ~11.5 million m3. In other words, with projected drainage water inflow, the considered areas will allow additional pumping of ~40 million m3, which will ensure further environmentally safe mining of the Daldynskoe kimberlite field at least until the mid-2030s. The suggested method of pumping drainage water can be used in related industrial fields for mining not only kimberlite pipes, but also other solid minerals in the permafrost zone.