Studying and controlling mine water in xishmen iron mine

Abstract

1. In hydrogeology, the Xishimen Iron Mine is characterized mainly by the heterogeneous permeability of the aquifer, the periodic feeding and the semi-closed boundary conditions. Development of the mine is faced with both water hazards and water shortages. 2. The hydrogeological prospecting in the mine was aimed at investigating the water feeding source, boundaries and passages-the three basic factors controlling inflow, and studying their variations. The stress of hydrogeological prospecting was placed on analysing the data from a large amount of prospect holes, studying the long term regime and micro-regime of the ground water, investigating the three “gates” of the mine, and operating pumping tests lasting a longer time with a larger discharge. Mine water inflows were predicted for the water flood term and dry term respectively with pertinent hydrogeological models. It has been basically verified by mine dewatering that the hydrogeological exploration of the mine was successful. 3. Mine water control was based on concrete conditions concerned with flow sources, boundaries and passages. Now the mine has been advance dewatered, in order to supply the water shortage during the dry terms, a supplementary water source spot has been constructed in the highly permeable passage of the regional fissure-karst water. With the view of restricting the Mahe River, it has been preliminarily intended to construct an artificial channel along the river course in the mine. The mine is partly operated at present and will be put into fullscale operation in the near future. It can be reasonably expected that the mine will be in such an excellent condition that no water hazard during waterflood terms will occur and full water supply during dry seasons will be guaranteed.