Mine Water Sources Research Articles

Recognition model of groundwater inrush source of coal mine: a case study on Jiaozuo coal mine in China

The mine water source discrimination plays an important role in guiding mine water prevention in the water prevention work. Improving especially the discrimination accuracy of mine water sources which will cause water inrush is the important foundation of avoiding such accident and thus ensuring personnel and property being in safety. Based on Fisher discriminant analysis theory (FDA) and gray correlation analysis theory (GCA), groundwater chemical components (Ca2+, Mg2+, K++Na+, Cl−, SO4 2−, and HCO3 −) data at main water inrush aquifers in a typical coal mine through experiments, FDA-GCA recognition model of water inrush sources was established and then verified. Results indicated that the FDA-GCA recognition model of water inrush sources was characterized by high discrimination precision, and false determination rate obtained by back-substitution estimation method was zero. Thus, it had strong discrimination ability of water inrush sources. The significance ranking of input variables in the water source FDA-GCA recognition model was Ca2+ > Mg2+ > HCO3 − > SO4 2− > K+ + Na+ > Cl−. The data in this paper were discriminated by the distance discriminant method and BP neural network discriminant analysis method, the correct rate of which is 90%, 80%, slightly lower than or equal to the accuracy of 90% by the FDA-GCA recognition model.

Composition and Origin of Mine Water at Zlatna Gold Mining Area (Apuseni Mountains, Romania)

Hydrochemical and isotopic characterization of mine water having connections with groundwater and surface water at Zlatna gold mining area (Apuseni Mountains, Romania) was performed to provide insights on mine site emissions with the surrounding environment after the cessation of mining operations. The mine water coming into direct contact with mineralization is more acidic than the mine water that only interacts with the host rock. Light isotopic composition of most mine water suggests snowmelt and high altitude precipitations as the main source of recharge. Linear correlation between δD and δ18O values indicates that all water sources belong to the meteoric cycle. For most mine water sources no significant seasonal variations of the δD, δ18O, pH and TDS values was recorded, indicating well-mixed underground systems and slow flow recharge pathways. Other mine water sources show seasonal variations of these parameters suggesting continuous recharge of mine water and a fast underground circulation. No relevant contamination of springs and phreatic water by mine water could be revealed, suggesting different underground pathways for the two types of water. On the contrary, running water is contaminated by mine water and the negative effects of acid mine drainage occur mainly in the summer months when the debit of the running water decreases.

Identification of Acid Mine Drainage Microorganisms from a Coal Mine in South Africa

Acid mine drainage (AMD) generated from mining processes is an on-going environmental concern. This study aimed to identify microorganisms (MOs) from a coal mine water source to determine organism diversity for its use as a bioremediation method of AMD contaminated sources. For the purpose of this study, a culture-dependent sample, previously collected from an open-mine-water-pit was used to assess the microbial community by 18S rRNA gene amplification and BLAST analysis. The analysis revealed the presence of 94 MOs, with 3 dominant MOs namely, Cercozoan; an uncultured bacterium and Chorella vulgaris. The use of this culture is not promising as the presence of Cercozoan, a protist type body will target other species for its own survival, hence inhibiting any positive effect the algae or bacteria may have on bioremediation potential of harmful AMD elements.

Development of Mine Water Source Identification System Based on MapObjects

In order to realize the mine water source identification and to prevent water accidents, taking Xinglong Zhuang coal mine’s lower group coal mining as an example, based on the analysis of mine hydrogeological conditions, the mine water source identification system was designed by using the software of MapObjects powerful spatial analysis ability and Bayesian classification analytical method. The software can achieve mine water source identification and provide a certain basis for mine water disaster prevention and control.

Quantitative Assessment of Mine Water Sources Based on the General Mixing Equation and Multivariate Statistics

It is sometimes necessary to quantify the different sources of water entering a mine, based on the hydrochemical nature of the waters from individual aquifers that contribute to the mine water mixture. In order to solve the general mixing equation, a software tool, KYBL-7, was developed; its computational methodology is generally based on the balance of selected components of mine waters in steady state conditions, without considering chemical reactions. This approach was applied in the Sokolov Coal Basin, which is situated in the immediate vicinity of Carlsbad (Karlovy Vary), a worldwide renowned spa in the northern part of the Czech Republic. The technology and coal mining methods used in the Sokolov Coal Basin are limited due to its proximity to the Carlsbad thermal springs. Because of their social and economic significance, these springs are protected. Calculations proved that the Carlsbad waters contribute approximately 3 % to the mine water. The imbalance in the mine water mixture using known source waters was quantified by including an ‘unknown source’ in the mixture simulation. Geochemical modelling demonstrated that the water quality is a result of geochemical reactions of waters in contact with the atmosphere and the reverse dissolution of the accumulated precipitates in the open pit areas. Those results have been used to assess future technical measures that can be taken to protect the Carlsbad thermal waters.

English

In early 2010, American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds were available to implement the shovel-ready design package for a biochemical reactor (BCR) module that was planned at the abandoned Golinsky Mine site in northern California. The design was based on bench and pilot studies that were documented in previous ASMR papers. The construction site, located near Lake Shasta, is only accessible by boat followed by a 1.6 km (1-mile) trip on a narrow dirt road. During construction, the typically restricted site access was further complicated by the highest lake levels in years which required the relocation of the construction contractor's mobilization site. The construction of the BCR within the footprint of an abandoned limestone quarry required a few minor design modifications. However, the logistics of moving about 1,000-plus tons of organic substrate, drainage gravel, HDPE liner, rip rap, pipes, plus construction equipment safely across Lake Shasta in a coordinated barge and ground transportation program was probably the greatest project accomplishment. The commissioning of the pilot treatment bioreactor in mid-2004 resulted in the drain-down of an acidic mine pool. This action appears to have caused significant improvements in the drainage chemistry of a mine adit adjacent to, but not directly connected to the acidic mine pool. This unintentional outcome allowed the use of the improved mine water source for fire suppression, dust control, and moisture control in earthwork compaction efforts.

Exergy Analysis of Mine Water Source Heat Pump System

This paper analyses exergy of the components of the mine water source heat pump. Evaluate the exergy efficiency and exergy loss of main components of mine water source heat pump. An example that is calculated and analyzed shows that the compressor is the main energy-saving target.

An assessment of Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines and Boddington Gold Mine water sources and proposed water auditing framework underpinning improved water allocation compliance and reporting

Water auditing and water conservation measures are fast becoming the quantitative tools for water balance reporting in the mining and minerals processing sector. Therefore, this paper was written to describe the process of water auditing in a goldmining environment and to contribute towards building an appropriate water management framework for The Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) for sustainable resource processing (CSRP). The research will assist with the assessment of water balances in mining and hydrometallurgical processes and ongoing probabilistic modelling for Newmont Mining Corporation, its wholly owned gold mines, and its joint venture operation of Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines (KCGM). Kalgold or KCGM are the managers of a joint venture project between Barrick Australia (50 per cent) and Newmont Mining Corporation (50 per cent) at Kalgoorlie, Western Australia (WA). Boddington Gold Mine (BGM), Western Australia, will commence operations this year and manage the new goldmine expansion project. BGM is 100 per cent Newmont owned and will operate to continue mining gold and copper from the existing (BGM) site that was decommissioned in 2001.

Using Aquaculture as a Post-mining Land Use in West Virginia

Using aquaculture as a post-mining land use has resulted in financial savings in site reclamation, increased positive media attention for coal companies, and new biosecure water sources for commercial aquaculture operations in the West Virginia coal region. Large underground coal mines in Appalachia have created numerous gravity flow sources of water. These mine water sources are often nearly ideal in temperature, alkalinity, and pH for trout and have the additional value of being devoid of any serious fish pathogens. At one site, modifying the post-mining land use permit to allow the water flowing from the portal of a closed mine to be used to produce commercial rainbow trout for the recreational market reduced site reclamation costs by nearly $450,000 (US). At another site, an acid mine water treatment plant was converted into a quality public fishing park with healthy warm water species (channel catfish, largemouth bass, and bluegill sunfish). The county park is now being used for educational and recreational purposes to the benefit of the whole community.

The influence of metal source uncertainty on cost-effective allocation of mine water pollution abatement in catchments

In mine water pollution abatement, it is commonly assumed that known mine waste sites are the major pollution sources, thus neglecting the possibility of significant contribution from other old and diffuse sources within a catchment. We investigate the influence of different types of pollution source uncertainty on cost-effective allocation of abatement measures for mine water pollution. A catchment-scale cost-minimization model is developed and applied to the catchment of the river Dalälven, Sweden, in order to exemplify important effects of such source uncertainty. Results indicate that, if the pollution distribution between point and diffuse sources is partly unknown, downstream abatement measures, such as constructed wetlands, at given compliance boundaries are often cost-effective. If downstream abatement measures are not practically feasible, the pollution source distribution between point and diffuse mine water sources is critical for cost-effective solutions to abatement measure allocation in catchments. In contrast, cost-effective solutions are relatively insensitive to uncertainty in total pollutant discharge from mine water sources.

A method for predicting thermal conditions in deep pits

Thermal calculations concerning mine air are done to solve technical problems involving the creation of favorable environmental conditions during mining operations in rocks at high temperatures or in mine workings with rapid heat evolution. The results of these calculations can be used to select the best schemes of stripping from the thermal viewpoint and the best systems of ventilation for deep horizons to give certain thermal parameters (temperature and humidity) in the ventilation flow, and to determine the necessary heat dissipation and other economic indices in mine air conditioning systems. These indices include the necessary temperature and coolant flow rate, which, owing to heat exchange between the mine air and the circulation pipes of the conditioning system, depend on the temperature of the ventilation flow. Clearly, to obtain analytical relations which will permit us to calculate the temperature of the mine air and the temperatures of the coolant in the forward and reverse pipes simultaneously, it is necessary to solve a system of equations of the heat balance representing the process of heat exchange in the mine working and circulation pipes. This system has been solved for the case in which there is a constant flow of air along themore » working. For deep pits with a complex pattern of air distribution, we need to devise a method of calculating the air and coolant temperatures with variable air flow rate (e.g., due to leakage or inflow through the worked-out area) with simultaneous simplification of the final expressions. We give analytical relations for the temperature of the ventilation flow and coolant flow with variable air flow rate along a working, with allowance for the thermal effect of transportation of the ore and rock and with closed trenches in the working containing mine water and other heat sources.« less