NN Technical Services LLC, Saint-Petersburg, Russia

A. A. Shamshev, Chief Hydrogeologist, ShamshevAA@nornik.ru
A. A. Voronin, Chief Hydrogeologist, Candidate of Engineering Sciences
V. A. Stroganov, Head of a Department

The article describes three major areas of hydrogeological monitoring implemented at the business entities of NorNickel’s group of companies. The 10 years-long monitoring results and the monitoring-based data for the further use in project and design activities are reviewed. The application of the monitoring data in the analysis and minimization of hydrogeological risks during mining is illustrated. The relevance of the research is governed by the increasingly more complicated hydrogeological mining conditions, especially, in underground mining and in the Extreme North. Under such conditions, hydrogeological monitoring becomes a key tool of safety and risk management. From the analysis of the situation, some applied recommendations are developed. Emphasis is laid on persistent upgrading and detailing of lithological structure models of rock masses, and on building of local geoflow models which produce water inflow scenarios with regard to geometry of mine openings. The cross-effect reduction engineering is proposed for mines: construction of bulkheads, plugging-back of wells, or heading with advanced drilling in faulted zones. The described experience shows the practical value of the systemic approach to the collection and analysis of hydrogeological data. The authors offer an example of the progressive experience gained in the integrated analysis of hydrogeological risks in mines, aimed at development of risk mitigation measures. The implemented research and solutions have demonstrated that the integrated approach to the analysis of hydrogeological risks can and must become a part and parcel of mining management. Integration of diverse data, and transition from fragmentary observations to a unified system of spatial analysis and modeling allow both detecting potentially hazardous sites and proposing efficient mitigation of hydrogeological risks.

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