Development of Technologies for Mining Ores with Instable Hanging Wall Rocks

Abstract

Underground mines of Kryvyi Rih iron ore deposit apply room mining systems or systems with bulk caving of ore and overlying rocks in a ratio of 35% to 65%. Most mines prefer room mining systems with pillar caving due to high, technical and economic indicators. However, when mining certain areas, the problem arises of hanging wall rocks stability. Under the same mining and geological conditions of the deposit, stopes are stable in some areas, but in others waste rocks get in the stope from the side of the hanging wall when a slight exposure is created. Thus, in conditions of instable rocks of the hanging wall, development and improvement of the technology involving room mining is an urgent issue. Analysis of researchers reveals factors that significantly indluence stability of the hanging wall rocks and ore. The developed methods enable determining stability parameters and applying an improved option of room mining system in conditions of the instable hanging wall with the help of a protective ore pillar located at the instable hanging wall. Calculations performed demonstrate that application of the proposed mining system enables an increase in the iron content in the mined ore mass by 0.94%, the increased amount of the ore mass extracted and a profit of 18.73 thousand euros for the whole of a block.