Norilsk Nickel’s Polar Division, Norilsk, Russia:

V. A. Lozitsky, Head of Mining Office at Mining Practice Department
D. V. Gogolev, Manager at Mining Office at Mining Practice Department, GogolevDV@nornik.ru
V. V. Balandin, CEO of Oktyabrsky Mine
Yu. S. Nedaikhlebov, Deputy CEO of Industrial Assets Management

At the present time, it becomes increasingly difficult to get access to ore bodies, to perform mine support, to use mining equipment and to ventilate underground openings; moreover, the quality and completeness of mineral extraction become limited, the lift of rocks to ground surface and the transport of cemented paste backfill to long distances get very complicated. These factors directly affect mining safety. The Talnakh and Oktyabrskoe deposits of high-grade copper-bearing and porphyry copper ore are developed using mostly open stoping systems with cemented paste backfill. This article discusses the technology of cemented paste backfill transport now in use in Taimyrsky Mine of Norilsk Nickel’s Polar Division. When the horizontal length of transportation essentially dominates the vertical length of a backfill borehole, the flow velocity of the backfill decelerates up to its full stop in the backfill pipeline. With a view to avoiding these adverse effects, the Siberian Federal University, under order of Norilsk Nickel’s Polar Division, is designing a laboratory plant for aeration (saturation with air bubbles) of cemented paste backfill to increase its flow velocity in horizontal transportation to long distances. The effective solution of the problems which arise in transport of cemented paste backfill to deeper levels with regard to introduction of new technologies and materials can improve the backfill transport process and raise the level of its automation. Eventually, this is a step toward the unmanned mining technology and enhanced mining safety.

The authors appreciate participation of the members of Norilsk Nickel’s Polar Division A. A. Kisel, A. E. Lytneva, K. E. Kolotkova, A. E. Yanakova and A. Yu. Rogacheva in this study.

1. Aynbinder I. I., Patskevich P. G., Ovcharenko O. V. Prospects for the development of underground ore mining geotechnologies at the Talnakh and Oktyabrskoye deep mines. Gornaya promyshlennost. 2021. No. 5. pp. 70–75.
2. Darbinyan T. P., Lozitsky V. A., Gogolev D. V., Balandin V. V. Backfill improvement in underground mines of Norilsk Nickel’s Polar Division: Current situation and prospects. Gornyi Zhurnal. 2022. No. 1. pp. 80–84. DOI: 10.17580/gzh.2022.01.14
3. Marysyuk V. P. Estimation of stress-strained state of ore massif at Talnakh deep mines. Gornyi Zhurnal. 2005. No. 3. pp. 16–18.
4. Marysyuk V. P., Sabyanin G. V., Andreev A. A., Vasilev D. A. Stress assessment in deep-level stoping in Talnakh mines. Gornyi Zhurnal. 2020. No. 6. pp. 17–22. DOI: 10.17580/gzh.2020.06.02
5. Karelin V. N., Galaov R. B., Kositsyn A. V. Prospects and features of advancement in deep-level highgrade ore mining in Taimyrsky Mine. Tsvetnye Metally. 2007. No. 7. pp. 5–8.
6. Vilchinskiy V. B., Trofimov A. V., Koreyvo A. B., Galaov R. B., Marysyuk V. P. Substantiation of reasonability of application of stowing mining systems at Talnakh mines. Tsvetnye Metally. 2014. No. 9. pp. 23–28.
7. Jian Zhang, Hongwei Deng, Abbas Taheri, Junren Deng, Bo Ke. Effects of Superplasticizer on the Hydration, Consistency, and Strength Development of Cemented Paste Backfill. Minerals. 2018. Vol. 8, Iss. 9. 381. DOI: 10.3390/min8090381
8. Montyanova A. N., Trofimov A. V., Rumyantsev A. E., Vilchinskiy V. B., Nagovitsin Yu. N. Experience and efficiency of application of plasticized backfilling concrete. Vestnik Magnitogorskogo gosudarstvennogo tekhnicheskogo universiteta im. G. I. Nosova. 2019. Vol. 17, No. 1. pp. 18–25.
9. Trofimov A. V., Rumyantsev A. E., Gospodarikov A. P., Kirkin A. P. Non-destructive ultrasonic method of testing the strength of backfill concrete at deep Talnakh mines. Tsvetnye Metally. 2020. No. 12. pp. 28–33. DOI: 10.17580/tsm.2020.12.04
10. Yilmaz E., Yumlu M. Cayeli Paste Backfill System and Operations. Paste Tailings Management. Cham : Springer, 2017. pp. 235–265.
11. Navneet Kumar, Manoj Kumar Gopaliya, Kaushal D. R. Experimental investigations and CFD modeling for flow of highly concentrated iron ore slurry through horizontal pipeline. Particulate Science and Technology. 2019. Vol. 37, Iss. 2. pp. 232–250.
12. Picchi D., Ullmann A., Brauner N. Modeling of core-annular and plug flows of Newtonian/non-Newtonian shear-thinning fluids in pipes and capillary tubes. International Journal of Multiphase Flow. 2018. Vol. 103. pp. 43–60.
13. Wu Ai-xiang, Ruan Zhu-en, Wang Yi-ming, Yin Sheng-hua, Wang Shao-yong et al. Simulation of long-distance pipe line transportation properties of whole-tailings paste with high sliming. Journal of Central South University. 2018. Vol. 25, Iss. 1. pp. 141–150.