Yakutniproalmaz Institute, ALROSA, Mirny, Russia

I. B. Bokiy, Chief Researcher, Candidate of Physical and Mathematical Science, Associate Professor

V. V. Reshetova, Head of Laboratory, ReshetovaVV@alrosa.ru

Yakutniproalmaz Institute, ALROSA, Mirny, Russia¹ ; Institute of Mining, Ural Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Yekaterinburg, Russia²
O. V. Zoteev, Chief Researcher¹, Leading Researcher², Professor, Doctor of Engineering Sciences

ALROSA, Mirny, Russia
E. K. Pul, Chief Geotechnical Engineer

The Mir kimberlite pipe, its geological structure and deep-level mining technology are described. The Mir kimberlite pipe occurs in the Malo-Botuoba kimberlite field. Extraction of ore reserves using the open pit mining method started in 1957, and the pit reached the depth of 525 m (pit bottom elevation of –190 м). Processing of the borehole geology data allowed revising the physical and mechanical characteristics of kimberlite-enclosing rock mass. With this complementary information, it became possible to update the prognostic parameters of a mining-formed movement zone and, consequently, to give more reliable grounds for the layout of entries and development horizontal openings and declines. The implemented calculation of the hazardous movement zone parameters in the Mir- Gluboky Mine used a procedure developed at the Geomechanics Laboratory at ALROSA’s Yakutniproalmaz Institute. The engineering analysis results are confirmed by the monitoring surveys of rock mass with cemented paste backfill. The backfill limits potential displacements and deformations, i.e. the angles of hazardous movements should be steeper than in systems of mining with caving. The developed approach to hazardous movement zone delineation produces the optimized angles of movements for designing. The design solutions on sizes, configurations and orientation of stopes ensure maximal reduction of the extent of hazardous deformation zones at mined-out stopes. The field observations over evolution of a movement zone in the Internatsionalny Mine prove the above inferences. Small sizes of the movement zone are explained by the small sizes and spans of stopes.

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