Duan, W, Morkel, IG & Cumming-Potvin, D 2024, 'Seismic risk control measure from passive to active through hydraulic fracturing', in P Andrieux & D Cumming-Potvin (eds), Deep Mining 2024: Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Deep and High Stress Mining, pp. 1237-1252, https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2465_81
(https://papers.acg.uwa.edu.au/p/2465_81_Duan/)
Abstract: Significant advancement in seismic hazard understanding and risk management has been made in recent decades through various research projects worldwide. However, rockburst occurrence continues to plague the underground mining industry and remains a significant challenge. As the industry becomes more mature in understanding and quantifying seismic hazard, more effort will be devoted to the development of control measures.
Seismic risk control measures currently applied by the industry tend to be passive in nature and are often associated with significant direct or indirect cost, i.e. ground support, exposure management and mine design changes. Hydraulic fracturing, a technique frequently used in caving operations, has shown promising effectiveness at mitigating large-magnitude seismic events. However, several technical challenges and uncertainties remain which are hindering a wider adoption of the technique within the underground mining industry outside of caving mines.
This paper summarises some of the technical challenges and uncertainties associated with the hydraulic fracturing technique. A solution is then proposed to address these obstacles to explore the full potential of hydraulic fracturing for mitigating large seismic event occurrence and associated hazard.

Keywords: seismic risk, rockburst mitigation, hydraulic fracturing, rock mass preconditioning