A case history of a major fault slip rockburst

Authors: Landry, D; Roy, J; Ramdass, N; Leite, A; Shears, S

Open access courtesy of:

DOI https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2465_01

Cite As:
Landry, D, Roy, J, Ramdass, N, Leite, A & Shears, S 2024, 'A case history of a major fault slip rockburst', in P Andrieux & D Cumming-Potvin (eds), Deep Mining 2024: Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Deep and High Stress Mining, pp. 87-108, https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2465_01

Download citation as:   ris   bibtex   endnote   text   Zotero


Abstract:
On 15 March 2022, a Nuttli magnitude (MN) 3.5 fault slip seismic event occurred in a sill pillar at Coleman Mine. The mine was in the process of extracting a sill pillar by removing a slot from the core of the pillar, with the goal to de-stress it. While mining the second de-stress panel, a MN3.5 fault slip seismic event occurred along a previously unknown geological structure. The seismic event caused significant shakedown damage to nearby excavations. The objective of this paper is to summarise the initial sill pillar extraction design, the rockburst event, and the results of the investigation to understand the incident. Finally, the implementation of key lessons learned and the path forward for the sill pillar are shared in the hope that geotechnical practitioners across the industry can benefit when faced with similar conditions at their operation.

Keywords: seismicity, rockburst, fault slip, sill pillar, deep mining

References:
Brown, LG 2018, Quantification of Seismic Responses to Mining Using Novel Seismic Response Parameters, PhD thesis, Laurentian University, Sudbury.
Cai, M & Kaiser, PK 2018, Rockburst Support Reference Book. Volume I: Rockburst phenomenon and support characteristics, MIRARCO - Mining Innovation, Laurentian University, Sudbury.
Camball, LG 2024, Classification of Seismic Events and Identification of Source Zones, consultant report.
Harris, PC & Wesseloo, J 2015, mXrap, version 5, computer software, Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Perth, https://mxrap.com
Hossack, H 2023, Developing Sill Pillar Extraction Strategies, internal company standard, Vale Base Metals.
Kruse, S 2024, Structural Model for Coleman mine, consultant report.
Landry, D & Reimer, E 2019, ‘Failure mechanisms and ground support observations at Coleman mine, Sudbury Basin’, in J Hadjigeorgiou & M Hudyma (eds), Ground Support 2019: Proceedings of the Ninth International Symposium on Ground Support in Mining and Underground Construction, Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Perth, pp. 253–266,
Masethe, R, Leite, A & Landry, D 2024, ‘Geotechnical hazards in deep mines: case studies of seismicity and boundaries changes’, Proceedings of the 58th US Rock Mechanics/Geomechanics Symposium, American Institute of Professional Geologists, Golden.
Richardson, E & Jordan, TH 2002, ‘Seismicity in deep gold mines of south Africa: implications for tectonic earthquakes’, Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, vol. 92, pp. 1766–1782.
Townend, S & Sampson-Forsythe, A 2014, ‘Mitigating strategies for mining in high stress sill pillars at Coleman Mine – a case study’, in M Hudyma & Y Potvin (eds), Proceedings of the Deep Mining Symposium, Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Sudbury, pp. 65–77.
Vale Base Metals 2022, Independent Investigation of Rockburst Incident Caused by a 3.5 MN Seismic Event (ME-250) in the 153 OB on March 15 2022 at Coleman Mine, Vale internal report.
Yao, M, Sampson-Forsythe, A & Punkkinen, AR 2014, ‘Examples of ground support practice in challenging ground conditions at Vale’s deep operations in Sudbury’, in M Hudyma & Y Potvin (eds), Deep Mining 2014: Proceedings of the Seventh International Conference on Deep and High Stress Mining, Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Perth, pp. 291–304.




© Copyright 2024, Australian Centre for Geomechanics (ACG), The University of Western Australia. All rights reserved.
View copyright/legal information
Please direct any queries or error reports to repository-acg@uwa.edu.au