Authors: Westley-Hauta, R; Meyer, S; Earl, P

Open access courtesy of:

DOI https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2465_91

Cite As:
Westley-Hauta, R, Meyer, S & Earl, P 2024, 'Insights from seismic analysis at Kiruna mine', in P Andrieux & D Cumming-Potvin (eds), Deep Mining 2024: Proceedings of the 10th International Conference on Deep and High Stress Mining, pp. 1383-1398, https://doi.org/10.36487/ACG_repo/2465_91

Download citation as:   ris   bibtex   endnote   text   Zotero


Abstract:
Kiruna is a sublevel caving mine in Kiruna, Sweden that produced more than 25 million tonnes in 2023. As mining gets deeper at Kiruna mine, analysis of seismic data to understand the nature of seismic risks has become more critical and the mine has had to continue developing strategies that mitigate the impact of seismicity. This paper will cover the evolving trends in mine seismicity since a large ML4.2 event in May 2020 resulted in changes to Kiruna’s production strategy and the closure of many mining areas. This includes a description of the mine’s seismic system and expansion plans, various quantitative analyses of the mine’s seismicity and insight into the use of moment tensor decompositions to understand the source mechanisms of rock mass failures.

Keywords: mine seismicity, seismic systems, source mechanisms

References:
Allen, R 2021, Geological Interpretation of LKAB Per Geijer Drill Holes 20 0024 and 21 001, LKAB Investigation, no. 2021-0033.
Andersson, JBH, Bauer, TE & Martinsson, O 2021, ‘Structural evolution of the central Kiruna Area, Northern Norrbotten, Sweden: implications on the geologic setting generating iron oxide-apatite and epigenetic iron and copper sulfides’, Economic Geology, vol. 116, pp. 1981–2009.
Andersson, UB 2023, Compilation and Evaluation of Uniaxial Compressive Strength Tests of Rocks from Kiirunavaara, LKAB, Kiruna.
Andersson, UB, Samuelsson, E, Israelsson, J, Mattsson, K-J, Winell, S, Stråhle, A & Carlsten, S 2012, Boremapkartering och Geologisk Beskrivning av Kiruna Underjordsverkstad (KUV), nivå 1365, Kiirunavaara, LKAB Investigation, no. 12-797, pp. 1–34.
Beck, D, Kusui, A & Dehkoda, S 2024, Kiruna Below -1365mRL Part 1 Draft, report.
Bergman, S, Kübler, L & Martinsson, O 2001, ‘Description of regional geological and geophysical maps of northern Norrbotten county (east of the Caledonian orogen)’, Sveriges Geologiska Undersökning, Ba 56, Geological Survey of Sweden, Uppsala.
Dineva, S & Boskovic, M 2017, ‘Evolution of seismicity at Kiruna Mine’, in J Wesseloo (ed.), Deep Mining 2017: Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Deep and High Stress Mining, Australian Centre for Geomechanics, Perth, pp. 125–139,
Geijer, P 1910, ‘Igneous rocks and iron ores of Kiirunavaara, Luossavaara and Tuollavaara’, Scientific and Practical Research in Lapland Arranged by the Luossavaara-Kiirunavaara Aktiebolag, Geology of the Kiruna district, vol. 2, Stockholm, pp. 1–278.
Heal, D, Potvin, Y & Hudyma, M 2006, 'Evaluating rockburst damage potential in underground mining', Proceedings of Golden Rocks 2006: The 41st US Symposium on Rock Mechanics: 50 Years of Rock Mechanics - Landmarks and Future Challenges, American Rock Mechanics Association, Alexandria.
Kaiser, PK, Tannant, DD, McCreath, DR & Jesenak, P 1992, ‘Rockburst damage assessment procedure’, Proceedings of the International Symposium on Rock Support, A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam, pp. 639–647.
Lindberg, A 2023, ‘Europe's largest deposit of rare earth metals is located in the Kiruna area’, LKAB Press Release, viewed 2 June 2024,
Malovichko, D & Rigby, A 2022, ‘Description of seismic sources in underground mines: dynamic stress fracturing around tunnels and strainbursting’, arXiv,
Martinsson, O 2004, ‘Geology and metallogeny of the northern Norrbotten Fe-Cu-Au province’, Svecofennian Ore-Forming Environments Field Trip Volcanic-Associated Zn-Cu-Au-Ag and Magnetite-Apatite, Sediment Hosted Pb-Zn, and IntrusionAssociated Cu-Au Deposits in Northern Sweden, SEG Guidebook Series, vol. 33, Society of Economic Geologists, Littleton, pp. 131–148.
McGurk, T, Baker, H & Dishaw, G 2023, A Competent Persons Report on the Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves of LKAB, Sweden - Kiruna Mine, LKAB, Kiruna.
Moss, A & Kaiser, PK 2022, ‘An operational approach to ground control in deep mines’, Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, vol. 14, no. 1, pp. 67–81.
Rentzelos, T, Andersson, J, Swindell, R & Perman, F 2024, Optimization of Barrier Pillar Geometry and Evaluation of Alternative Mining Sequences for the Kiirunavaara Mine, LKAB internal report.
Sandström, D 2003, Analysis of the Virgin State of Stress at the Kiirunavaara Mine, licentiate thesis, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå.
Sjöberg, J, Lundman, P & Nordlund, E 2001, ‘Analys och prognos av utfall i bergschakt, KUJ 1045 slutrapport’, LKAB Investigation, no. 01-762, internal report, LKAB, Kiruna.
Swedberg, E 2022, Block 22 – Damage Mapping Summary, LKAB internal presentation.
Westhues, A, Hanchar, JM, Whitehouse, MJ & Martinsson, O 2016, ‘New constraints on the timing of host rock emplacement, hydrothermal alteration, and iron oxide-apatite mineralization in the Kiruna district, Norrbotten, Sweden’, Economic Geology, vol. 111, no. 7, pp. 1595–1618.
Ylmefors, A 2023, Classification of Mining Induced Seismicity at the Kiirunavaara Mine, PhD thesis, Luleå University of Technology, Luleå.




© 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