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Our
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Directional Drilling/Geosteering Projects
Natural Soda (AmerAlia, Inc.), Rock School Sodium Lease,
Piceance Creek Basin, Colorado, USA
In the spring of 1996, AmerAlia, Inc. contracted AAI to manage a
drilling and characterization program to assess the feasibility of solution
mining nahcolite at the Rock School Sodium Lease. select subcontractors and
manage the drilling, data collection, and reporting for a drill hole located
on their Rock School Sodium Lease in the Piceance Creek Basin, northwestern
Colorado. Objectives of the drill project were to collect site-specific data
and core samples for evaluation of resource and solution minability. AAI
personnel managed the site preparation, drilling contractor, other
subcontractors, and reclamation work, and was responsible for all data
collection. Field duties included geological interpretation, rock structure
logging, geophysical correlations, stratigraphic picks, core photography,
and hydrological tests for flow and quality. AAI conducted laboratory
material properties testing on selected core samples. Upon completion of the
drilling project, a core hole summary report was prepared followed by a
stability evaluation of the proposed solution mine.
Mountain Coal Company, Somerset,
Colorado, USA
Coal resources in the Mt. Gunnison/West Elk Mine are contained in
multiple seams recovered by room-and-pillar and longwall mining techniques.
Subsidence and numerical modeling analyses have been conducted and design
recommendations made regarding multiple-seam extraction and pillar, entry
and longwall gateroad design to enhance mine stability and resource
recovery.
Based on review of an extensive geologic study, inspection of existing
workings, and analysis of available rock mechanics data, three-seam mine
layouts were developed for a large coal reserve with 80- to 240-ft seam
interburden and 200- to 800-ft cover depth. Designs were developed for both
room-and-pillar, longwall, and shortwall mining. The mining impact on
overlying reserves was evaluated as well as surface subsidence.
In
another project, preliminary sketches were prepared of potential shaft
configurations and studies were conducted to select a preferred option.
Geotechnical and hydrological data were gathered for geologic
characterization of the shaft site. Drawings, specifications, and
construction methods and schedules were developed for shaft sinking.
Construction schedules and costs were estimated and a basis of design
prepared for the Owner's bid package. In all, three separate shafts were
designed.
Mountain Coal Company, Geotechnical Instrumentation for Panel 14 Gateroads,
West Elk Mine, Somerset, Colorado, USA
The objective of the study was to install instrumentation and
perform stress measurements and mechanical property tests for design
verification of Panels 14–17 (District 2) and design evaluation of Panels
18–24 (District 1). This instrumentation was justified in the light of
ground control problems experienced at the West Elk Mine and of a
geotechnical analysis of Panels 14–17.
Mountain Coal Company, Colorado, USA
Coal resources in the Mt. Gunnison/West Elk Mine are contained in
multiple seams recovered by room-and-pillar and longwall mining techniques.
Subsidence and numerical modeling analyses have been conducted and design
recommendations made regarding multiple-seam extraction and pillar, entry,
and longwall gateroad design to enhance mine stability and resource
recovery. Based on review of an extensive geologic study, inspection of
existing workings, and analysis of available rock mechanics data, three-seam
mine layouts were developed for a large coal reserve with 80- to 240-ft seam
interburden and 200- to 800-ft cover depth. Designs were developed for both
room-and-pillar, longwall, and shortwall mining. The mining impact on
overlying reserves was evaluated, as well as surface subsidence. In another
project, preliminary sketches were prepared of potential shaft
configurations, and studies were conducted to select a preferred option.
Geotechnical and hydrological data were gathered for geologic
characterization of the shaft site. Drawings, specifications, and
construction methods and schedules were developed for shaft sinking.
Construction schedules and costs were estimated and a basis of design
prepared for the Owner's bid package. In all, three separate shafts were
designed.
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Rio Tinto, Kazan Solution Mining Project, Ankara, Turkey
The Kazan trona deposit was discovered by Rio Tinto Exploration in
the mid-90s. AAI has been involved as consultants from core handling and
logging, resource/reserve estimates, order of magnitude estimates for
room-and-pillar mining, and solution mining. In support of feasibility
assessment, laboratory testing of core at elevated temperatures were
completed under the direction of AAI, cavity growth modeling and heat and
mass balancing modeling completed. AAI has completed pilot test plans, and
capital and operating cost estimates for the solution mine plan.
AAI was responsible for introducing Rio Tinto to the potential for solution
mining these trona deposits using long horizontal wells and injection of
high temperature, pressurized water.
White River Nahcolite Mineral Limited
Liability, Inc., Solution Mining of Nahcolite, Piceance Creek Basin,
Colorado, USA
AAI personnel have provided technical support during the
development of this pioneer solution mining project using cavity development
from long horizontal boreholes. Specifically, AAI provided field and
technical support in a pilot drilling program to characterize rock structure
and hydrologic data. Rock structural data generated from drill core
and laboratory tests were used in the stability assessment of dissolution
cavities and overlying roof strata. Alternative configurations of long
prismatic cavities and single-hole circular cavities were evaluated to
assess overall resource recovery.
Inter-cavern pillars were designed
to preserve overlying water-bearing strata and to minimize any adverse
impacts on future mining of overlying oil shale resources. As
production progressed, the shape of the cavity was monitored using in-cavity
sonic surveys and was compared to the predicted cavity shape. Methods
of monitoring and predicting cavity shape in these long cavities were
evaluated. |
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AGAPITO
ASSOCIATES, INC.