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RESPEC Mining & Energy Quarterly Newsletter March 2021
beneath the surface: underground mining edition
Table of contents A MESSAGE FROM RESPEC
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NEWSROOM
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» Salt and Potash Rock Mechanics
» Blending Raster Into Vector for Enhanced Visuals
» Protecting Our Most Valuable Natural Resources and Environments
» Due Diligence for Paramount Gold
» Evaluating Underground Stability at a Decommissioned Mine Turned Guided Boat Tour
» Using Core Sampling as a Basis for Modeling Excavations
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GROWTH AND PEOPLE » Now Offering Full Drilling and Completions Solutions
PARTNERSHIPS
» Grow With RESPEC
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» Imitating a Test Flight Through Simulations
PRESENTATIONS
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» RESPEC Mining & Energy Webinar Series
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
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March 2021 RESPEC M&E Newsletter
A message from RESPEC
RESPEC has mining expertise in surface and underground mining projects ranging from resource modeling, mine design, permitting and water resources, and infrastructure development. As deposits near the surface get more difficult to find, the exploration of resources get deeper. This requires selection of different mining methods including a host of underground methods ranging from underground cut and fill stoping, to shinkage stoping, long hole mining, block caving and others used around the world. As experts in resource development, underground mining techniques, and geotechnical analysis, RESPEC presents this issue of our quarterly newsletter on some of the underground mining projects that our teams have been involved with. Please reach out to our experts listed in the newsletter for more information on any of these projects.
Tom Dyer
MDA Division Manager
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March 2021 RESPEC M&E Newsletter
Newsroom salt and potash rock mechanics
The Important Concept of the Three-Legged Stool
protecting our most valuable natural resources and environments Through Underground Mine Proposals in the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness
Evaluating Stability at a Decommissioned Mine Turned Guided Boat Tour Even Beyond Production, Safety is a Priority
blending raster into vector for enhanced visuals Tips and Tricks From Our RESPEC Geomatics Manager
due diligence for paramount gold
And the Continuation and Completion of a Feasibility Study
using core sampling as a basis for modeling excavations The Crucial Role of Material Properties
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March 2021 RESPEC M&E Newsletter
salt and potash rock mechanics The Important Concept of the Three-Legged Stool
Reprinted with permission from the 2021 issue of the Potash Works publication. https://potashworks.com/annual-magazine/ Rock mechanics involve developing an understanding of how rock responds to changes in equilibrium and then applying that understanding to addressing scenarios that range from localized ground-control issues to mine-wide issues related to accessibility and stability. A rock-mechanics program amasses information from three interdependent elements to develop effective solutions that work within the confines of the local geology. The elements that comprise the three “legs” of the rock-mechanics stool are mine measurements and field observation; laboratory testing; and numerical modeling.
In the mine We can informally determine the mine behaviour by observing what is good behaviour or bad behaviour, but some indications of change or instability are subtle and may not be visually apparent. Mine measurements provide data to quantify the mine behaviour by evaluating trends in the recorded data. These data, when taken throughout the mine on a regular basis, enhance worker safety by identifying areas where ground-control problems are developing. A recorded behaviour against which numerical models can be validated is also provided by this data.
In the laboratory Tests are the fundamental method for measuring rock behaviour under simple and well-controlled conditions. Tests provide data to interpolate and extrapolate the expected rock behaviour under various conditions; however, bad data are often worse than no data. Salt and potash are difficult to fail under moderate confining stresses; consequently, unconfined compressive strength (UCS) tests do not adequately represent strength, and poorly designed creep tests may not properly characterize long-term deformation. Good data improve our understanding of the fundamental rock behaviour, and interpretation of the data helps us to develop site-specific behaviour models for numerical modeling.
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March 2021 RESPEC M&E Newsletter
On the computer Numerical modeling has become a prominent tool to forecast and interpret mine behaviour. An effective modeling approach should be grounded in reality, and arbitrarily changing modeling parameters under the guise of “engineering judgement” can grossly mischaracterize mine behaviour, especially in potash. This approach has resulted in the adage of “garbage in, garbage out”, which has led some to believe that modeling is worthless, when in reality, the modeling approach was poorly implemented. An approach based on accurate field and laboratory data can be used to forecast the mine behaviour in real-world terms, such as the susceptibility for roof falls, load-bearing pillar capacity, and long-term response of the mined excavation. The results can also be used to interpret the mine behaviour by comparing the measured and predicted behaviours. Good agreement suggests that the mine is behaving as expected. The extent or severity at which the actual behaviour deviates from the expected behaviour can indicate the potential impacts on the global stability of the mine.
This three-legged approach strives to reduce the inherent risk in mining by developing a better understanding of mine behaviour. Each leg is equally important, and heavily relying on a single component can lead to illogical ends, such as an overly conservative design or unsafe conditions. This consideration is especially important in salt and potash mines, where the mine behaviour is unlike that of many other commodities. Over the past 50-plus years, RESPEC has tested, modeled, and observed salt and potash behaviour from nearly every actively mined evaporite deposit in the world. Our approach has successfully guided decisions regarding mine design optimizations and provided a comprehensive assessment of the utility of existing workings and long-term stability, as well as suitable management of the resource.
For detailed information, please contact RESPEC’s Cody Vining, Project Manager, Rock Mechanics Cody.Vining@respec.com
Vining, C. and J. Nopola, 2021. "Salt and Potash Rock Mechanics," PotashWorks, Vol. 2021, pp. 44–45.
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March 2021 RESPEC M&E Newsletter
protecting our most valuable natural resources and environments Through Underground Mine Proposals in the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness
RESPEC provided environmental monitoring and permitting services to Hecla Mining Company (Hecla) for the proposed Rock Creek and Montanore Mine projects in northwestern Montana. As proposed, these mines will be underground, room-and-pillar, silver-mining operations with conventional crush-andfloatation processing. Permitting for these projects has been a lengthy process spanning decades. The proposed mines will access deposits beneath the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness, which is inhabited by two species that are listed as threatened by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The area is considered critical habitat for threatened bull trout and a core recovery area for grizzly bear. Regulatory discretion regarding these projects falls to the U.S. Forest Service (specifically, the Kootenai National Forest) and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality. A Record of Decision was issued for the Rock Creek project in 2018. A supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for the Montanore project is in development by the U.S. Forest Service with a Record of Decision to follow. A RESPEC biologist and water quality specialist have been assisting Hecla with various tasks related to permit-compliance monitoring as well as monitoring related to the requirements of the U.S. Forest Service Record of Decision and the Department of
The Kootenai National Forest and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality Hold Regulatory Discretion on Hecla’s Proposed Rock Creek and Montanore Mine Projects.
Environmental Quality discharge permits. Our staff have specifically developed a water resource monitoring plan, sediment mitigation plan, and estimate of sediment loads entering Rock Creek to satisfy a biological opinion of the U.S. Forest Service related to sedimentation and potential impacts to bull trout. RESPEC anticipates assisting Hecla with compliance monitoring and ongoing permitting support for these projects as the projects move forward.
For detailed information, please contact RESPEC’s Joe Naughton, Staff Consultant Joe.Naughton@respec.com
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March 2021 RESPEC M&E Newsletter
Evaluating Stability at a Decommissioned Mine Turned Guided Boat Tour Even Beyond Production, Safety is a Priority
With experts across the spectrum of geoscience and mining engineering, from geology and resource modeling to geotechnical and hydrogeological characterization and mine design, RESPEC delivers adaptive, customized solutions for the ever-changing marketplace. RESPEC has more than 50 years of experience with a proven record of adding value to both surface and underground stone quarry operations, even beyond their production. Our Lexington, Kentucky team is currently part of an interesting underground stability evaluation of a decommissioned limestone mine. The “Gorge Underground” is a guided boat or kayak tour of this 100-year-old flooded limestone mine. RESPEC’s Al Campoli is evaluating the stability of the mine and reviewing the safety inspection process performed daily by the company, The Gorge Underground. This is the 4th consecutive year that RESPEC has been working with the client.
For detailed information, please contact RESPEC’s Al Campoli, Staff Consultant Alan.Campoli@respec.com
Top: Visitors Kayak Through the Flooded Underground Mine Via This Path. Middle: Kayakers Tour the 100-Year-Old Underground Mine. Bottom Right: RESPEC’s Al Campoli Evaluating the Underground Mine Turned Tourist Attraction.
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March 2021 RESPEC M&E Newsletter
blending raster into vector for enhanced visuals Tips and Tricks From Our RESPEC Geomatics Manager
Geologists, GIS specialists, and engineers are familiar with spreadsheets that contain tabular data, which can be graphed or presented in a spatial context for further analysis. In the following example, drillhole point (potash isopach) data are contoured and a three-dimensional surface is created.
The process of transitioning from a raster (bitmap images) to a vector (lines, points, polygons) can be challenging. A raster is illustrated by a rectangular grid of pixels, whereas a vector has elements that are stored as geometry. These presentation types are quite different but do have some similarities. In the above-right graphic, raster and vector images are brought together. No better example of this digital marriage exists than the ubiquitous PDF, which can be a vector, a raster, or a curious blend of both. The National Park Service has published a geological map of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, North Dakota, as a PDF document. This map is a good illustration of how to convert from this format into a vector format for better analysis and more flexible data sharing. The following flow chart provides the basic steps taken in this process.
CorelDraw/ Illustrator
Paletted Raster (TIF)
Shapefile ArcGIS Workspace
AutoCAD Vector (DWG)
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March 2021 RESPEC M&E Newsletter Exporting the Raster Portion of the PDF File as a Palette TIF File and Then Converting to a Shapefile The preceding PDF file has the raster component split out in CorelDRAW. The raster can be exported in a palette or indexed TIF file , as shown on the right, which can reduce millions of colors to a select few. The TIF file should be georeferenced before an ArcGIS tool is run to convert the raster to a shapefile.
Exporting the PDF Vector Components to AutoCAD The vector portion of the geological map can be exported in the native AutoCAD DWG format. This format is ideal as each element type gets a unique layer and even more control is provided before the file is linked with ArcGIS. The resulting AutoCAD file could easily be converted into a shapefile, but for this demonstration, we are showing that a link can be made and that CAD attributes are still viewable within a GIS. The only caveat to this connection is that the status is read-only and modifications cannot be reflected in the AutoCAD drawing.
Combining Elements Within ArcGIS Combining the geological polygons from the converted TIF file, along with the AutoCAD linework, is now possible within ArcGIS. After the polygons are attached, create a new column (e.g., Geo_Unit) where the rock type codes will be entered. This column will facilitate the placement of labels, provide more control over symbology, and allow for eventual legend entries . In this example, the symbology was matched to the original PDF file, but any color combination can now be used to illustrate geological boundaries or conform with industry standards.
In the preceding screen capture, a hybrid ArcGIS product combines symbolized polygons with linework linked from AutoCAD. Note that in the attribute table, one row represents the stipple pattern within the background of the “Qg” geological unit. If preferred, the dissolve function can be performed to eliminate the stipple pattern. Similarly, a combination of raster and vector in the same map can take advantage of each format’s strengths. A raster allows for an impressive array of analysis tools to be run on the data, while a vector is more conducive to precise detail; abundant attributes; and better control over aesthetic changes, such as line widths, colors, symbols, or other parameters that require quick modifications. On a lighter note, the maple leaf shown below is a shapefile with 22 rows in the attribute table. Each row denotes a different color. This is a good example of a vector masquerading as a raster. We will leave you with a final graphic (below right) to challenge the imagination. Is this topography representation based on raster, vector, or both? The answer: It can be whatever you want it to be.
In Conclusion Raster and vector presentations are widely different and yet can be combined to complement one another. The reader should be left with the knowledge that a complex PDF document can be split into separate components and analyzed with a GIS (or CAD, for that matter). We hope this article gets you thinking about creative ways to present data to your team while maximizing your options going forward.
For detailed information, please contact RESPEC’s Wally Harilstad, Geomatics Manager Wally.Harilstad@respec.com
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due diligence for paramount gold And the Continuation and Completion of a Feasibility Study
Paramount Gold (Paramount) initially contracted Mine Development Associates (“MDA”), a division of RESPEC’s M&E group, to complete a due diligence on the Grassy Mountain deposit. Based in part on the results of this review, Paramount purchased the project in 2016 and MDA has since been closely working with them to develop the deposit. This collaboration culminated in the issuance of a prefeasibility study led by MDA in 2018, which was then followed by the current feasibility study that was published in 2020. MDA completed the resource and mining portions of the study. The Grassy Mountain project is envisioned as a small underground operation with a throughput of 750 tons per day using cut and fill mining methods. Mine design and production scheduling were completed by MDA’s Joseph Seamons using Deswik software. The mine design used Deswik’s Mine Shape Optimizer (MSO) to determine the optimal shapes to use for stope designs, which were then refined into the underground design. Deswik was also used to create underground development designs consisting of a single decline, level drifts, and access drifts that were connected to a ventilation shaft. MDA used VSim to calculate the required flow of air for the ventilation network.
Development Sequence for a Typical Level.
The designs, production schedule, and mining costs were developed to a feasibility level of study to state the reserves of the project, which are documented in the final NI 43-101 report (available at Sedar.com).
For detailed information, please contact RESPEC’s Tom Dyer, Principal Engineer Tom.Dyer@respec.com
Designed Mining Lifts.
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using core sampling as a basis for modeling excavations The Crucial Role of Material Properties
Since 1969, RESPEC has provided rock-properties testing, field analyses, and advanced computerbased modeling for subsurface excavations. These computer models are only as accurate as the material properties that are used. For evaporites (i.e., salt, potash), understanding the strength, dilation, elastic, and creep properties of the rock is necessary to properly model the excavation. Where core is not available, a coring program that is executed from the surface or underground is often cost-prohibitive. RESPEC has developed a cost-efficient method of obtaining core from the floor or rib of the mine that is of sufficient size and quality for rock-mechanics testing. Cylindrical core samples are extracted using a concrete core drill that is capable of coring up to 16-inch-diameter cores that are nominally 22 to 24 inches long. The coring rig can be mounted on either the mine floor or the rib. This method has been proven to obtain higher-quality core with less time spent than previous methods, such as cutting blocks from the rib with a chain saw or equivalent equipment. RESPEC has extracted core using this method for the Department of Energy, Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), and the Solution Mining Research Institute (SMRI) as well as commercial clients. Two of these projects are described below. RESPEC was awarded a contract through the SMRI to extract large-diameter Avery Island salt cores, which are currently being used for research projects. Salt from this mine has been extensively studied and is relatively pure, homogeneous, domal halite. The inventory of laboratory-grade specimens of salt rock collected from the Avery Island salt mine in the early 1980s had nearly
Core Samples Taken From the Rib of the Mine (Above) Can Be Processed Into Smaller Samples (Right) For Strength, Dilation, Elastic, and Creep Properties Analyses.
been depleted; thus, RESPEC was tasked with drilling and collecting 30 salt cores that were 14 inches in diameter by nominally 22 inches in length. The cores were extracted and packaged for shipment after approximately 3 days underground. Preserved in plastic wrap, foil, and wax, the cores should provide enough Avery Island salt for decades of research projects supported by the SMRI. The research may not necessarily focus only on the mechanical properties but could include other interests, such as thermal properties, mineralogy, grain and subgrain distribution, porosity, and permeability. RESPEC was contracted by the SNL to extract core and perform laboratory direct shear testing of bedded interfaces and clay seams to support a research program for the Waste Isolation Pilot
Plant in New Mexico. This coring program was unique in that the cores needed to be freed and pulled out without separating the interfaces or clay seams. Extracting core from the floor with the seams intact was unsuccessful; thus, the cores were extracted horizontally from the rib. This procedure proved to be successful, and approximately 40 cores that were 12 inches in diameter were extracted within roughly 1 week.
For detailed information, please contact RESPEC’s Stuart Buchholz, Laboratory Manager Stuart.Buchholz@respec.com
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Growth and People Now Offering Full Drilling and Completions Solutions With the Addition of Trent Field to the Team
grow with respec Current Openings On RESPEC’s Mining & Energy Team
March 2021 13 RESPEC M&E Newsletter
Now Offering Full Drilling and Completions Solutions With the Addition of Trent Field to the Team
RESPEC is pleased to welcome Trent Field to our expanding Canadian office. With more than 26 years of experience in the field of well completions, Trent is a strong addition to RESPEC’s drilling and completions team. He will lead in developing RESPEC’s completion services and, as completions manager, Trent will work closely with our drilling team to provide our clients with full drilling and completions services.
12 Years
of International drilling management services
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Trent has worked in many of the prolific oil-and-gas fields in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin and completed more than 1, 000 wells—from simple, vertical completions to complicated, horizontal, multistage fracturing projects. He recently led a completions/workover team in France and successfully increased an operator’s operational performance; on-site efficiency; and overall health, safety, and environment (HSE) performance. Trent was a pioneer in the Bakken oil boom in the mid-2000s and was responsible for performing horizontal, multistage well completions; designing and equipping wells with artificial lift systems; installing surface infrastructure; monitoring initial production; and troubleshooting downhole failures.
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Trent is excited to be a part of RESPEC and eager to merge his hands-on completions and technologies experience with current and future RESPEC projects. He is passionate about his work and intrigued to support new and ongoing projects. At the same time, Trent believes that a key point of his career success is his drive to learn something new each day. Trent states “I am excited to be able to work with the many talented individuals at RESPEC.”
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Welcome to the team, Trent! Please contact Trent for your completion or workover projects, and for drilling services, please connect with our Drilling Engineer Brett Dueck.
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Well Repairs and Recompletions Drilling Management and advisement projects Full-Procurement and Drilling & Completions
Salt Cavern Support and Onshore Fishing operations
Horizontal and Vertical Wellbore abandonments
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Grow with RESPEC
Current Openings on RESPEC’s Mining & Energy Team
RESPEC has more than 50 years of history and evolution as a company that brings rewarding careers to our employee-owners. We are personally vested in our employees’ total wellbeing. Our management philosophy reflects a culture that is committed to personalized professional development that includes incentives for earning advanced degrees, professional certification, and licensure. Providing a thoughtfully packaged, comprehensive benefits program is evidence of our commitment to continually reinvest in employee programs. At RESPEC, you will have the opportunity to collaborate with a diversely talented team to solve the world’s most complex challenges. We thrive on technology and making our clients successful. This is why we do what we do. Join our team in one of our Mining & Energy openings. Or, recommend a friend to any of our positions within our other business units: Data & Technology Solutions, Infrastructure, or Water & Natural Resources. We’re growing rapidly and have over two dozen positions open!
https://www.respec.com/careers/
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Partnerships Imitating a test flight through simulations
Adaptation and Efficiency Through UAV Testing in a Virtual Environment
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imitating a test flight through simulation Adaptation and Efficiency Through UAV Testing in a Virtual Environment
Like so many research and development projects in the mining industry, the COVID-19 pandemic presented unique challenges to our partnership with AutoModality™ (AM). Because of restrictions on travel and site accessibility, we had to develop a new testing strategy: simulating our test flights in a virtual environment. AM’s autonomous flight-control system Perceptive Navigation™ was uploaded to a virtual drone in the simulation environment, and we conducted our flight tests more quickly and efficiently than ever before. In many ways, this adaptation was a blessing in disguise: it allowed our team to develop new algorithms that would prove to expand our flight capabilities and improve the quality and quantity of data that we can collect. We are currently testing new technology to autonomously explore and map in vertical shafts, stopes, and caverns at the touch of a button and have resumed physical test flights on a limited basis. We have also upgraded our primary drone platform to the DJI M300 and are testing our flight-control and autonomous technology on other platforms that will enable us to fly in a variety of environments. Although COVID-related delays impacted all of us, we continue to work toward developing the most advanced autonomous drone for underground mining anywhere!
For detailed information, please contact RESPEC’s Ben Haugen, Remote Geotechnics Program Lead, Ben.Haugen@respec.com
Top photo: Screenshot of a Simulation of the Drone System Flying Autonomously in a Cave-Like Virtual Environment. Bottom photos: Photographs of the Updated Drone Platform (DJI M300) During Initial Flight Tests.
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Presentations RESPEC Mining & Energy Webinar Series Recordings Available on Our Website
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RESPEC Mining & energy webinar series Recordings Available on Our Website
Beginning in November of 2020 and continuing into 2021, RESPEC industry experts have hosted a mining webinar series covering topics and facets of our Mining & Energy sectors. Topics have ranged from blasting to resource estimation to energy storage for the future, with more than 600 attendees from the US, Canada, England, Switzerland, Spain, France, Germany, and the Philippines. Our webinars have also been eligible for Professional Development Hour (PDH) credit, with 37 Certificates having been delivered. Topics submitted for possible future webinars include safety procedures in blasting, emerging technologies in blasting, structure demolition techniques, resource estimation in industrial minerals, solution mining, salt caverns, and underground storage. Previous webinars can be viewed on the RESPEC website (linked below). Stay tuned to hear more about our next webinar!
Access the recordings of our webinars on our website:
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Calendar of events
april
As a result of continued uncertainty along with state, local, and health agency directives regarding COVID-19, in-person conference attendance is limited for RESPEC employees in 2021. We urge you to connect with us by email and telephone, our website, and our social media channels. We wish you all good health and safety and look forward to meeting you at these conferences when they are rescheduled.
19—23
Thank You
SMRI Spring Conference
May
Virtual
3—6
CIM Convention & Expo
May
Virtual
20
Open Source North Conference
May
Virtual
21—26
Join us virtually or in-person to: » Connect (or reconnect) with our experts » Learn more about how our growth benefits clients like you » Read up on how RESPEC has responded to the evolving marketplace and demand » View our brochures, videos, and more.
World Geothermal Congress
June
Reykjavik, Iceland
20—23
ARMA US Rock Mechanics/ Geomechanics Symposium Virtual
Stay connected with RESPEC digitally through our social media accounts or contact Tabetha Stirrett Tabetha.Stirrett@respec.com
RESPEC.com
