Assessment of mining methods for immobilized reserves in inter-room pillars in Ghelar

iron ore deposit

Autor: Rogobete Marius, Universitatea din Petroani
Coordonator: prof.dr.ing. Cozma Eugen, Universitatea din Petroani
Abstract: The Ghelar iron ore deposit has the shape of several lenses, which in time were mined
out by various exploitation methods, but generally with room and pillar methods from the group with
remaining cavities or gob stowing.
In the paper are established the most efficient exploitation methods of inter-room pillars,
considering the production costs, the ore recovery degree and the dilution.
Key words: exploitation, iron deposits, mining methods, pillars, reserves.
1. GEOLOGICAL DATA
The iron ore deposits in the middle area of mineralization from Poiana Rusca mountains are
located in metamorphic rocks of inferior paleozoic age.
The iron ore can by found as:
ankerite, MgFe(CO3)2: a double iron and magnesium carbonate, having an iron content of
about 16%;
limonite, Fe(OH)3: an iron hydroxide, having an iron content of 28-29%;
siderite, FeCO3: iron carbonate with an average iron content comprised between 27-30%.
2. MINING METHODS APPLIED IN EXPLOITATION
OF GHELAR DEPOSIT
Room and pillar mining methods, with rooms stowing and remaining cavities, are in use for the
exploitation of Ghelar ore deposit. According to the thickness of thedeposit, the rooms can be directionnal
(Figure 1) or cross-sectionnal (Figures 2, Figure 3 and Figure 4).

Figure 1. Mining methods with directionnal rooms.

The sizes of the pillars-floors networks are strictly correlated with the adopted openings of the
rooms. As the number of superposed levels increases, the resisting elements are supporting higher charges
and consequently they have to be redesigned.

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Figure 2. Mining methods with crossFigure 3. Exploitation of

Figure 4. Exploitation stasectionnal rooms: a raise in benches
rooms located at the floor:
ges with cross-sectionnal
at floor with a single retreating active
a simultaneous exploitation rooms: a preparation worface; b raise located in the center of
of I and II sublevels; b under- kings; b exploitation; c
fithe lens, with two retreating active face. lying sublevels exploitation.
nale shape of the room.
The stability of the superposed system of rooms, pillars and floors can be provided through
several dimensional approaches. We are presenting, in table 1, 9 such variants (all of them taken into
consideration under the equilibrium criteria) each one providing a certain percentage repartition of the
reserves, and in direct connection a possible recovery degree (table 2).

LEVEL
I
base floor
upper floor
LEVEL
II
base floor
upper floor
LEVEL
III
base floor
upper floor
LEVEL
IV
base flor

8
6,5
5

8
6,5
15

8
6,5
20

8
6,5

10 8 10 7
6,5
6,5
6,5
6
10 8 9 8
6,5
6,5
16
14
10 8 8,5 8,5
6,5
6,5
25
18
10 8 8 9
6,5
6,5

12 10 12 8 14 9
6,5
6,5
6,5
7,5
6,5
7
10 10 10 10 12 11
6,5
6,5
6,5
12
7
8
12 10 9 11 11 12
6,5
6,5
6,5
16
7
8,5
12 10 8 12 10,5 12,5
6,5
6,5
6,5

15 11
6,5
8
15 11
6,5
12
15 11
6,5
17
15 11
6,5

15 9
6,5
8
13 11
6,5
8,5
12 12
6,5
8,5
11 13
6,5

pilla

IX
roo

pilla

roo
m
pilla
r
roo
pilla
r
roo

pilla

roo

pilla

roo

pilla

Specifications

roo
m
pilla
r
roo
pilla
r
roo

Table 1. Dimensional approaches in exploitation in 4 sublevels.

I
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII
VIII

15 11
6,5
8
15 11
6,5
10
14 12
6,5
10
13 13
6,5

Table 2. Percentage of reserves recovery and feasible recovery degree

for the 9 considered alternatives.
Percentage of reserves included in variants
Specifications
I
0
LEVEL
I

LEVEL
I+II

1
rooms
pillars
floors
TOTAL
rooms
pillars
floors
TOTAL

II

III

IV

VI

VII

VIII

IX

2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
39,0 43,5 46,0 42,5 47 47,5 45,0 49,0
39,0 34,5 32,0 35,5 31,0 30,5 33,0 29,0
22,0 22,0 22,0 22,0 22,0 22,0 22,0 22,0

10
45,0
33,0
22,0

36,2 39,4 39,0 37,3 37,9 38,5 38,9

41,1 36,0 37,0 36,7 37,6 36,4 34,7
22,7 24,6 24,0 26,0 24,5 25,2 26,4

38,9
34,7
26,4

39,1
34,5
26,4

235

1
rooms
LEVEL
pillars
I+II+III
floors
TOTAL
rooms
LEVEL
pillars
I++IV
floors
TOTAL
level I
level
I+II
Archievable
level
recovery
I+II+III
level
I++IV

2
3
4
5
6
7
8
32,2 34,8 34,5 35,6 34,3 34,9 36,0
37,3 32,8 35,0 35,3 40,2 38,4 33,5
30,5 32,4 30,5 29,1 25,5 26,7 30,5

9
35,6
36,6
27,8

10
35,7
35,3
29,0

29,1 30,3 30,9 33,0 31,8 32,8 33,3

34,2 28,8 33,5 33,5 42,4 39,5 31,6
36,7 40,9 35,6 33,5 25,8 27,7 35,1

33,2
38,4
28,4

33,6
36,3
30,1

75,0 76,3 76,5 76,8 77,5 77,5 77,2

77,7

77,1

70,4 70,2 70,3 69,7 70,4 70,0 69,3

69,1

69,4

63,0 62,6 63,6 65,0 67,7 67,1 64,9

66,4

65,8

57,4 55,2 58,6 61,0 66,1 65,3 60,6

64,9

63,9

Analysing the dimensional alternatives, from the point of vue recovery percentage, the values
comprised in table 3 are strongly recommended.
Table 3. Dimensional alternatives recommended to be applied within a lens.
Under old mine working
Room-and-pillars
under a single under two under three
Directly under
mining method
level mined
levels
levels
natural roof
appliance
out in slices
mined out mined out
in slices
in slices
On a single level
alternative V alternative I or alternative V alternative V
V
on
two alternative I or alternative V alternative V

levels
V
on
three alternative V alternative V

Superposed
levels
on
four alternative V

levels
When employing room and pillar mining methods it is an obligativity that the superposed pillars
to be perfectly co-axialls in vertical section.
3. MINING METHODS FOR INTER-ROOM PILLARS
Within the scope of exploitation of inter-room pillars, the following methods can be put in
practice:
the method with sublevels and dry stowing (figure 5);
the method with storage and ore evacuation through funnels (figure 6).
The technical and production parameters obtained by applying the two above-mentionned
methods are synthetised in table 4.
Table 4. The main characteristic parameters specific for the analysed mining methods.
Sublevels and dry
Mining method
Specifications
U/M
stowying mining
with ore storage
method
Productivity
tons/shift
7,2
11,7
Losses
%
21
33
Dilution
%
16
10

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Figure 5. Mining methods for pillar exploitation, with gob stowing. Working phases.

Figure 6. Mining methods for pillar exploitation with ore storage.

CONCLUSIONS
Based on the research and studies carried out, the following conclusions can be drawn:
before the initiation of inter-room exploitation, it is recommended the consolidation of
stowing material from the rooms, by injecting of strengthening pulps;
the stowing should be, if possible, realized with consolidated stowing materials;
if a surface protection is required, the exploitation of inter-room pillars is recommended to be
carried out by the dry stowing underlevel method;
the ore content in iron being quite small, it is required a very careful monitoring of the surface
extracted ore dilution.
REFERENCES
1. COVACI, St., COZMA, E., ONCIOIU, Gh. Exploatri miniere subterane, vol.II, Ed. Corvin,
Deva, 1999.
2. STAMATIU, C. Mecanica rocilor, E.D.P. Bucureti, 1962.

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