Polar Division of «Norilsk Nickel» MMC (Norilsk, Russia):

Galaov R. B., Head of Mining and Geological Board, phone: +7 (3919) 40-61-10
Kholichev E. A., Deputy Chief Engineer of Taimyr mine
Nagovitsyn Yu. N., Head of the Department of Geodynamic Safety Centre

Research Institute of Mining Geomechanics and Mine Surveying — Intersectoral Scientific Center «VNIMI» (Saint Petersburg, Russia):

Andreev A. A., Head of Norilsk Sector
Mulev S. N., Senior Researcher

This scientific work was held with a participation of M. P. Sergunin, Head of the Department of Geodynamic Safety Centre; L. V. Kakoshina, Head of the Geodynamic Safety Centre and E. N. Mizonov, Head of the Department of Mining and Geological Board.

This paper presents the results of estimation of stressedly-deformed state, seismic activity and stability of mine openings during the cutting and development at «Bolshoy Gorst» pool of Taimyr mine. The necessity of comprehensive monitoring was caused by extremely difficult mining and geological development conditions.
This monitoring was aimed at the safety of mining operations.
The mine and engineering situation is described in this paper, along with the complications in geomechanical situation, which began to arise during the development of the first chamber.
All investigations made it possible to carry out the following activities:
-determination of direction of primary stresses;
-determination of reasons of frequent seismic events;
-forecast of development of geomechanical situation with further mining operations.

These activities made it possible to carry out the opportune correction of approved technical solutions, including the following stages:
-backfilling of a broken part of chamber without the full haulage of rock mass;
-change of staged sequence of development;
-exclusion of widening of divided orts of belts before the breaking of chambers.
These solutions appeared to be efficient. There were neither accidents nor incidents during the period of belt development. The cutting process substantially stabilized the geomechanical situation: there were no evidences of horizontal stresses during the development of adjacent belts while the assessments indicated the relaxation of stresses.

1. Metodicheskie ukazaniya po upravleniyu gornym davleniem pri sploshnykh sistemakh razrabotki s tverdeyushchey zakladkoy na rudnikakh Norilskogo Gorno-metallurgicheskogo Kombinata (Instructional guidelines on the development of rock pressure during the longwall advancing with solid stowing at the mines of Norilsk MMC). Leningrad, 1987, 126 p.