Mining Hydrogeological Services
The ability to efficiently reduce pore pressures in a pit slope or effectively dewater the local mine pit area are influenced by:
- Regional and local hydrologeologic conditions
- Hydraulic characteristics of rock and soil
- Spatial variability of hydraulic characteristics
- Geologic structures
- Compartmentalization
- Blast damage
Depressurizing pit slopes and mine dewatering objectives are not mutually exclusive. Generally, the ability to effectively depressurize a pit slope requires some degree of dewatering. The majority of slope failures are triggered by water or geologic structure and, of the two, pore pressure is the only variable that can be changed.
Our Hydrogeological Services Include:
- Numerical modeling to design and evaluate open-pit depressurization approaches and design slope depressurization measure
- Numerical modeling to predict inflows to open-pit and underground mines and to optimize dewatering programs
- Evaluation of pit lake formation using analytical and numerical methods
- Design and implementation of field programs for hydrogeological site characterization
- Design and implementation of hydraulic testing programs
- Design, implementation, and managing of pit depressurization and dewatering programs
- Installation and data management of Vibrating Wire Piezometer monitoring wells