Open-Pit Dewatering at Pine Point Mines
Written by B. CALVER, (now with) Curacao Mining Company Ltd. Presented by D. J. M. FARNSWORTH, Planning Engineer, Outside Mines, Cominco Ltd., Trail, B.C.
As open-pit operations expanded at Pine Point, hydraulic aquifer evaluation was undertaken to establish the criteria necessary for the design of a feasible dewatering system. The extreme climate of this northern location dictated that the ore zone under extraction be rendered as dry as possible to minimize freezing effects. The design and implementation of such a system necessitated detailed hydraulic evaluation, and the problems that occurred are typical of those inherent in open-pit mining operations in northern areas. The paper describes the problem solution as approached from a mine engineering point of view, with particular reference to the practical aspects of operation and installation. The hydrological analysis used is simple and readily applicable to most open-pit dewatering problems.
aquifer test, drawdown, open-pit, Pine Point, Aquifers, Design, Mine, Pits, Pump, Pumping, Pumps, test, Tests