A U S T R A L I A N

Mining with Paste Fill

Mehmet Yumlu, Principal Mining Engineer

AMC Consultants Pty Ltd

AusIMM Cobar Mining Seminar

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6 August 2010
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 A U S T R A L I A N
Outline

I t d ti
Introduction

What is Paste Fill?

Why Using Paste Fill?

Paste Fill System Design

Paste Fill Making Process

Distribution and placement

Mining with Paste Fill - Case Studies

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 A U S T R A L I A N
What is paste fill?

Paste fill is dense non draining sl

slurry
rr made from single or a combination of
several suitable solid materials produced to toothpaste consistency
For surface disposal no cement required
For underground backfill cement always required

Terminology
Paste (P)
Paste fill (PF)
Paste backfill (PB)
Cemented paste backfill (CPB)
Composite fill (CF)
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Paste aggregate fill (rocky paste fill) (PAF)

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 A U S T R A L I A N
Why Paste fill?

engineered
i d product
d t consistent
i t t high
hi h quality
lit

suitable for most mining methods - versatile

lower cost for a given exposure duty - economic

reduces surface footprint - environment friendly

allows extraction of ore pillars - increasing resource extraction

allows effective local and regional ground support - safety

fast filling rates enables shorter stope cycle times - productivity

non segregating
g g g - reduced dilution
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 A U S T R A L I A N
What are Paste Fill Duties in UG Mining?

Wh integrated
When i t t d into
i t the
th mining
i i cycle
l paste
t bbackfill
kfill serves
as a working platform,

as a wall to work alongside

as an engineered artificial back

As a local and regional ground support paste fill

provides confinement to ore pillars and the host rock, and

prevents
p unravelling,
g, thereby
y limiting
g convergence
g and subsidence into the mine
voids.
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 A U S T R A L I A N
Some Myths.

P t is
Paste i NOT
The solution to all future mine fill problems

A method which will enable a mine to place all tailings underground

A fill type by which all the water is absorbed through cement hydration
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 A U S T R A L I A N
Paste Fill Design

Paste fill is engineered to meet the following criteria

Flow properties (rheology)
delivery
y of p
paste from surface to underground
g via boreholes and p
pipes
p at the highest
g p
practical
pulp density

Strength properties
paste to remain stable when exposed to static or dynamic loading conditions experienced by
the mining operation

This includes short term during the local mining operation and

Long term stability against regional seismicity

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 A U S T R A L I A N
Strength Design

A l ti l
Analytical

Empirical

Numerical
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 A U S T R A L I A N
Rheology Design

Rh l
Rheology iis th
the study
t d off th
the flflow properties
ti off flfluids
id

Water is a Newtonian fluid

If you tip water out of a glass it will start to flow immediately

Pastefill is a non-Newtonian fluid

If you want to get toothpaste out of the tube, you must squeeze it first

Yield stress is the measure of how much work is required for the paste to start
flowing
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 A U S T R A L I A N
Typical Paste Fill Characteristics

Particle si
size
e distrib
distribution
tion
Minimum 15% passing 20 micron
No top size

Rheological properties
Yield stress for surface disposal less than 100 Pa
Yield stress for backfill 100 to 700 Pa

Strength properties
Stiffness, E=150 to 450 MPa
Can be engineered to desired strength ( 100 kPa to 5 MPa)
Typical strength values (UCS)
( CS)
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300 to 1,000 kPa for vertical exposures

>1,000 kPa for undercut exposures
p
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 A U S T R A L I A N
What are methods of making paste fill?
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 A U S T R A L I A N
What are the delivery options?

Gravity delivery to borehole

Surface conveyor to borehole

Pump delivery thru

Borehole

Decline

Agi truck delivery to borehole

Internal boreholes

Level pipelines
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 A U S T R A L I A N
Paste fill barricades

Engendered shotcrete barricades required to retain paste fill

Planar

Arched

Mullock waste pile

Combination of waste and shotcrete

Cemented rockfill
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 A U S T R A L I A N
Paste Fill Operations Increasing Popularity

Ab t 100 operations
About ti worldwide
ld id

Many ongoing projects

Canada = 35 / 2

Australia = 24 / 5

South America = 12 /4

Europe = 11 /8

Asia = 7 / 9

Africa = 5 /1
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 A U S T R A L I A N
Case Study 1

Underground Cu and Zn operation

Production 1.0 MTPA

Mining methods
Longitudinal & transverse sublevel stoping

Drift and fill

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 A U S T R A L I A N
Case Study 1

Online paste fill plant, 45 m3/hour

Using full tailings, SG of 4.5
PSD (50-60% passing 20 microns with P80 of 63 microns)
Solid density 82%w/w (49.5%v/v)
Slump: 7 10 inch
Paste bulk and dry density: 2.6 and 2.0 tonnes/m3
Stope
p size 20m H x 7m W x 30m L (p
(panels))
Target design strength: 1.0 MPa
GP cement;; 7% ((150 kg/m3)
g ) for p
primaries and 5% ((110kg/m3)
g ) for secondaries
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Pump delivery, 125 mm diameter thru decline and boreholes

Shotcrete barricades
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 A U S T R A L I A N
Case Study 1
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 A U S T R A L I A N
Case Study 1
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 A U S T R A L I A N
Case Study 2

U d
Underground
d gold
ld mine
i

Production 450 TPA

Mining method
Underhand cut and fill

Backfill types
Paste fill

Rockfill
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 A U S T R A L I A N
Case Study 2

stem 120 m3/hour

Dr paste fill ssystem,
Dry /ho r
Using volcanic tuff
PSD (30% -20
20 micron,
i P80 100 micron),
i ) SG off 2
2.55
55
Solids density 50%w/w (28%v/v)
W and
Wet dddry b
bulk
lk d
density
i 1 1.5
5 t/m3
/ 3 and
d00.8
8 t/m3
/ 3
GP cement; 15 to 20%w/w (100 to 150 kg/m3)
Target design UCS >1,500 kPa
Stope size 5m W x 5m H x 30m L (cells)
Shotcrete barricade
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Gravity delivery thru borehole, 150mm dia distribution system

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 A U S T R A L I A N
Case Study 2
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 A U S T R A L I A N
Case Study 2

Previous cut Lift 1

Next cut Lift 2

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 A U S T R A L I A N
Case Study 3

U d
Underground
dZZn and
d Pb mine
i

Production 1.6 MTPA

Tabular flat dipping massive sulphide orebody (dip <20 )

Mining methods
Drift and Fill

Bench stoping

Backfill
Rockfill

Paste fill
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 A U S T R A L I A N
Case Study 3

Online paste plant using DCT, 100 m3/hour

sing DCT /ho r
Full mill tailings (35% passing 20 micron, P80 100 micron), SG of 3.6
S lid d
Solids density
it 75%
75%w/w
/ (48%
(48%v/v)
/ )
Wet and dry bulk density 2.15 t/m3 and 1.6 t/m3
Yi ld stress 50 to 100 P
Yield Pa (10 to 10
10.5
5 iinch
h slump)
l )
Pump delivery through decline, 200 mm diameter, 3.5 km long
Shotcrete barricades
Stope size 10m W x 6m H x 150m L
Target design UCS 500 kPa, @7% cement (100 kg/m3)
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Slag 60% : cement 40%

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 A U S T R A L I A N
Case Study 3
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 A U S T R A L I A N
Thank you for listening

A questions?
Any ti ?
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