The effect of selected rockburst prevention measures on seismic activity - Case study from the Rudna copper mine

In order to face threats from mining tremors a number of organizational and technical prevention methods are applied in underground mines. Unfortunately, most of these methods are based on the experience of crew and there is uncertainty whether in practice all of the executed operations are suitable and necessary in the given conditions. Analysis were performed for one of the mining districts of the Rudna copper mine, Poland. In this paper, selected methods of rockburst prevention in the G-4/8 district are described and the recorded seismicity is analysed. On the basis of the data provided by the personnel of the mine, maps of mining progress were generated. This permitted the mined out areas as well as backfilled excavations to be calculated as a function of time. The results were presented in quarterly periods. Furthermore, the seismicity recorded was correlated with the rate of mining progress, the rate of mined out zones and the active rockburst prevention effectiveness. Finally, it was concluded that correlation between the opening area and energy of seismic events may be observed under the mining panel conditions considered. A similar conclusion applied as regards the quarterly speed of mining and the frequency of event occurrence.