Projects
Shaft rehabilitation & Furnishing of inclined shafts
Several inclined and vertical Raisebore-shafts have been reconstructed, widened, lined and furnished at the “Neves Corvo” copper and zinc ore mine, located near Castro Verde in the South of Portugal. The mine is owned by the Canadian and Swedish Lundin Mining, who formed the local company Somincor. The geology spans mainly schist, greenstone and deposits of sandy shales and sandstone.
The standard liner consisted of mesh, rock bolts and a 10cm layer of steel fibre shotcrete. One of the shafts required a complex partial reconstruction due to a major fault, before it could be lined and furnished with a record-breaking amount of shaft services such as pipes, an escape ladderway and a hoisting system.
The project was technically characterised by shafts of different inclination (up to 18°) with a typical diameter of 3.1 m, which often ruled out standard procedures and required individually adapted solutions. Lately the lining of a 6.0 m silo for zinc ore has been completed as well. Apart from lining and furnishing, water intrusion control was an important challenge in nearly all shafts. Resin grouting and the installation of special designed water rings with a collective drainage pipe were the chosen measures to stop the inflows.
On the organisational side, the workforce on site consisted of REDPATH DEILMANN key personnel and Portuguese miners of our JV Partner Drillcon Iberia. The need to quickly form an efficient and competent team of different nations, working in extraordinary surroundings without any accident has been a rewarding experience.
