Ventilation on demand: A preliminary study for Ballarat Goldfields NL

摘要

Ballarat Goldfields NL are currently developing a new goldmine in the historical East Ballarat goldfield under historic old workings. The ventilation of the mine poses a number of challenges from both a mining and ventilation perspective. From a ventilation perspective on challenge is being able to ventilate the proposed stopes given the long intake and return air routes imposed due to the mine being under the regional urban centre of Ballarat requiring that the surface connections are relatively divorced from the working stopes. The current mine plan is for a number of sub-mines within the Ballarat east goldmine. As the proposed method of working is by overhand cut and fill mining the ventilation of the stopes can be divided into a number of phases each of which requires different levels of ventilation. This study was undertaken to determine if the principles of ventilation on demand could be applied to the Ballarat east mine and if so what the requirements to control such a system are.