Impact Of Geotechnical And Hydrogeological Parameters Upon Shaft Sinking Performance In The Athabasca Basin Canada

Shaft sinking in the Athabasca basin, Saskatchewan, Canada requires sinking through water bearing sandstone. Intersection of local zones of extensive fracturing results in the potential for high water inflows, which makes shaft sinking very challenging. This paper compares pre-shaft sinking data collected in the Athabasca Basin from shaft pilot holes with actual experience observed during shaft sinking. An attempt was made to correlate the observations from grouting of local fracture zones exposed by shaft excavation under high hydrostatic pressure head and flow to the geotechnical and hydrogeological parameters determined from the pilot boreholes This study is expected to predict anticipated shaft sinking conditions for the new Millennium Mine of Cameco Corporation in Athabasca Basin where two shaft pilot holes were drilled recently.