INVESTIGATING THE LINK BETWEEN COMPRESSED AIR WASTAGE AND VENTILATION SHORTFALLS IN DEEP-LEVEL MINES

Abstract

As part of mining development, mines are constantly increasing in size and depth, resulting in a dynamic environment. There is often a recurring shortfall in ventilation adequacy in these mines, as mine planning and design are primarily driven by production considerations. As a result, compressed air is often misappropriated for underground ‘self-ventilation’. Instrumentation, simulations, and physical examinations are three commonly used methods for ventilation assessment, each with its own shortcomings and limitations. There is a need for an alternative method to identify ventilation shortfalls in underground mines. This study investigates the hypothesis that a link exists between compressed air wastage and ventilation shortfalls. Both the compressed air and the ventilation network were benchmarked, which showcased a direct link, thus proving the hypothesis true. Using this premise, a methodology could be further developed to investigate compressed air wastage as a metric for identifying ventilation shortfalls.