Its experienced staff of hydrogeologists, geologists, geochemists,
and engineers enables Itasca to address virtually all aspects of mining
hydrogeology, including dewatering, depressurization, water quality,
water balances, mine-water disposal, water supply, water management, and
field investigations. With offices situated around the world, Itasca
possesses first-hand knowledge of the particular mining challenges in
each local region. Itasca pool of expertise covers the gamut of mine
operations, from hard to soft rock mining in both open pits and
underground mines. Itasca hydrogeologists and engineers have taught
mining hydrogeology short courses at annual meetings of the Society for
Mining Metallurgy and Exploration (SME) and for mining clients around
the world.
One of Itasca’s strengths is the ability to effectively design and
optimize mine dewatering and depressurization systems. The company
designs and supervises the installation of dewatering wells,
sub-horizontal drain holes, drainage galleries, and seepage-collection
systems for surface and underground mines located around the world.
In additional to the operational hydrogeologic aspect, Itasca also
performs work related to the environmental and permitting aspects of
mining projects. Experience in these areas ranges from the baseline
characterization of hydrogeologic conditions and mined materials (waste
rock, tailings, and ore) to the technical evaluation of potential or
observed water-resource impacts for the National Environmental Policy
Act (NEPA) and/or State permits, such as drawdown of the groundwater
table, subsidence, and water-quality impacts.
Itasca has developed a sophisticated, three-dimensional, finite-element groundwater flow model code called MINEDW™ specifically for the evaluation of complex mining water-related issues. MINEDWis
currently being used worldwide at many large-scale open-pit and
underground mines. Depending on a client’s requirements, the
widely-known MODFLOW and FEFLOW numerical codes are also used.
The core services offered include the following.
Hydrogeology and geochemistry discipline lead for NI 43-101
reports and project evaluation/design studies (scoping, pre-feasibility,
and feasibility)
Estimation of dewatering requirements for surface and underground mines
Prediction
and evaluation of the impact of mining on local and regional water
resources, most notably water quantity, acid rock drainage, and metal
leaching
Baseline characterization of water resources and water quality
Materials characterization for waste rock, tailings, and ore
Estimation of groundwater inflow to pits and underground openings
Design and optimization of dewatering systems
Prediction of pore pressures in order to analyze slope stability
Design of disposal systems for mine water
Evaluation of groundwater supplies, as well as identification of groundwater recharge and discharge relationships
Training of mine personnel in the acquisition and management of hydrogeologic data
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