Adapting oil and gas drilling techniques

for the mining industry with dewatering

well placement technology
by A. Rowland*, M. Bester†, M. Boland‡, C. Cintolesi§, and
J. Dowling**

‰ Wet drilling and blasting, requiring more

expensive blasting agents and reduced
Synopsis fragmentation efficiency
Although increasing R&D spent to develop original technologies will benefit ‰ Wet working benches, which increase
the mining industry, adaptation of appropriate existing technologies from
equipment wear and introduces
other industries can be a more cost-effective alternative. Schlumberger Water
additional safety risk factors
‰ Inundation of the pit floor and slow
Services, now WSP|Parsons Brinckerhoff, has undertaken a 6-year
mine advancement
programme assessing the adaptation of oil and gas (O&G) drilling and
‰ Reduced geomechanical performance of
geophysical characterization techniques to a range of mining applications,
pit slopes that, in some cases, leads to
including dewatering. Conventional dewatering systems for open pit mines
the design of more conservative slope
generally use vertical boreholes that target hydraulically productive zones
angles resulting in higher strip ratios
within an orebody. The drilling and completion of vertical dewatering
and deferral or loss of ore (Figure 1).
boreholes can be complicated by mine planning constraints, where optimum
hydrogeological targets are not accessible from the available drilling Although conditions vary widely, where
locations. As these boreholes are often located within the operating open pit, wall stability and reducing groundwater inflow
they can interfere with the mining operation and the ability to carry out
are the main dewatering objectives, conven-
significant dewatering ahead of mining is limited. Dewatering Well Placement
tional dewatering is normally implemented
with a combination of: (1) in-pit vertical
Technology (DWPt) is WSP|Parsons Brinckerhoff’s next-generation mine
pumping wells to remove groundwater from
dewatering solution aimed at addressing the limitations of conventional
the formation and lower groundwater levels
dewatering systems through placement of permanent, high-performance
within the ultimate pit shell, (2) pit perimeter
dewatering wells in optimum orientations beneath an open pit using large-
wells to intercept and remove groundwater
diameter directional drilling technology commonly used in O&G. Ideally, well
moving toward the mine, and (3) a series of
collars are located outside of the mine operating areas, resulting in improved
sumps and surface pumps to remove standing
compatibility between the dewatering system and mine plan. Recently drilled
and near surface groundwater (Dowling and
and constructed pilot directional dewatering wells in hard rock mining Rhys-Evans, 2015) (Figure 2). This tends to
environment in the USA and Mexico have demonstrated that DWPt offers be effective for ore deposits in moderate to
significant benefits for groundwater inflow control and value to mining high permeability settings where productive
operations compared to conventional open pit mining dewatering practices. zones are present and within the reach of
Keywords conventional drilling techniques.
open pit mines, dewatering, well placement, directional drilling.
Adapting innovation
The petroleum industry has faced many of the
same challenges as those currently facing the
mining industry, especially in terms of
Introduction declining grades and a precipitous decrease in
large, easily accessible discoveries (McCartney
The management of groundwater inevitably
and Anderson, 2015). However, in order to
becomes an integral part of open pit operations
address this, the O&G industry has maintained
as they eventually encounter groundwater.
significant investment in research and
Depending on the conditions, this
development (R&D) (McCartney and
management may take the form of proactive
dewatering through the use of boreholes. In
such situations, a robust and effective
dewatering system can be vital for maintaining
slope stability and safety, and enabling the * Piteau Associates, South Africa.
minimization of stripping ratios. Furthermore, † Kumba Iron Ore, South Africa.
effective dewatering removes groundwater ‡ WSP | Parsons Brinckerhoff, United Kingdom.
from the operating areas in the base of a pit § Anglo American, Chile.
and helps to reduce wear- and tear-related ** Piteau Associates, USA.
costs on mining equipment, along with © The Southern African Institute of Mining and
reduced haulage costs owing to the reduced Metallurgy, 2017. ISSN 2225-6253. This paper
haulage of wet ore and waste (Dowling and was first presented at the New technology and
Rhys-Evans, 2015). The impacts on the innovation in the Minerals Industry
mining operations from poor dewatering often Colloquium’, 9–10 June 2016, Emperors Palace,
include: Johannesburg, South Africa.
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The Journal of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy VOLUME 117 MARCH 2017 231
Adapting oil and gas drilling techniques for the mining industry
significant cost and risk reductions. Improvements that have
been demonstrated by pilot programmes in the USA and
Mexico are:
‰ Increased well yield due to the design trajectory,
interception of sub-vertical structure, and enhanced
hydraulic contact.
‰ Improved well runtimes with the well-heads located
outside of operating areas, thereby avoiding
interference between dewatering infrastructure and
mine operations
‰ High well yield and improved runtimes leading to a
Figure 1—Many large open pit operations are eventually impacted by step-change increase in long-term volumes of
the inflow of groundwater, requiring proactive dewatering systems groundwater produced from the dewatering programme
‰ Reduced number of well-head installations with
associated burdens of procurement, implementation,
and in-pit operation interactions.
Recognizing the limitations of conventional dewatering
practices and the potential value of improved dewatering,
WSP|Parsons Brinckerhoff and Freeport-McMoRan have
collaborated to develop, test, and implement a new generation
of high-performance mine dewatering well systems,
combining mine hydrogeology and dewatering expertise with
crossover technology of O&G directional well placement
(Dowling and Rhys-Evans, 2015) (Figure 3). Subsequently,
the success of various pilot programmes at Morenci with
Freeport McMoRan led Kumba Iron Ore (KIO) to approach
WSP|Parsons Brinckerhoff to conduct a technical feasibility
study (TFS) for the evaluation of directional well placement
to improve dewatering effectiveness at their Sishen operation
in South Africa.
Figure 2—A conceptual layout of a conventional dewatering system in a
Adaptation of existing technology requires a deep
hard rock, fractured environment. Some or all of the various aspects
illustrated may be included in any given system, and often a
understanding of the goals of the adaptation, as well as the
combination is deployed based on local requirements (Dowling and
technology to be adapted. For example, the directional
Rhys-Evans, 2015)
placement of a well to a pre-planned trajectory involves
complex interactive consideration of multiple factors,
including the ore deposit geology, geological structure and
geomechanical environment, the ranges of performance for
Anderson, 2015). R&D spend as a percentage of revenue
directional tools, downhole surveying, and the ability to
averages around 0.5% for the major oil companies, and is
control and steer the well to the target (Dowling and Rhys-
higher than 2% for the main service companies (McCartney
Evans, 2015). The trade-offs between alternative options,
and Anderson, 2015). In contrast, R&D spend in the mining
risk factors, the final dewatering goal, and overall value to
industry has previously been pegged in the media at as little
the mine operation are integral to the matrix of planning,
as one-tenth of that in the O&G industry.
design, and implementation decisions. By adapting these
Directional drilling as a whole is considered a mature
techniques from the O&G industry, WSP|Parsons Brinckerhoff
technology with widespread acceptance and commonplace use
and Freeport-McMoRan developed a mine dewatering project
in the O&G, utilities, and infrastructure industries. However,
integration matrix, which was subsequently implemented at
directional well placement in hard rock mining has a very
the Freeport-McMoRan Morenci copper mine in Arizona, with
limited track record and was previously untested for
the previously mentioned TFS having been done for KIO’s
dewatering applications in an open pit mine. The geological
Sishen operation.
and geomechanical environments, size and scale of
equipment, flow and production pumping regime, and the Proof of concept
associated well design requirements are significantly
different, requiring substantial adaptation and modification. To date, two directionally placed dewatering wells have been
However, WSP|Parsons Brinckerhoff and Freeport-McMoRan successfully implemented at Morenci as part of the Garfield
recognized that the principal benefits of directionally drilled open pit mine dewatering programme. An initial well was
dewatering wells are highly applicable to open pit mine constructed on a ‘proof-of-concept’ basis and commissioned
dewatering (Dowling and Rhys-Evans, 2015). Crucially, the in early April 2013. The well site was located on the west
use of directional drilling enables: wall of the open pit, outside of planned mining limits. The
borehole was steered underneath the centre of the planned pit
‰ Enhancement of hydraulic contact between multiple on a pre-planned directional trajectory. Attaining a measured
fractures zones and the production well or wells depth of approximately 700 m, the well intercepted hydrogeo-
‰ Access to permeable water-bearing zones unreachable logical targets associated with major northeast-trending
with vertical drilling geological structures and hydrogeological compartments.
‰ Positioning of the well-heads permanently outside of After completion, the well was equipped with an oilfield-style
the planned mine operating areas. high-lift, slim-hole electrical submersible pump system
The combined impact of the benefits listed above has designed to minimize well drilling and construction hole
been shown to result in a step-change improvement in diameters while permitting high production pumping rates for
dewatering well efficiency, performance, and overall variable head pressure conditions (Figure 4). The well
effectiveness of the mine dewatering programme, resulting in initially produced between 150 m3/h and 160 m3/h, which
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232 MARCH 2017 VOLUME 117 The Journal of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy
Adapting oil and gas drilling techniques for the mining industry

-13600 -13200 -12800 -12400 -12000 -11600 -11200 -10000 -10400 -10000 -9600 -9200 -8800 -8400 -8000

Figure 3—3D visualizations of directional well placement trajectories beneath the Garfield pit at the FreePort McMoRan Morenci Copper Mine, USA with
January 2014 phreatic surface shown. The trajectory on the left (Well C) is the proof-of-concept well completed in April 2013, while the trajectory on the
right (Mammoth Well) was completed in January 2015. The cross-section runs from NNW to SSE (Dowling and Rhys-Evans, 2015)

South African example

The Sishen iron ore mine, Kumba Iron Ore’s flagship
operation, is currently the largest open pit iron ore mine in
Africa, and one of the largest open pits mines in the world at
almost 14 km in length (Kumba Iron Ore, 2016a). Total
annual production at Sishen is approximately 35 Mt, with the
most recent values being 5 842 kt in the first quarter of 2016
(Kumba Iron Ore, 2016a). Additionally, up to 190 Mt of
waste is removed annually from the open pits (Kumba Iron
Ore, 2016b). This large-scale mining operation targets a
high-grade haematite orebody with grades of significantly
more than 60% Fe and a sought-after lump content that
commands higher prices on the global steel market (Astrup,
Hammerbeck, and van den Berg, 1998).
Figure 4—The collar of the first directionally placed well at Morenci, Sishen currently consists of four operating areas that
permanently plumbed and operating outside the footprint of the have been excavated to near or below the natural
Garfield Pit groundwater surface (Schlumberger Water Services, 2014).
As a result of the relatively shallow pre-mining groundwater
level, dewatering activities have been ongoing since the
beginning of mining operations, with a series of vertical in-
was at the high end of the planned production, and is five to pit and perimeter pumping wells targeting productive
ten times greater than the previously installed conventional, geological formations within the mine area (Schlumberger
vertical in-pit wells. The well was immediately commissioned Water Services, 2014). The groundwater regime and rate of
into the active dewatering programme and during the first mining require that dewatering pumping operates on a
year operated at 96% availability. Due to the combination of continuous basis. The abstraction rate of the overall mine
high production rate and high availability, it effectively dewatering system is approximately 1 800 m3/h as of
produced up to two orders of magnitude more groundwater November 2015, from a total installed capacity of approxi-
than any of the pre-existing in-pit vertical wells and exceeded mately 2 130 m3/h (Nel and White, 2015). Of the four
the combined groundwater production from the rest of the operating pits, the GR35 pit is currently the deepest and is
dewatering system, comprised of six vertical production wells
mining at 950 m above sea level (masl) from an original
(Dowling and Rhys-Evans, 2015).
surface elevation of approximately 1 200 masl.
Following the success of the first well at Morenci and
Leading up to early 2014, dewatering operations at GR35
another successful well in Mexico, Freeport-McMoRan in
pit faced significant challenges related to lithology, structure,
partnership with WSP|Parsons Brinckerhoff commissioned an
and operations, including:
additional programme to construct a second well collared on
the pit perimeter of the east high wall. The target for the ‰ Typically 2 to 4 ‘dry’ wells are drilled before a high-
second well was a set of northeast-trending geological yielding water strike is intersected at the required depth
structures and lower permeability compartments. With a more ‰ The drill rigs at site could not drill beyond water strikes
aggressive drill bit trajectory, design modifications were of 250 m³/h. Dewatering boreholes were therefore
made during implementation to control risk while attaining constructed below target abstraction as a result of their
the planned hydrogeological target. Results from early stages limited depth of penetration
of operation indicate the well to be a high-performance high- ‰ Due to highly fractured formations, exploration
value dewatering asset (Dowling and Rhys-Evans, 2015). boreholes are not reamed and production wells are
Since initiation of the programme at Morenci, monitoring drilled a few metres away. During production drilling
data has shown a distinct acceleration in the rate of the the risk of missing the water-bearing structure
groundwater level reduction in the open pit. A number of encountered in the exploration well close by is
piezometers located within and around the edges of the pit significant due to the vertical orientation of structures
have shown a 200–250 foot (60–90 m) decline in static water ‰ The presence within the pit of dewatering, exploration,
elevation (Dowling and Rhys-Evans, 2015). and production boreholes and the associated
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Adapting oil and gas drilling techniques for the mining industry
dewatering infrastructure interferes with the active dewatering programme based on DWPt. In addition, a
mining front and pit operations number of intangible benefits associated with the DWPt
‰ Interruptions to dewatering operations from mining approach were identified, and although the cost benefits of
activities resulted in significantly reduced utilization of these were not assessed their value was to be considered in
the production boreholes and a consequent quick assessing the DWPt approach. These intangible benefits,
rebound of the groundwater system due to high which are applicable for other Sishen open pits and nearby
connectivity and hydraulic conductivity. mines (Kolomela), included:
In order to address the challenges raised above, ‰ Improved in-pit safety environment due to reduced
WSP|Parsons Brinckerhoff was approached to conduct a pre- personnel movements in the pit related to dewatering
feasibility study (PFS), and subsequently a full technical activities, and reduced in-pit infrastructure associated
feasibility study (TFS) on the use of directional well with dewatering
placement to replace or augment the existing system in GR35 ‰ Simplified mine planning due to removal of the need to
pit. The PFS concluded that directional wells placed outside of incorporate dewatering infrastructure and maintenance
the final pit shell, targeting chert (CH), banded iron formation in-pit
(BIF), and sub-vertical structures would intercept fracturing ‰ Improved dewatering leading to:
that would yield significant amounts of groundwater and lead – More efficient and cheaper blasting. The reduced
to effective dewatering of the CH, BIF, and haematite (HEM) block size resulting from more effective blasting
rock mass. Based on this and considering pumping systems, will in turn reduce the need for crushing,
drilling, and completion diameter, a yield of about 360 m3/h grinding, and potentially drying of material and
from a single directionally placed well was determined to be double-hauling
an achievable abstraction target (Schlumberger Water – Reduced mining equipment maintenance due to
Services, 2014). The collar location for the drill pad was lower humidity and acid rock drainage (ARD)
proposed by Sishen based on the following criteria (Figure 5): generation at the mining front
‰ Location outside the planned final GR35 pit shell – Improved ore transportation efficiency due to the
‰ Easy access for the drill rig and ancillary services reduction in the volume of water carried in ore
‰ Outside areas identified for construction of future waste – Dewatering infrastructure that will remain in use
dumps and therefore the pad could be used for future after backfilling of the GR35 pit, thus supporting
directional wells if required. ongoing site-wide dewatering supporting GR80
pit.
During the TFS, 14 different directional well configu- Overall, multiple conventional vertical well dewatering
rations were assessed, with the Plan 11 and Plan 14 trajec- scenarios were evaluated against the chosen DWP plan. The
tories selected for detailed engineering design and costing. values for lost revenue were calculated on the basis that
Detailed engineering design work was carried out in order to benches that could not be mined as a result of high
define the feasibility of drilling the Plan 11 and Plan 14 wells groundwater levels and/or changes to the mine plan as a
using engineering inputs from a number of groups within result of insufficient dewatering would be ‘lost’. The value of
Schlumberger, including: ore contained in the various benches as per the mine plan
‰ Smith Bits: drill-bit selection, rate of penetration (ROP) would as a result be defined as ‘lost revenue’. These were
calculations described as follows:
‰ Drilling and Measurements: directional drilling plan, ‰ Scenario 1: ‘Most Likely’ – conventional dewatering
bottom hole assembly (BHA) and casing design continues as planned and two benches in the base of
‰ MI Swaco: drilling fluid plan for hole cleaning the pit are lost
‰ Drilling Tools and Remedial: turbine and mud-motor ‰ Scenario 2: ‘Least Likely’ – a best-case scenario where
selection conventional dewatering continues as planned and no
‰ Artificial Lift: submersible pump design. benches are lost
Plan 11 provided a base case as it involved assessment of ‰ Scenario 3: ‘Worst Case’ – a worst-case scenario where
drilling of all of the main lithologies present at GR35, at a conventional dewatering continues as planned but four
range of drilling diameters from 24 inches to 8½ inches, with levels in the base of the pit are lost
a significant directional component, and completion of a long ‰ Scenario 3: ‘DWP’ – the planned DWP is executed
horizontal production zone within the well that would involve successfully and all levels in the pit are mined.
significant challenges and risks. Apart from assessing the The results of the trade-off analysis indicated that
technical feasibility of drilling the well, this proposed although the estimated capex for continued vertical well
trajectory also allowed the cost implications of focusing the dewatering was less than that of the proposed DWPt plan, the
drilling on the dolomite units, as opposed to the shallower cost differential was offset by the estimated cost saving
chert and BIF, to be assessed. On the other hand, Plan 14 related to more efficient dewatering, and the resulting
(Figure 6) presented a simpler well trajectory, which would reduction in wet mining and water haulage. Additionally, in
require less directional drilling to achieve its target placement the event that the GR35 mine plan could not be met as a
beneath the GR35 pit. This was assessed to have a higher result of constraints related to the conventional dewatering
probability of success, especially considering that this would system (such as evaluated in Scenarios 1 and 3), high-grade
be the world’s first directionally placed dewatering well ore representing up to US$80 million in revenue could have
drilled in iron ore formations. This plan allowed the lower been lost. Figure 7 shows the relative costs calculated for the
risk associated with the directional drilling component to be various scenarios, clearly indicating that the greatest
assessed against the cost and risk implications of drilling economic risk lies with potential lost revenue associated with
predominantly within the harder and more fractured chert lost benches as a result of the inadequacy of the conventional
and BIF units. Eventually, the Plan 14 trajectory was selected dewatering system. The lost revenue values used in the cost-
as the preferred option benefit analysis were calculated at iron ore prices of US$50 to
A cost-benefit analysis was carried out to compare the US$56 per ton, depending on the accessible volumes of fine
current approach to dewatering at Sishen, based on the use of and lump ore remaining for each bench in the GR35 pit
vertical in-pit wells, and the cost associated with developing a according to the mine plan at the time.
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234 MARCH 2017 VOLUME 117 The Journal of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy
Adapting oil and gas drilling techniques for the mining industry

Figure 5—GR35 pit with the location of the DWP collar and drill path shown relative to critical structures and surface infrastructure
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Adapting oil and gas drilling techniques for the mining industry

Figure 6—The final Plan 14 directional well trajectory and proposed construction

always be reached from the available drilling locations.

Additionally, a drive to increase efficiency and productivity
throughout the industry further pushes operations to reduce
in-pit dewatering infrastructure and to improve the overall
effectiveness of dewatering systems in the most cost-effective
manner possible. As shown in this paper, the adaptation of
mature directional drilling technologies has brought
significant benefits to some of the largest open pit operations
through the deployment of directional well placement
technology. It is expected that as pits continue to get larger
and deeper, and less in-pit space is available, the use of this
Figure 7—Chart showing the results of the cost-benefit analysis
technology will become more common as it is accepted as a
conducted for the Sishen GR35 DWP project TFS. The graph clearly
cost-effective method for dewatering.
shows that the costs associated with DWP are lower than all other
scenarios, including the ‘Least Likely’, but especially relative to the
‘Most Likely’ and ‘Worst Case’ scenarios
References
ASTRUP, J., HAMMERBECK, E.C.I., and VAN DEN BERG, H. 1998. Iron. The Mineral
Resources of South Africa. Wilson, M.G.C. and Annhaeusser, C.R. (eds.).
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using depressed iron ore prices in the same range as the DOWLING, J. and RHYS-EVANS, G. 2015. Oilfield directional well placement
current iron ore price, the trade-off analysis demonstrates the technology used for mine dewatering. Mining Magazine. May 2015. p. 28.
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