February 27 9:59
SUEK-Krasnoyarsk enterprises are actively working to prepare for floods. Forecasters predict that March this year will be 1-2 degrees warmer than usual, which, coupled with a fairly snowy winter, creates the preconditions for heavy flooding.
At the coal mining enterprises of SUEK-Krasnoyarsk – Nazarovsky, Borodinsky and Berezovsky open-pit mines, Borodino loading and transport department, they always prepare for snow melting in advance, so that in the spring nothing could interfere with the stable supply of coal to consumers.
Enterprises have traditionally developed plans and are already implementing measures to smoothly navigate the flood period.
Related materials
Hydrogeologists are among the first to begin their work in this direction, taking measurements of snow cover in coal mines. This year it is one third higher than the statistical average.
“The height of the snow over the past 5 years was about 45 centimeters, and this year 60 centimeters were recorded,” says Viktor Gubanov, manager of the Nazarovsky open-pit mine branch of JSC SUEK-Krasnoyarsk.
And the situation is similar at all enterprises. Already, coal miners are inspecting pumping equipment and installing additional equipment if necessary. Control over snow melting has been strengthened, surveyors are conducting additional surveys to monitor the condition of the overburden massif. Railway workers cleared snow and ice from railway tracks and switches.
At the Borodino open-pit mine, where the terrain of the mountain field changes due to the nature of the occurrence of coal seams, the pumping station is moved to a new location, to the lowest point of the enterprise. A 2.5 km pipeline has already been laid to it, and installation of utility rooms and new pumping units has begun.
“Water will have to be pumped out from a deeper point and, in order to maintain the station’s productivity, equipment with water supply at higher pressure is required. For this purpose, we purchased two powerful pumps,” explains Evgeniy Kapustyanik, an electrician at the site for the prevention of spontaneous combustion, fire extinguishing and drainage of the Borodino open-pit mine. “They will work with an existing unit that is capable of moving more water. This tandem will ensure efficient operation of the station even during peak loads. In the summer, the number of pumps will increase, since the second line of the pipeline will be brought here and additional capacity will be needed. We will launch the new pumping station by the beginning of heavy snowmelt, which we expect at the end of March.”
Now coal miners are actively clearing drainage ditches and throughput pipes, inspecting hydraulic structures, preparing backup pipelines and switching to round-the-clock monitoring of intensive snow melting.
In addition, coal mining enterprises have already begun preparations for the fire hazard period: inspections of equipment and audits of fire extinguishing equipment are being carried out.
