**4.5 Insights for the development strategy**

In the current situation, the identification of the priority directions for the further development of the Kryvyi Rih iron ore deposit with the involvement of R&D institutions within the framework of the national and regional economic development strategy is on demand. A broad assessment of the actual condition of the raw material base and, first of all, rich iron ore reserves at depth above 1500 m, allows to foresee four possible options for further long-term development of underground mining:


**29**

exploitation.

*History and Current State of Mining in the Kryvyi Rih Iron Ore Deposit*

operating and temporarily suspended mines.

3.Continuation of rich iron ores' mining above the 1500 m depth followed with the gradual involvement of magnetite quartzites in the areas of operating and temporarily suspended mines and further increasing of the mines' production capacity.

4.Simultaneous mining of rich ores and magnetite quartzites in the fields of

Since the average supply of rich minerals of underground mining enterprises is only about 22 years, the Option 1 leaves no long-term prospects for the development. For some major mines, for example, Ternovskaya (18 years) and Rodina (17 years), the choice becomes critical. The social consequences of the complete decommissioning of the underground mines throughout the industrial region of Kryvyi Rih will be also very challenging. Moreover, the adjacent territories are likely to be inundated with mining water and water inflows in some pits will also increase. The wet and, in particular, dry conservation of mines requires significant costs for their maintenance. For example, Gigant-Glubokaya and Pervomayskaya mines (both state owned) are currently at the stage of dry conservation and provide flooding prevention for existing mines, pits and adjacent areas. In the case of wet conservation, an irreversible loss of part of the ore reserves, siltation of excavated sites and worsening of the flooding hazard at mining sites and surrounding areas

Options 2, 3 and 4, despite essential difference in the approaches, ensure a certain long term development perspective for mining operations. The advantages

1.Retaining of the production and export potential of underground mines and

2.More holistic approach to development of the iron ore deposits can be applied.

3.Production of high-quality iron ore raw materials through the development of easy-to-process magnetite quartzites present in operating minefields can be increased. The beneficiation of these quartzites using traditional wet magnetic separation technology allows the production of high grade concentrates with

4.Increasing of production capacity and reducing the hoisting height to the

However, the choice of the strategy for underground mining shall be based on thorough modeling of the development scenarios for each mining enterprise and for the deposit as the whole. Moreover, the directions of the Kryvyi Rih iron ore deposit development should be seen in the context of both underground and open pit mining, coupled with development of the processing plants. The extraction of magnetite quartzites by the underground method is feasible only in case if the beneficiation facilities sufficient to process the mined ore and to ensure desirable iron content in the concentrate are available. Further deepening of iron ore pits leads to an increase in the haulage distance of rock mass and waste, and, therefore, in the cost of salable products. The gigantic amounts of mined ore and rocks require the additional land allocation for the construction of tailings storage facilities – mostly on highly productive agricultural soils. All of these aspects shall be also taken into account in developing of a strategy for the deposit

surface may cut the cost of mining in some cases.

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.96120*

are highly possible.

their raw material base is ensured.

iron content of 69-70%.

are as follows:

**Figure 9.**

*Average Fe content in iron ore concentrate produced in Ukraine, %.*

*Iron Ores*

achieved at some enterprises [12].

conservation of the mines.

*Average Fe content in iron ore concentrate produced in Ukraine, %.*

**4.5 Insights for the development strategy**

even more competitive. In terms of international competiveness, the position of Ukraine amongst the other major global suppliers is rather uncertain. For instance, iron content in sinter grade ore supplied from Brazil is 66-67%, from Australia – 61-62%, from Sweden – 67% with silica content in the range of 0.5-3.5%, whereas iron content

in Ukraine's sinter grade ore makes 56-61% with silica content of 18-21.5% [1].

At present, Kryvyi Rih underground mines enhance quality of marketable ore through increasing iron content in the last portion of ore drawn from blocks to 50-52% instead of previously standard 46% as well as through screening out the lean lumps with iron content of 43-48% at the crushing-grading factory. Although this assisted to a general trend of increasing the iron content in the concentrate (evolution of average value for Ukraine is shown in **Figure 9**), application of such methods increases also ore losses in situ and iron losses during concentration and, finally, negatively impacts the enterprise's economy. At the same time, quality of ferruginous quartzites mined at open pits in terms of iron content and content of impurities was not improved. Generally, the quality of marketable iron ore product remains well behind the advanced foreign practices, despite certain improvements

In the current situation, the identification of the priority directions for the further development of the Kryvyi Rih iron ore deposit with the involvement of R&D institutions within the framework of the national and regional economic development strategy is on demand. A broad assessment of the actual condition of the raw material base and, first of all, rich iron ore reserves at depth above 1500 m, allows to foresee four possible options for further long-term development of underground mining:

1.Mining of rich iron ores to the depth of the engineering capacities of the existing hoisting facilities (1500-1600 m) with subsequent closure or

2.Mining of rich iron ores below 1500 m with the use of two-stage ore body opening-up schemes or by radical reconstruction of hoisting complexes' infrastructure in order to enable the ore hoisting from deep horizons to the surface.

**28**

**Figure 9.**


Since the average supply of rich minerals of underground mining enterprises is only about 22 years, the Option 1 leaves no long-term prospects for the development. For some major mines, for example, Ternovskaya (18 years) and Rodina (17 years), the choice becomes critical. The social consequences of the complete decommissioning of the underground mines throughout the industrial region of Kryvyi Rih will be also very challenging. Moreover, the adjacent territories are likely to be inundated with mining water and water inflows in some pits will also increase. The wet and, in particular, dry conservation of mines requires significant costs for their maintenance. For example, Gigant-Glubokaya and Pervomayskaya mines (both state owned) are currently at the stage of dry conservation and provide flooding prevention for existing mines, pits and adjacent areas. In the case of wet conservation, an irreversible loss of part of the ore reserves, siltation of excavated sites and worsening of the flooding hazard at mining sites and surrounding areas are highly possible.

Options 2, 3 and 4, despite essential difference in the approaches, ensure a certain long term development perspective for mining operations. The advantages are as follows:


However, the choice of the strategy for underground mining shall be based on thorough modeling of the development scenarios for each mining enterprise and for the deposit as the whole. Moreover, the directions of the Kryvyi Rih iron ore deposit development should be seen in the context of both underground and open pit mining, coupled with development of the processing plants. The extraction of magnetite quartzites by the underground method is feasible only in case if the beneficiation facilities sufficient to process the mined ore and to ensure desirable iron content in the concentrate are available. Further deepening of iron ore pits leads to an increase in the haulage distance of rock mass and waste, and, therefore, in the cost of salable products. The gigantic amounts of mined ore and rocks require the additional land allocation for the construction of tailings storage facilities – mostly on highly productive agricultural soils. All of these aspects shall be also taken into account in developing of a strategy for the deposit exploitation.
