prediction techniques of acid mine drainage

279 Pages·2007·11.65 MB·English

PREDICTION TECHNIQUES OF ACID MINE DRAINAGE:
A CASE STUDY OF A NEW POLY- METALLIC MINE DEVELOPMENT IN
ERZİNCAN-İLİÇ, TURKEY

A THESIS SUBMITTED TO
THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF NATURAL AND APPLIED SCIENCES
OF
MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY

BY

GANİME ASLI SEZER ÖZÇELİK

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS
FOR
THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
IN
GEOLOGICAL ENGINEERING

FEBRUARY 2007
Approval of the Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences

Prof. Dr. Canan Özgen
Director

I certify that this thesis satisfies all the requirements as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of
Philosophy

Prof. Dr. Vedat Doyuran
Head of Department

This is to certify that we have read this thesis and that in our opinion it is fully adequate, in
scope and quality, as a thesis for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy.

Prof. Dr. Asuman Günal Türkmenoğlu
Supervisor

Examining Committee Members

Prof. Dr. Ender Okandan (METU, PETE)
Prof. Dr. Asuman G. Türkmenoğlu (METU, GEOE)
Prof. Dr. Nilgün Güleç (METU, GEOE)
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kadir Dirik (Hacettepe Unv., GEOE)
Assistant Prof. Dr. İrfan Yolcubal (Kocaeli Unv., GEOE)
I hereby declare that all information in this document has been obtained and
presented with academic rules and ethical conduct. I also declare that, as required
by these rules and conduct , I have fully cited and referenced all material and results
that are not original to this work.

Name, Last Name : Ganime Aslı, Sezer Özçelik
Signature

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ABSTRACT

PREDICTION TECHNIQUES OF ACID MINE DRAINAGE:
A CASE STUDY OF A NEW POLY- METALLIC MINE DEVELOPMENT IN
ERZİNCAN-İLİÇ, TURKEY

Sezer Özçelik, Ganime Aslı

Ph.D., Department of Geological Engineering
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Asuman G. Türkmenoğlu

February 2007, 260 pages

Acid Mine Drainage (AMD) is an environmental problem that eventually occurs in
sulfide rich mine sites. In Turkey most of the metal mines are associated with
sulphide minerals and are potential AMD generators. The purpose of this PhD thesis
is to practice universally accepted tools for the prediction of AMD potential for a new
metallic mine development.
This study involves evaluation of geological data, geochemistry, mineralogy, and
acid-base accounting (static tests) data, obtained from the Erzincan-İliç Çöpler Gold
Prospect case.
The mineralization in Çöpler is in sulfide and oxide types. The oxide is a supergene
alteration and porphyry-copper type gold mineralization is classified as an
intermediate sulfidation. The major lithologies observed in the study area are the
regionally un-correlated meta-sedimentary lithologies, Munzur Limestone, and the
Çöpler Granitoid.

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Thirty-eight representative samples were tested for AMD prediction purposes.
Sixteen more were included to the sampling scheme for site characterization.
Both acid producing and neutralizing lithologies are present in the mine site.
Similarly it was revealed that the sulphate sulfur content of the samples were
insignificant that any determined total sulfur amount can be directly considered as
the factor for AMD production.
Geochemical data revealed arsenic enrichments up to 10000 ppm in the study area.
Therefore, during the operational stage, in addition to the planning to avoid or
minimize AMD, it is necessary to take precautions against arsenic mobilization
during the design of the AMD neutralization scheme.
Both Kinetic studies and the heavy metal mobilization related to AMD are kept out of
the scope of this investigation. Similarly, management and abatement stages of
AMD are excluded.

Key Words: Acid Mine Drainage, Acid Base Accounting, Erzincan, Gold Mining,
Environmental
v
ÖZ

ASİT MADEN DRENAJI ÖNGÖRÜ TEKNİKLERİ:
YENİ BİR POLİ-METALİK MADEN SAHASI ÜZERİNE VAKA ÇALIŞMASI
ERZİNCAN-İLİÇ TÜRKİYE

Sezer Özçelik, Ganime Aslı

Doktora, Jeoloji Mühendisliği Bölümü
Tez Yöneticisi: Prof. Dr. Asuman G. Türkmenoğlu

Şubat 2007, 260 sayfa

Asit Maden Drenajı (AMD), sülfidli sahalarda kaçınılmaz olarak ortaya çıkan bir
çevresel sorundur. Türkiyede metalik madenlerin çoğu sülfidli mineralleri içerir ve
bunlar potansiyel AMD üretim yerleridir. Bu tezin amacı, yeni açılacak polimetalik bir
maden sahası örneğinde, küresel olarak kabul görmüş AMD öngörü tekniklerinin
uygulanmasıdır.
Bu çalışma Erzincan-İliç Çöpler mevkiinde yer alan altın madenine ait jeolojik,
jeokimyasal, mineralojik verilerin ve asit-baz muhasebesi ile ilgili (statik) deney
sonuçlarının değerlendirilmesine dayanır. Çöpler madenindeki cevherleşme sülfid
ve oksit tipidir. Oksit tipi cevherleşme süperjen bir bozuşma ile sahaya yerleşmiştir.
Porfiri-bakır tipi cevherleşme ise orta dereceli bir sülfidleşme olarak
sınıflandırılmaktadır. Çalışma sahasında gözlenen başlıca litholojiler bölgesel
olarak korole edilemiyen meta-sedimanter birimler, Munzur Kireçtaşı ve Çöpler
Granitoididir.
Sahayı temsil eden otuzsekiz adet örnek AMD öngörüsü amacıyla sınanmış, ayrıca
onaltı adet örnek de sahanın daha iyi karakterize edilmesi amacıyla örnekleme
programına sonradan eklenmiştir.
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Maden sahasında hem asit üreten, hem de asit tüketen litolojiler mevcuttur. Benzer
şekilde sülfat türü kükürtün ihmal edilecek kadar az olması nedeniyle sahada
jeokimyasal vb. analizlerle tespit edilecek toplam kükürt miktarının tamamının AMD
üretimine katkıda bulunacağı anlaşılmıştır.
Jeokimyasal veriler sahada 10000 ppm’e varan seviyelerde arsenik zenginleşmesi
olduğunu ortaya koymuştur. Bu nedenle, sahanın hazırlanması esnasında AMD
oluşumunun engellenmesine yönelik yapılacak planlamaların yanısıra AMD
oluşumunun giderilmesi esnasında tasarlanacak sistemde arsenik mobilizasyonuna
karşı gerekli tedbirler de dikkate alınmalıdır.
Hem kinetik çalışmalar, hem de AMD ile ilişkili ağır metal mobilizasyonuna yönelik
çalışmalar, ve benzer şekilde AMD’nin yönetimine ve iyileştirilmesine yönelik
konular bu tezin kapsamı dışında bırakılmıştır.

Anahtar Kelimeler: Asit Maden Drenajı, Asit-Baz Muhasebesi, Erzincan, Altın
Madeni, Çevresel.
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To my grandmother Beria Kesen and to my parents who have supported me
unconditionally…

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The author would like to express her deepest gratitude to her supervisor Prof Dr,
Asuman G. Türkmenoğlu for her intellectual and academic support and for her
unlimited encouragement during the entire study. Author also wishes to express her
special thanks to the thesis follow up committee members, Prof. Dr. Ender Okandan
and Prof. Dr. Nilgün Güleç, since they have patiently followed the subject changes
and supported the author by their scientific contributions.
The author expresses her gratitude to Miss Serap İçöz for her kind help in the
preparation and inspection of the X-Ray diffraction samples in the General
Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration. Similarly special thanks goes to
Mr. Okan Zimitoğlu from MTA who helped for the identification and picturing of the
polished sections. Very special thanks go to Dr. İsmail Kuşçu for the help he
provided for the editing of the geology section of the thesis. Author would like to
express her gratitude to Dr. Serap Topsoy Kolukısa for her support and help for the
formatting of some parts of the manuscript.
The author would like to thank her husband Mr. Özçelik for his support and help
during the field studies and for his patiance during the entire course of the study.
Finally exclusive thanks go to the author’s family for the help in the preparation of
the manuscript and for their patience during the entire course of this study.
This study is supported by Ekobil Environmental Services and Consultancy Ltd.
within the framework of “Çöpler Gold Project Environmental Baseline Study” and
with the permission of Çukurdere Madencilik Sanayi ve Ticaret Ltd. that possess the
exploration and mining operation license of the Çöpler Gold Prospect.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

ABSTRACT________________________________________________________ iv
ÖZ _______________________________________________________________ vi
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS______________________________________________ ix
TABLE OF CONTENTS_______________________________________________x
LIST OF TABLES__________________________________________________ xiv
LIST OF FIGURES_________________________________________________ xvi
ABBREVIATIONS _________________________________________________ xix
CHAPTERS
1.INTRODUCTION ___________________________________________________1
1.1 Acid Mine Drainage_____________________________________________1
1.2 Acid Mine Drainage Chemistry ___________________________________2
1.3 Examples of the AMD as an Environmental Problem in the World and in
Turkey___________________________________________________________6
1.4 Research Trends in AMD ________________________________________8
1.5 Purpose and Scope____________________________________________18
2.THE STUDY AREA ________________________________________________20
2.1 Location and Geographical Characteristics _______________________20
2.2. Climatic Characteristics of the Study Area________________________22
2.3 Geology of the Study Area______________________________________24
2.3.1 Previous Studies____________________________________________24
2.3.2 Regional Geology___________________________________________25
2.3.3 Stratigraphy _______________________________________________27
2.3.3.1 Keban Group – Kemaliye Formation. ________________________30

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