Our Services

Prospecting and the assessment and documentation of mineral resources for the purposes of mineral extraction and the construction of underground storage of substances in salt caverns:

Preparation of the designs of geological, hydrogeological, and engineering works.
Drafting of applications for mining concessions related to prospecting, assessment of mineral resources etc.
Calculation of the volumes of mineral resources.
Geological inspection and supervision of the execution of construction works, including geological surveying.
Preparation of the documentation of mineral deposits and of the hydrogeological, geological, and engineering works.

Solution mining operations and underground storage and deposition facilities:

Preparation of capital projects

Drafting of Feasibility Studies, Operating Programmes, and Spatial Layout Conceptions for solution mining operations in salt mines and underground storage and deposition facilities within rock salt deposits.
Conducting all matters related to obtaining concessions for the extraction of minerals, underground storage facilities for substances and deposition of materials in rock mass.
Detailed designs of the underground sections of cavern storage facilities, together with the conversion of excavation voids into storage facilities, with the relevant designer’s supervision services.

Capital investment implementation

Consulting and supervision services during the execution of construction works.
Preparation of Plans and Schedules, as well as Financial Analyses to ascertain the feasibility of capital investments.
Preparation of monthly Substantive and Financial Reports for the Client, showing financial and technical data.
Handling of financial clearings with the project contractors.
Co-operation with the national and regional Mining Boards, government ministries, and other agencies responsible for environmental protection, as well as regional, county, and municipal authorities etc.
Representing the Client during the inspections conducted by the representatives of national and regional Mining Boards, and the Ministry of the Environment, as well as regional environmental authorities, pollution control agencies etc.
Monitoring of legal regulations that apply to environmental protection, geological and mining operations, water and waste management, obligation to keep state reserves, power generation, and the related activities.

Laboratory tests and sample collection

Collection of samples in situ: from water, brine, and rocks (including cores), with transportation to the laboratory.
Determination of mineral contents by classical and instrumental chemical analysis.
Physical and chemical examinations of chemical raw materials for the needs of drafting geological documentation and process purposes.
Geomechanical studies of the immediate strength of the samples collected from cores and rock blocks, in uniaxial and triaxial state of stress.
Geomechanical and rheological examinations (long-term creep and relaxation tests), in uniaxial and triaxial state of stress.
Determination of salt rock leachability (leaching rate on ceilings and walls, quantities of insoluble parts, and the influence of temperature and types of leaching medium on mineral leachability).
Testing the chemical composition of liquids: waters, mine waters and brines, without bacteriological analysis.
Testing the inter-grain and adsorbed-gas composition in soil, in respect of the light hydrocarbon contents (methane, ethane, propane, butane, and isobutane), with the option to use the relevant test results in the works associated with oil and gas prospecting and identification of salt-dome boundaries or tectonic faults.
Physical and chemical examinations of salt cores and brines.
Process examinations related to salt and brine processing.

Storage or extraction caverns:

Preparation of the designs of the storage cavern foundations’ depth and cavern shape, volume, and pressure, with geomechanical analysis and the use of numerical modelling methods.
Preparation of technical and process designs for storage or extraction cavern leaching, with the use of specialised software for leaching process modelling (WinUbro).
Preparation of technical analyses and designs of the works specified for the determination of the geological structure of salt deposit to optimise the leaching process.
Supervision of the compliance of the leaching process with the designs, with the use of the analyses of the chemical composition of brines, as well as leaching process design revisions.
Monitoring the process parameters of the leaching process.
Performance of regular echometric surveys in the extraction caverns (in brine) or storage caverns (in gaseous and liquid hydrocarbons), with the interpretation of survey results.
Evaluation of the storage cavern shape deformations on the basis of regular echometric surveying.
Evaluation of the extraction void or storage cavern convergence.
Designs, performance, and interpretation of the examinations of storage wells and caverns.
Designs of the first filling of storage caverns with media.
Optimisation of storage operations, with the use of specialised software for gas storage operation process modelling (WinKaga).
Analysis of the integrated geological, geophysical, geomechanical, and other data, obtained during the progress of mining works, to ensure safe operation of storage caverns and optimise site selection for new caverns.

Boreholes and wells intended for substance storage or mineral extraction purposes:

Preparation of the designs for drilling, construction, and fitting works on storage or extraction boreholes and wells, with specialised examination of wells, including the diagnostic fracture injection tests conducted in salt rock mass.
Design and interpretation of well tightness examinations.
Designs of the reconstruction and fitting of storage or extraction wells.
Provision of the designer’s supervision services during the project implementation.
Preparation of as-built documentation of wells.

Storage or extraction caverns:

Preparation of the designs of the storage cavern foundations’ depth and cavern shape, volume, and pressure, with geomechanical analysis and the use of numerical modelling methods.
Preparation of technical and process designs for storage or extraction cavern leaching, with the use of specialised software for leaching process modelling (WinUbro).
Preparation of technical analyses and designs of the works specified for the determination of the geological structure of salt deposit to optimise the leaching process.
Supervision of the compliance of the leaching process with the designs, with the use of the analyses of the chemical composition of brines, as well as leaching process design revisions.
Monitoring the process parameters of the leaching process.
Performance of regular echometric surveys in the extraction caverns (in brine) or storage caverns (in gaseous and liquid hydrocarbons), with the interpretation of survey results.
Evaluation of the storage cavern shape deformations on the basis of regular echometric surveying.
Evaluation of the extraction void or storage cavern convergence.
Designs, performance, and interpretation of the examinations of storage wells and caverns.
Designs of the first filling of storage caverns with media.
Optimisation of storage operations, with the use of specialised software for gas storage operation process modelling (WinKaga).
Analysis of the integrated geological, geophysical, geomechanical, and other data, obtained during the progress of mining works, to ensure safe operation of storage caverns and optimise site selection for new caverns.

Geophysical measurements of mining works and boreholes:

Rock mass geophysics: surveys of salt cavern shapes and sizes, using an underground ultrasound system (the CHEMKOP Echosonda or echo sounder), as well as analysis of the results of surveys conducted in brine, or gas or liquid hydrocarbons. Evaluation of the condition of storage caverns and cavern systems.
Well or borehole geophysics: examinations of the technical condition of wells and boreholes, including diameter and curvature, with the interpretation of measurement results and evaluation of the condition.

Services offered by the Department of Mining:

Preparation, supplementation, and updates of surveying and geological documentation.
Keeping the Surveying and Geological Documentation Register and Service Log.
Preparation, supplementation, and updates of the mine’s or facility’s Operating Documentation.
Supervision of the works conducted during the project construction and operation (borehole drilling, storage and mining cavern leaching, geophysical surveys, downhole operations and tests etc.), conducted for the project needs, with drafting as-built documentation.
Mapping, profiling, sampling, and testing of completed mining and drilling works.
Examination of water conditions on site, with observations and hydrogeological surveying, as well as keeping records of the results obtained.
Drafting of digital maps and cross-sections of underground works, together with graphic presentations required for surveying and geological documentation, as well as specific studies.
Periodic revisions of the geological map contents, regarding basic, review, and thematic maps.
Keeping records and preparation of the mineral resource balance and losses (Inventory Reports).
Testing of the quality of the minerals extracted from the deposit and of the changeability of quality parameters during the mining operations, with the deposit quality assessment.
Conducting periodic deposit management analyses.
Identification and prediction of natural risks and hazards.
Inspection of the compliance of mining operations with the approved Production Plan, Concession Permit, and Deposit Management Design, as well as other Decisions and Permits.
Determination of the protective pillar and shelf boundaries, with the inspections of the courses of mining operations, in respect of the delineated boundaries.
Surveying and monitoring of the impact of mining operations on the mining field surface.
Preparation of geological and mining expert opinions, including those requested by the Mining Board.
Accounting of fees for mineral extraction or underground storage of substances.

Impact of mining operations on the environment, including rock mass and land surface:

Specialist surveys of excavation void deformations, i.e. convergence of mine workings, destruction of protective rock mass sections (pillars and shelves), land surface, and horizontal and vertical relocations in mines and underground facilities.
Analysis of the impact of mining operations on rock mass and land surface, based on the results of regular surveyoing and monitoring.
Forecasting of the impact of mining operations on rock mass and land surface, in co-operation with the AGH Faculty of Mining and Geoengineering, and with the application of 3D modelling techniques.
Environmental monitoring, supervision of site surveying, data and environmental impact analyses, as well as the assessment of cavern tightness on the basis of relevant data.
Monitoring of land subsidence and relocations on mining fields. In-situ surveying, interpretation of geodetic survey results for the assessment of the cavern construction and of the impact of mining operations on land subsidence and relocations.
Preparation of environmental protection conclusions and proposals.
Drafting of the Reports on the Environmental Impact of the Projects and of the Project Information Sheets.
Development of Environmental Monitoring Programmes.
Supervision of environmental monitoring systems.
Analysis and evaluation of examination, test, and measurement results, in the context of mining operations’ impact on the environment.
Drafting of Environmental Reports.
Drafting of Water-Law Reports, in case of particular methods of water utilisation, e.g. collection of underground water, or dumping of waste water or of process water.

Pharmacological tests:

Testing of the composition and contents of active substances in medicines, as well as examination of the medical product quality, in accordance with the Standards and Regulations determined by the Good Manufacturing Practice and the Ministry of Health Regulations.
Tests of medical products, using a certified liquid chromatograph (HPLC), followed by the issuance of Quality Certificates, complying with the ISO Standards and the Polish Chief Pharmacological Inspectorate (GIF) regulations.
Tests of medical products, using a certified gas chromatograph (GC), followed by the issuance of Quality Certificates, complying with the ISO Standards and the Polish Chief Pharmacological Inspectorate (GIF) regulations

Research and development works:

Conducting research and drafting conceptions of new technologies, including e.g. the following:
- Studies and analyses of salt structures, with the intention to select the sites for new projects concerning underground facilities for hydrogen and LPG storage.
- Research works concerning underground hydrogen and LPG storage in salt caverns, with the methods of transportation of those media.
- Examination of the impact of underground hydrogen and LPG storage on the underground infrastructure, including measurement and control devices, surrounding rocks, and the natural environment.
- Conceptual works on the application of new types of air-and-brine caverns.
- Studies and designs concerning safe deposition of waste in underground caverns and excavation voids.
Verification of technologies on the laboratory and experimental scales.
Implementation of new designs and technological solutions.
Transfer of technological solutions to production and technical processes.
Coordination and supervision of research and development works.
Drafting of patent and technical design documentation.