Mining Publication: In Situ Stress at the Lucky Friday Mine (In Four Parts): 4. Characterization of Mine In Situ Stress Field

• Horizontal stress
• Idaho

Researchers at the U.S. Bureau of Mines collected and analyzed overcore measurements and other indicators of in situ stress characteristics at the Lucky Friday Mine, Mullan, Idaho. An analysis of these data revealed that significant local variations in in situ stress are present in this mine and that these variations existed prior to mining. High stresses were found to be associated with the most competent strata and a locked section of a fault. An estimate of the predominant stress field was developed for mine-wide modeling. The estimate shows that the greatest principal stress was oriented north of northwest. This information should provide a basis for mine-wide structural modeling of the Lucky Friday Mine and should generate important insights into localized stress conditions, which may significantly affect both local and mine-to-mine variations in seismicity induced by excavation.