The Kargoba mineral occurrence in East Kazakhstan covers an area of 25.5 km² and is characterized by rugged mountainous terrain at elevations of 800–1,013 m above sea level. This study presents a methodology for high-resolution unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-based aeromagnetic surveying aimed at targeting copper-molybdenum mineralization. The study sought to identify geophysical targeting criteria and refine the boundaries of prospective zones. The survey was conducted using a DJI Matrice 300 RTK quadcopter equipped with a Geoshark MG30GM quantum magnetometer. Magnetic-field interpretation included derivative-based transforms, namely the tilt derivative (TDR), first vertical derivative (VDR), and total horizontal derivative (THDR), as well as three-dimensional modeling of magnetic sources. Six anomalous zones were delineated. Zone A-2 was identified as the highest-priority exploration target, exhibiting an anomaly amplitude of up to 500 nT and a spatial association with a granodiorite intrusion. The following criteria were established for targeting porphyry mineralization: anomaly amplitudes of 200–500 nT, horizontal gradients exceeding 3 nT/m, anomaly strike lengths of 0.5–2 km, spatial association of positive and negative magnetic anomalies, and spatial correlation with hydrothermal alteration zones. Comparison of the identified anomalies with published data from the Lavrion district in Greece supported the applicability of the selected approach. A key diagnostic feature is the spatial association of anomalies of opposite polarity, reflecting the structural and geological controls on mineralization. The high spatial resolution of the aeromagnetic survey at Kargoba enables more precise delineation of prospective mineralized zones and more effective positioning of exploration drillholes. The use of a UAV considerably facilitates and accelerates surveying in rugged and inaccessible terrain. Compared with conventional ground surveys and crewed airborne surveys, it reduces survey time and costs while maintaining high data quality. The proposed approach therefore offers a cost-effective, lower-risk means of targeting concealed mineralized bodies and extends the capabilities of mineral exploration in remote regions.

This article addresses the technological foundations and design requirements for developing a machine intended for layer-by-layer surface milling of stump-containing peat deposits. The issue is particularly relevant for small-scale enterprises employing adaptive peat production technologies, where traditional stump removal methods are economically and technically impractical due to high preparatory costs and the need for bulky equipment. The study aims to substantiate the design parameters of a milling machine capable of simultaneously comminuting peat mass and embedded wood inclusions without their preliminary extraction. This approach is intended to enhance production efficiency, improve product quality, and reduce negative environmental impact. The research tasks included analysing milling regimes, interaction between cutting elements and wood inclusions, and developing proposals for a drive system with increased reliability under variable loads. A comprehensive methodology was applied: generalisation of data on physico-mechanical properties of peat and wood, analysis of literary and experimental sources, and theoretical substantiation of cutting parameters and milling drum design. A dual-motor hydraulic drive configuration was considered, wherein an auxiliary motor is activated upon increased cutting resistance, ensuring stable machine operation under deposit heterogeneity. As a result, optimal parameters of the milling drum were substantiated (working width 4.5 m, diameter 0.335 m, rotational speed 149 s^–1, peripheral velocity 25 m/s, feed per knife 0.015 m), providing peat crumbs with a particle size fraction of 10–25 mm and comminution of wood to dimensions suitable for subsequent separation, peat processing, and waste utilisation. The proposed approach facilitates accelerated drying of peat crumbs under natural conditions, reduced waste volumes, and rational resource utilisation. It is concluded that the proposed design demonstrates high efficiency for operation at small peat deposits with areas up to 100 ha. The obtained results will be applied in the design of a prototype and further development of adaptive peat production technology.

Declining ore grades at the Norilsk deposits are accompanied by increasing variability in the quality of mined ore and deterioration in the quality of saleable products. These trends necessitate a revision of the fundamental approaches to optimizing mining systems for ore-stream quality management. This study aimed to advance the theoretical framework and improve the methodology for substantiating process engineering solutions for integrated ore quality management in underground mining through innovative modernization of mine flowsheets. An integrated research approach was employed, including a review of previous studies; analysis of Russian and international experience in ore-stream management; field sampling of ore in deposits and along ore streams, followed by geological and mineralogical testing and correlation analysis; production-scale investigations of particle-size segregation during mining; analytical studies based on probability theory and mathematical statistics; and modern modeling methods. An updated classification of methods for assuring and controlling ore quality in underground mining is proposed. Blending methods are classified as blending and stabilization methods aimed at achieving and maintaining the required quality of mined ore, whereas segregation and separation methods are intended to divide, separate, or sort the material. Production-scale investigations confirmed that considerable potential exists for more effective control of ore-stream quality. Fundamental principles were formulated for developing process engineering solutions at the underground-mine design stage to manage copper-nickel ore quality and substantially improve the quality of mine products.

As part of the previously justified mining method for the Verkhnekamsk potash salt deposit (VPSD) – which involves the re-extraction of reserves from the KrII sylvinite layer in areas previously mined with “yielding” pillars – pilot tests of the method were conducted. Their primary objective was to assess the technical feasibility and safety of stoping in the KrII* layer – a natural-technogenic rock mass – as well as to refine the mining-geological and mining-technical conditions for re-mining. The results of the pilot testing and the analysis of the observations of the workings condition in the re-mining area showed that, when exposed, the weakly consolidated caved rock is prone to inrush. The most dangerous areas in this regard are sections where old workings have been undercut by inclines, as well as areas near abandoned pillars with increased rigidity. Cyclic variability in the physical and mechanical properties was observed in the KrII* natural-technogenic layer. Specifically, the rock strength ranges 0.4 to 3.8 MPa in the zone of rock caving to 16.2 to 24.0 MPa in pillars. The displacement rates of a working contour in the KrII* natural-technogenic layer are generally 22–28 mm/year and fall within the range typical of the standard mining-geological conditions of the VPSD. The stability of the workings enclosing (surrounding) rock mass was assessed as satisfactory. The implementation of the re-mining method opens a prospect of increasing the recovery of sylvinite ore from the KrII layer.

Modern mining operations are conducted under complex geological conditions characterized by variable gas-dynamic and aerodynamic parameters, placing stringent demands on the reliability and stability of mine ventilation systems. This study presents the results of mathematical modeling based on integro-differential equations describing unsteady airflow distribution and accounting for distributed parameters, including airway geometry, air leakage, and heat and mass transfer. A non-Lie method was used to identify an additional invariance that cannot be detected by classical Lie–Ovsiannikov symmetry analysis. A conserved quantity – the generalized circulation Γ(t) – was identified. It comprises the classical circulation term and an additional term accounting for flow unsteadiness, thereby enabling airflow reversal in diagonal connections to be predicted without iterative recalculation of the entire ventilation network. A numerical algorithm combining finite-difference and finite-element methods was developed. Application of the model to the airflow distribution network of the No. 15 West longwall face identified critical diagonal branches with a high risk of airflow reversal and determined the ranges of the stability indices. The findings provide a theoretical basis for systems designed to provide early warning of emergency ventilation modes and for adaptive ventilation control, with the potential to improve mining safety.

Underground coal mining is currently facing major challenges; however, demand for coal as an energy source and chemical feedstock is expected to increase in the near future. Accidents remain frequent in coal mining, with approximately 40–50 incidents reported each year. Among the most hazardous accidents are fires caused by spontaneous coal combustion, which can result in fatalities among mine workers, damage to mining equipment, and the loss of mine sections or reserves. Early detection and localization of spontaneous-combustion fires enable fire sources to be identified at an early stage, thereby improving the effectiveness of fire-control and mitigation measures. This analytical review proposes a classification of acoustic methods for detecting and locating fire sources in coal seams, with the origin of the recorded acoustic signal used as the classification criterion. For each method, applicability limits were defined, and its strengths and weaknesses were identified. The results may be used to select the most suitable diagnostic approach for spontaneous-combustion fires under specific operating conditions. Acoustic diagnostics of fire sources in coal seams can detect combustion, determine the coordinates of fire sources, track the spatial extent and temporal evolution of fire boundaries, and identify the fire stage. Based on Professor N. F. Kusov’s hypothesis, an instrument was developed to support acoustic monitoring and single-station acoustic direction finding of fire sources in a coal-bearing rock mass. Spontaneous coal fires may also contribute to the formation of zones with elevated radionuclide concentrations. In such cases, acoustic diagnostics may be used to determine the coordinates of these zones.

This study is motivated by the need to improve the reliability of predictions of gasogeodynamic phenomena (GGP) in coal mines by refining acoustic prediction methods. This requires methods for determining the key parameters governing acoustic-wave propagation through the coal-rock mass, including the acoustic attenuation coefficient. The objective was to justify an algorithm for measuring the acoustic attenuation coefficient under mine conditions over the frequency range used for GGP prediction. To this end, the noise spectrum generated by an operating roadheader was recorded at a Kuzbass mine using the multichannel Mikon-GEO system and geophones installed 11, 21, 31, 47.7, 57.7, and 67.7 m from the roadway face. The results showed that, owing to interference among longitudinal and shear waves and waves reflected from the coal seam-host rock interfaces, the attenuation coefficient calculated from a line spectrum by summing harmonic amplitudes within 20-Hz frequency windows did not increase linearly with frequency, as expected for an unbounded homogeneous solid, but instead varied nonmonotonically. This introduces errors into rock-mass stress estimates obtained using methods based on spectral analysis of noise generated by operating mining equipment. To eliminate this source of error, it was proposed that the attenuation coefficient be determined after summing the harmonic amplitudes within frequency windows at least 200 Hz wide. It was also proposed that the averaging time for the amplitudes of the spectral components correspond to the roadheader operating interval between successive stoppages for roadway support installation. Under the experimental conditions, this approach produced a linear increase in the acoustic attenuation coefficient over the extrapolated frequency range of 0–700 Hz, with a coefficient of determination of 0.997.