Strata control and ventilation solutions specialist Minova Australia was one of the companies involved and played a small but integral part in the rescue operation of trapped miners Todd Russell and Brant Webb.

The company was contacted in the early stages after the miners were found, in order to aid the rescue operation using grouts and injection materials that stabilise strata in such unstable situations.

Minova sales and marketing manager Matt Berry was flown to Tasmania by Beaconsfield Mine to supervise the application of Minova’s product.

While initial discussions pointed towards providing either a cementitious grout or chemical foam (Bevedan, Bevedol, Wilkit or Carbofill), extensive discussions led to the request for Minova to manufacture a modified FB200 cementitious grout that would provide very specific characteristics.

This included being able to flow into mullock (loose backfill material), stop the water flow into the cavity and achieve a pre-determined strength within a very specific timeframe.

The product was developed, mixed, tested and reformulated in a laboratory in Nowra and was then manufactured in the plant under the “extremely urgent” banner.

Production was completed within hours and Beaconsfield mine arranged three aircraft to collect the product from HMAS Albatross and Sydney Airport.

The product was tested on the mine surface using actual mine mullock on arrival at Beaconsfield, with the water ratios corrected to produce the characteristics required.

Stringent trials were conducted to confirm the properties, as an incorrect application could have seriously jeopardised the rescue attempt.

Berry supervised the application of the grout at the 925 level and for the next 13 hours, grout batches were mixed and then pumped through a separate grout tube within the tube used for delivering food and water to the two trapped miners.

Correct placement of the grout was achieved through the use of a camera placed within the cavity, which relayed pictures onto a television screen at the pumping site thus enabling direction from Berry and mine officials.

It was then left to Russell and Webb to strategically apply the grout in the required sequence.

Minova Australia CEO Garry Ashford said the combined efforts of all those involved meant that the two miners were able to walk free after two weeks trapped underground.

Minova supplies a variety of products to the coal mining industry.