Remediation of shaft William 2 Domaniale Mine

Based on research commissioned by the Ministry of Economy, published in December 2016, it was decided to take a number of measures regionally to reduce the likelihood of potential impacts from past mining. In 2022-2023, the Willem 2 shaft was remediated.  

As you may know, mining took place in Limburg until the 1970s. The effects of this can still be felt in the soil of our province today. This does not pose any immediate problems, but it is something we should be aware of in the region.
One of the questions investigated concerns whether the mine shafts (vertical accesses between ground level and places in the subsurface where coal was mined) were left stable into the future when the mines closed in 1969-1974. The study concludes that there are no immediate safety risks. To prevent possible longer-term consequences, the minister has made funds available to carry out additional work at a number of shafts to ensure that the shafts will not continue to cause problems in the future.

When the mine was closed, the Willem 2 shaft was fitted with a concrete prop that enters the shaft from ground level some 50m deep. To keep this prop and the shaft stable into the future, it was necessary to increase the length of the prop.

In order to extend the concrete plug, a floating material was first brought onto the mine water standing in the shaft. This was necessary because otherwise the concrete to be added would immediately disappear to the bottom of the shaft. Several layers of concrete were applied to the floating material until the new plug reached the bottom of the old plug to form one plug.