Circular No. 01/2016/TT-BTNMT on technical regulations for riverbed sand and gravel exploration and earth and stone material filling exploration works.

CIRCULAR

Technical regulations on riverbed sand and gravel exploration and soil, rock for fill material

 and soil, rock las fill material

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Pursuant to the Law on Minerals No. 60/2010/QH12 dated November 17, 2010June 2024;and Government Decree No. 15/2012/NĐ-CP dated March 9, 2012 detailing certain provisions of the Law on Minerals;No. Government Decree No. 24/2013/NĐ-CP dated March 4, 2013 stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment;June 2024;Decree No. 55/2012/NĐ-CP dated June 28, 2012 of the Government on the establishment, restructuring, and dissolution of public service units;

Pursuant to DecreeNo. Based on the proposal of the General Department of Geology and Mineral Resources of Vietnam, the Director of the Science and Technology Department, and the Director of the Legal Department; number The Minister of Natural Resources and Environment promulgates this Circular on technical regulations for riverbed sand and gravel exploration and soil, rock for fill material.

/NĐ-CP of the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the State Bank of Vietnam;1Article 1. This Circular stipulates technical regulations for riverbed sand and gravel exploration and soil, rock for fill material.June 2024;Article 2. This Circular applies to state management agencies for minerals; organizations and individuals permitted to explore and exploit minerals, and other related organizations and individuals.

1. Riverbed sand and gravel are products accumulated in floodplains, river shelves, and river mouths, including pebbles, gravel, grit, and sand with value only for common construction materials. tr2. Soil and rock for fill material are common construction materials when they meet the requirements set forth in Clause 1, Article 64 of the Law on Minerals. trArticle 3. Requirements for reserve capacity and exploration network

1. Riverbed sand and gravel and soil, rock for fill material exploration must reach reserve level 122.June 2024; 2. Exploration works network. la) The maximum exploration work network along a line is 400 meters, and the maximum distance between works on a line is 200 meters;

PART I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of Regulation and Applicability

b) For mines with an area less than 1 hectare and a distribution length not exceeding 500 meters, there must be at least one control work to determine the thickness of the ore body or to the expected elevation for exploration at the center of the exploration area;

c) Geological mapping and description at each exposed point must include geological characteristics, composition, structure, and delineation of the ore body boundary to determine the edge thickness and average thickness of the ore body within the exploration area.

Article 2. Interpretation of Terms

Article 4. Technical requirements for exploration works

1. All exploration works must determine coordinates and elevations according to the national coordinate system and elevation (ensuring no overlap with other exploration areas, prohibited or temporarily restricted exploitation zones).

Chapter II

b) Welding materials must produce welds with a tensile strength no less than that of the base material used to manufacture the cylinders.

2. Depending on the size of the mine, the complexity of the terrain, and the purpose of use, the mine topography must be surveyed at a scale of 1:5,000 or larger.

3. Exploration works must be selected in accordance with the structure and thickness of the ore bodies and the terrain characteristics.

4. The exploration works network must be designed in accordance with Article 3 of this Circular.

5. Drilling works (if any) must ensure that the core recovery rate through the ore bodies is not less than 70%.

6. Works such as wells, trenches, pits, open-pit mining sites, and natural and artificial exposures within the exploration area must collect data, establish diagrams, and indicate their positions on the actual site maps.

7. For hydrogeological and engineering geological work: Hydrogeologically: hydrogeological mapping for non-flooded mines must determine preliminary water inflow volume and the ability to dry out the mine. For flooded mines, the impact of mining activities on river flow must be anticipated;

Engineering geologically: based on mechanical and physical sample results and similar geological conditions, determine the slope angle of the open-pit mining face for guidance in mining operations.

1. All exploration works must determine coordinates and elevations according to the National Coordinate and Elevation System (ensuring no overlap with other exploration areas, prohibited zones, or temporarily prohibited mining activity areas on-site).

2. Depending on the area size, topographical complexity of the mine, and intended use, the mine's topography must be surveyed at a scale of 1:5,000 or larger.

3. Exploration works must be selected in accordance with the structure and thickness of ore bodies and the characteristics of the terrain.

4. The network of exploration works designed in accordance with Article 3 of this Circular.

5. Drilling works (if any) must ensure that the core recovery rate through ore bodies is not less than 70%.

6. Works such as wells, trenches, pits, open-pit mines, natural and artificial exposures within the exploration area must collect data and establish plans in accordance with current regulations and indicate their positions on actual documentation maps.

7. For hydrogeological and engineering geological work: Regarding hydrogeology: Hydrogeological mapping for non-flooded mines must determine preliminary water inflow rates into the mine and the feasibility of draining the mine dry. For flooded mines, the impact of mining activities on river flow must be anticipated.

Regarding engineering geology: Based on physical and mechanical sample results and similar geological conditions, determine the slope angle of the open-pit mine face for directional mining.

Article 5. Requirements for Quality Research Work

1. All exploration works must collect and establish various types of documents according to current regulations and take samples for quality research, with the quantity and type of samples suitable for the research purpose and reflected in the exploration project. For trench samples, the maximum length shall not exceed 10 meters.

2. For soil and rock quarries used as fill material, the following types of samples must be taken, processed, and analyzed:

a) Mechanical and physical samples: taken at exploration sites, each product layer must have one comprehensive mechanical and physical sample;

b) Each product layer must take one sample to determine: bulk density, moisture content, looseness coefficient; one comprehensive chemical analysis trench sample and radioactivity activity.

3. For river sand and gravel quarries, the following types of samples must be taken, processed, and analyzed:

a) Particle size analysis samples: taken and analyzed according to product layers and comply with the length requirements for trench samples;

b) Comprehensive chemical analysis samples, radioactivity activity samples, mechanical and physical samples, specific gravity samples, and bulk density samples: must be taken to represent all product layers present in the quarry, with a minimum of one sample per product layer.

Additionally, depending on the intended use, other types of samples appropriate for reserve calculation criteria may be taken and analyzed.

The procedures for taking, processing, analyzing, and quality control of mechanical and physical samples for soil and rock fill materials; particle size analysis samples for river sand and gravel must comply with current regulations on quality control.

Article 6. Requirements for the Level of Research and Reserve Calculation Block Boundaries

1. Requirements for the level of geological research

a) Determine the boundaries and shape of ore bodies; surface topography;

b) For soil and rock quarries used as fill material, the mechanical and physical properties and construction soil standards must be determined.

2. Requirements for reserve calculation boundary demarcation

The reserve calculation block is delineated based on exploration works, measured and described outcrops. The boundaries of the first-level reserve calculation block (122) can be extrapolated, but the extrapolated part should not exceed 200 meters along the strike or length of the ore body distribution, and not more than 100 meters along the dip or width of the ore body. At the same time, the extrapolated part must have confirmed geological mapping results that demonstrate similar geological characteristics to the location with control works.

3. Requirements for the level of feasibility study

a) Reserve calculation criteria are applied according to national technical standards or regulations, or based on indicators (ore content, mineral composition...) in mines with similar geological and mining conditions that have been approved;

b) Preliminary selection of mining technical solutions and suitable usage directions has been made.

4. Requirements for economic efficiency level

Based on comparison with currently operating mines with similar conditions, it must be proven that mining is economically viable at the time of reserve assessment.

Article 7. Requirements for Reserve Calculation Work

1. Reserves are calculated based on the corresponding reserve calculation criteria for the field of use and specified in detail in the Exploration Project.

2. The preliminary boundaries of the mining area, the slope angle of the layer, the final bench slope angle, stripping ratio, and the volume of overburden must be determined.

3. The method of calculating reserves must be selected appropriately based on the characteristics of the ore body to ensure reliability.

4. Reserves are calculated in cubic meters.

Article 8. Content and presentation form of the exploration report documents

The content and presentation form of the exploration report documents for river sand and gravel, and land and rock materials for landfill shall be implemented in accordance with the Regulations on the procedures and formalities for approval, review, examination, and approval of mineral reserves in the mineral exploration report issued together with Circular No. 16/2012/TT-BTNMT dated November 29, 2012 of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.

Chapter III

IMPLEMENTING PROVISIONS

Article 9. Implementation Organization

1. The Director General of the Vietnam Geological and Mineral Resources General Department, the Heads of units under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Directors of Provincial Departments of Natural Resources and Environment, centrally-affiliated cities, and related organizations and individuals are responsible for implementing this Circular.

2. The Vietnam Geological and Mineral Resources General Department is responsible for guiding and supervising the implementation of this Circular.

3. In case the referenced documents in this Circular are amended, supplemented, or replaced, the new provisions shall apply.

Article 10. Effective Date

1. This Circular takes effect from March 1, 2016.

2. During the implementation process, if any issues arise or difficulties occur, relevant ministries, sectors, localities, organizations, and individuals shall promptly reflect them to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment for consideration and resolution./.