RAG has been producing hard coal by underground mining in Germany until the end of 2018 and continues to be responsible for the resulting consequences in North Rhine-Westphalia and Saarland. For almost 200 years, thousands of mine shafts and other cavities have been developed underground, many of them at a time when computers and 3D models were still unknown.
To protect near-surface drinking water reservoirs, mine water management is one of RAG’s most critical post-mining activities. Since mine water is mostly generated from rainwater, slowly percolating into the mine workings, understanding the laws of how pumping activities and weather correlate is key. Whereas the mine workings that are dewatered by the pumping stations are well-known, the actual catchment area of the water at the surface is not entirely identified.
RAG is obligated to optimize its resources in terms of personnel, maintenance activities and cost planning of energy demands. Improving the prediction accuracy of pumped water on a monthly basis would help tremendously in this endeavor. You are also encouraged to investigate other factors, such as local geology, in order to arrive at an accurate prediction model.