Sovereign Hydroseal - Sealing Technologies for Deep Underground Structures

Sovereign Hydroseal develops sealing technologies that have been tested over the past 35 years in deep underground structures in the US, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Hong Kong and the UK, to mention a few.

While Sovereign's application traditionally has been the sealing of unwanted groundwater inflows, it has found new applications in these current challenging times.

During compressed air trials in the US, the Sovereign sealing system successfully sealed deep underground mine passages which were pressure tested to 80bar/1,160psi. This sealant technology is ideal for underground depositories, geo-sequestration or compressed air storage.

Grouting methods for sealing water inflows

Grouting methods used by Sovereign Hydroseal are ideal in the sealing of major water inflows of up to 500l/s / 132gal/s out of a single fissure with pressures in excess of 170bar/2,500psi. Sovereign's grouting techniques are perfect for underground flood situations.

These chemical grouting methods have been tested in deep level mines (4km deep), where no other products could be used due to the extreme washout effect of large water volumes at extremely high pressures. Sovereign has the expertise, background, equipment and experience to deal with all types of water ingress and has been a leader in the field of pressure grouting since 1972.

Underground sealants

Large-volume groundwater ingress and methane pockets have always been a major challenge for mining engineers. This can be one of the most annoying, difficult, dangerous and costly problems faced. Conventional cement and solid particle-based grouting materials are not penetrable enough during grouting and not flexible after grouting.

Sovereign Hydroseal uses a patented special emulsion grout - NOH20. This flexible grout performs excellent where high-pressure water and high flow water need to be sealed.

Colloidal emulsion grout

Penetrability is selected on the basis of the aperture of the fractures and material found in the fractures. Sovereign's grout is a continuous medium colloidal emulsion and although soluble, forms a hydro colloidal solution.

Colloidal systems like these will continue to disperse. The dispersed medium at time of injection is a liquid with a SG0.97 of a size of 0.6nm. NOH2O will travel where water flows and the grout program is usually designed with a particular drill program to achieve this.

Mechanical membrane creation

Coagulation and curing times can be chemically controlled to result in the creation of a mechanical membrane from a few seconds to a couple of months. Coagulation or curing of the grout may also occur through agitation when it experiences the shear action as it passes through an orifice of a fissure. Future ground movement or shock from blasting will not result in water leaking again, as may happen if only cement is used.

Environmentally friendly and HSE-compliant grout

The NOH20 product and chemical modifiers designed and used by Sovereign Hydroseal are ideal to solve various kinds of technical and environmental problems that are normally associated with water ingress. The systems employed are environmentally friendly and Sovereign has an extended health, safety and environmental plan that is regularly audited.

The flexible NOH20 grout from Sovereign Hydroseal has been successfully used in many situations and different environments. These include water ingress in deep mines, water sealing during shaft-sinking operations, raised boreholes, ventilation shafts, developing declines, curtain grouting of pilot holes and new shafts, ore passes, methane gas sealing, TBM tunnels (lined or unlined), tunnels underneath dam sealing, shaft lining sealing, water plugs, sea wall sealing, silos, underground depositories, bulkheads, dam walls and underground military installations.