Underground mining methods engineering fundamentals and. Both methods are well suited to extracting the relatively flat coalbeds or coal seams typical of. Underground mining methods engineering fundamentals and international case studies details. Soft rock mining refers to excavation of softer minerals such as salt, coal. The mining rate is greater than 20,000 tonnes per day tpd but is usually much greater. Reflecting the international and diverse nature of the industry, a series of mining case studies is presented covering the commodity range from iron ore to diamonds extracted by operations located in all corners of the world. While most largescale mining projects involve openpit mining, many large underground mines are in operation around the world. The 150 or so official placer mines in 2009 produced 55,000 ounces of gold. Underground mining methods are usually employed when the depth of the deposit andor the waste to ore ratio stripping ratio are.
Langston consultant abstract underhand cut and fill mining methods are used at the lucky friday, stillwater, and galena mines in the western us in an effort to safely mine in difficult ground conditions and as a primary mining method where access below the ore is limited. In this selection some of the parameters such as geological and geotechnical properties, economic parameters and geographical factors are involved. It is not an exact science and in the choice of a method each varying factor has a certain weight, which, in many cases, experience alone can determine. It is defined as a concentration of minerals that can be exploited and turned into a saleable product to generate a financially acceptable profit under existing economic conditions. However, when an outcropping ore body stretches deep inside the earth, surface methods can be used to begin the mining operation, which then need to be continued further by underground. Mining act 2006 act 703 of ghana defines small scale gold mining operation as the mining of gold by any effective and efficient method.
For underground mines the mining rate is typically less than 20,000 tonnes per. Underground mining methods previous next the choice of an underground mining method depends on a range of factors and these include. Our innovative and rigorous methodology maximizes your projects economic benefits. Underground mining methods while most mineral deposits can be mined by either surface or underground methods, some minerals can only be recovered in a hybrid manner, usually by initial extracted by open pit mining, followed by underground methods. It is widely believed that surface mining is more productive than most underground mining methods, with the exception of block caving, which has a comparable rate of productivity.
A highly productive underground mining method, longwall mining is used in a large horizontal spread of thinbedded deposits of uniform thickness usually ranging from 0. Other methods include shrinkage stope mining, which is mining upward, creating a sloping underground room, long wall mining, which is grinding a long ore surface underground, and room and pillar mining, which is removing ore from rooms while leaving pillars in place to support the roof of the room. Underground mining methods and applications production headframe hans hamrin 1. As can be seen, surface mining is much more advantageous than its counterpart. Underground hard rock mining refers to various underground mining techniques used to excavate hard minerals, usually those containing metals such as ore containing gold, silver, iron, copper, zinc, nickel, tin and lead, but also involves using the same techniques for excavating ores of gems such as diamonds or rubies. Underhand cut and fill mining as practiced in three deep hard. By the new stone age, humans had progressed to underground mining in. Grade control staff should be welltrained and motivated, and mining staff should understand the need for grade control. Underground mining methods glossary bolting drilling a hole, and inserting a bolt to strengthen the ceiling and walls of an underground mine crusher a machine used to crush ore before it is transported drift a horizontal underground tunnel that follows a vein or ore body. Some mining is done by scraping away the soil dirt from the top of the ground. Mining industry response to the book continues to be incredible.
Some mining is done by going deep underground into a mine shaft. The low rainfall and absence of very high yielding aquifers, has meant that the control of mine water inflows were often accommodated in the runofmine design. Gold mining in alaska gold mining has a long history in alaska, beginning with the klondike gold rush at the end of the 1800s. Pdf mining methods underground mining mayra garcia. Mining practice for intermediatedepth, narrow tabular ore bodies with particular reference to the free state and klerksdorp goldfields. An economic viability of a modern day mine is highly dependent upon careful planning and management. Types of underground mining and their applications youtube. Underground mines are more expensive and are often used to reach deeper deposits. After the ore body has been delineated and defined, a company may make several feasibility studies to determine the best way to mine the ore. Underground mining underground mines in the united states are typically operated using one of two different methods.
Mining method selection by multiple criteria decision. It set of longwall mining equipment consists of a coal shear er mounted on convey or operating. Underhand cut and fill mining as practiced in three deep. Jul 24, 2016 4100 feet underground in the massive, abandoned admiral aaron ward mine duration. Here are the types of underground mining and their. Although underground mining is a less environmentallydestructive means of gaining access to an ore deposit, it is often more costly and entails greater safety risks than strip mining, including openpit mining. In room and pillar mining, rooms are cut into the coal bed leaving a series of pillars, or columns of coal, to help support the mine roof and control the flow of air. There are several techniques and processes by which gold may be extracted from the earth. Jan 27, 2014 there is a variety of mining methods used, often in the same mine, depending on the geometry of the orebody and the stability of the rock. The stereotypical grizzled gold rush prospector panning for gold was searching for placer gold, or gold deposited in a waterway. Exploring abandoned mines and unusual places 1,667,926 views. Underground mining is used for gold, platinum, zinc, lead, and increasingly, coal. When you subscribe to mining cost service, you will receive all of the current pdf files and, if ordered, two full volumes of the current paper copy of current, reliable cost data, plus you will receive a full years updating service in the format you have chosen.
Pwc open pit mining mining methods 5 open pit mines are used to exploit low grade, shallow ore bodies. The revenue from the sale of the ore keeps the venture going and finances further development. All of these techniques use gravity and water to separate the dense gold from the lighter. This book presents the latest mining principles and techniques in use today. Underground mining methods presents the latest principles and techniques in use today. We have extensive global underground mine engineering and operating experience across most major commodities and mining methods. Placer deposits are composed of relatively loose material that makes tunneling. Water is collected at the lowest point in the open pit or underground mine, then pumped to surface. Underground mine design, planning, and engineering srk. In any discussion of methods of underground mining comparison, one is repeatedly confronted with the difficulty of dealing with so many variable conditions.
Pdf mining is the extraction of economically valuable minerals or other. These deposits form a mineralized package that is of economic interest to the miner. Declining trends in average ore grades, increasing mining costs and environmental considerations will ensure that this situation will remain in the foreseeable future. Deposits where both the ore and rock are breakable. Some mining, such as gold mining, is done in other ways. Even today there exist a variety of placer mining operations ranging from large commercial placer mines to stream panning by tourists. Comparison of designs for the dewatering of coal, gold and.
Placer mining takes a variety of forms, including panning, sluiceboxing, hydraulic mining, and dredging. Ore is then removed or mucked out by a lhd load haul dump machine, which resembles a lowprofile articulated frontend loader. Used a lot by south african gold mining companies, this method can be used in both soft and hard rocks as the working area along the mining face can be supported. Ataei synopsis mining method selection is the first and most important problem in mine design. Surface mines are typically used for more shallow and less valuable deposits. Grade control sampling methods in underground gold mines. Underground mining techniques and risks geology for investors. Underground mining methods as practiced in nevada dictated which specific databases and stope design curves niosh would focus upon. To achieve quality samples, collection techniques employed should minimise delimitation, extraction and preparation errors.
The hazardous nature of small scale underground mining in. Underground mine design, planning and engineering maximize your ore reserve value by using our operating expertise to customize your mining plan we have years of firsthand underground mine engineering and operating experience in most countries and across multiple commodities using all common mining methods. Thanks in large part to the efforts by john chadwick of the mining journal, and many other members of the mining community, the hard rock miners handbook has been distributed to over 1 countries worldwide. Mining method selection by multiple criteria decision making tools by m. Soft rock mining refers to excavation of softer minerals such as. Longwall mining is a highly mechaniz ed underground mining sys tem for mining coal. Placer mining is the technique by which gold that has accumulated in a placer deposit is extracted. Placer mining is used to sift out valuable metals from sediments in river channels, beach sands, or other environments. Underground sampling methods include chip and channel samples. Two computer generated views of agnico eagles suurikuusiko gold mining project.
Grade control sampling methods in underground gold mines ausimm. By the new stone age,humans had progressed to underground mining in systematic openings 2 to 3 ft 0. Mining, process of extracting useful minerals from the surface of the earth, including the seas. Designs for coal, gold and diamond open pits are very similar.
The two industries ranked together as the primary or basic industries of early civilization. Mining method selection by multiple criteria decision making. Copper and molybdenum concentrates with gold and silver credits are. The actual difference between surface and underground mining. Rock mass values were calculated during mine visits and varied from an rmr high of 70% and a low of 16% in goldbearing fault gouge. Gold is mined in australia using various methods, including an underground method. Polish government mining research is working on solving mining problems with the application of new methods for efficient and safe mining. A mineral, with a few exceptions, is an inorganic substance occurring in nature that has a definite chemical composition and distinctive physical properties or molecular structure. According to mining company citigold, this process involves accessing the gold using two downward angled tunnels or declines five meters long and five meters high, allowing for. Mining can also include other things like oil and natural gas. This book describes mining methods for the surface and underground mineral deposits. Classification of underground mining methods mineral production in which all extracting operations are conducted beneath the ground surface is termed underground mining. Gold mining is the process of mining of gold or gold ores from the ground.
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