Process Description: Strip Mining

Emma Edwards

EGR 3350-08

Technical Communications for Engineers and Computer Scientists

Ms. Alysoun Taylor-Hall

Mechanical Engineering

February 15, 2018

Introduction

Strip mining is a mineral excavation process during which the top layer of soil and rock is

removed to mine a seam of material that is close to the surface of the earth. This process is

mostly used to mine coal and lignite. Strip mining is predominately used in environments with

mostly flat expanses of land that have minerals close to the surface, such as Wyoming, Kansas,

and parts of Europe. Strip mining has four main steps that include: clearing the land, opening the

seam, removing the mineral, and repairing the land.

Discussion

Clearing the Land

Clearing the Land is a deforestation process during which bulldozers clear trees, brush, and other

foliage from the area to be mined. This process also involves removing the top layer of soil from

the ground, this layer of soil, rock, and waste is known as the overburden. The overburden is

then deposited nearby, and the miners begin opening the seam.

Opening the Seam

Opening the Seam is a revealing process during which a

machine known as a bucket wheel excavator (Figure 1) is

used to remove the soft rock above the mineral waiting to

be uncovered. If the land is too hard for the bucket wheel

excavator, small holes are drilled into the earth. These

holes are then filled with explosives that are detonated, Figure 1: Bucket wheel excavator (source:
https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap101024.html)

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breaking up the rock above the seam. After all the material above the mineral is broken up, it is

moved to the same location at which the rest of the waste was deposited. It is now possible to

begin removing the mineral.

Removing the Mineral

Removing the Mineral is a collection process in which the exposed mineral is broken up using

explosives and drills, and then transported out of the mine. The method of breaking up the

mineral depends heavily on the geological conditions of the area, and the mineral is typically

broken up into strips to keep large pieces that can be relocated using the heavy machinery on

site. After all the desired mineral has been extracted from an area, the miners begin to repair the

land.

Repairing the Land

Repairing the Land is a restorative process in which all the overburden and other material is

returned to the area from which is was removed. Bulldozers and other equipment return the

waste, smooth it down, and cover it in a layer of top soil to return the land to its original state.

Often, mining companies will plant grasses and trees to restore the land, but sometimes the land

is destroyed beyond repair due to the chemicals from the mineral and the removal of so much

vegetation. After the land has been repaired to the best of the companies physical and

economical ability, the process of strip mining is complete.

Conclusion

Strip mining is a mineral excavation process during which the top layer of soil and rock is

removed to mine a seam of material that is close to the surface of the earth. The process of strip

mining has four main steps. First, the plants and soil above the mineral to be mined are removed

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and relocated. The exposed rock is broken up using explosives and large machinery and once

again removed. The machinery and explosives are then used to break up and remove the desired

mineral. Finally, the removed material is replaced, and the land is replanted. Large sites can be

mined in this manner for up to fifty years, repeating these steps until the location is exhausted of

profitable materials.

Figure 2: Detailed Infographic depicting the steps involved in strip mining

(source:http://www.mtowencomplex.com.au/en/mining-infrastructure/Pages/mining-methods.aspx)