Mining Methods

vital considerations
needed to know on
the different methods
to mine a
mineral deposit
upon knowing the geometry
of the ore body,
there are appropriate safety
ways to mine the minerals
proper assessment of
maximizing profit
 Methods of Mining
Surface
and
underground mining
Types of mines:
(A) Underground,
(B) Surface (Open pit),
(C) Strip,
(D) Placer (being mined by
a floating dredge)
1. Surface Mining
- Utilized to extract ore minerals
that are close to Earth’s surface
- Different types include open
pit mining, quarrying, placer
mining and strip mining.
600m deep open pit diamond mine (Source: CK12
Earth Science)
 Limestone
Quarry in
northern Illinois
(source:
Physical
Geology Earth
Revealed by
 2. Underground Mining
- Utilized to extract ore
minerals from the orebody is
that is deep under the Earth’s
surface
A 3-D view of an
underground mine
showing the ore
body at subsurface
(source: Physical
Geology Earth
Revealed by
Carlson, 2011 p565)
The Milling Process
the materials extracted or “mined" are
rocks composed of both ore and waste
material (part of the rock which contain
very little or no element or mineral of
economic value).
The extracted rocks will undergo
processes of mineral (e.g. metal)
separation and recovery.
Recovering the minerals
from the ore and waste
materials can involve one or
more processes where in the
separation is usually done in
a mill.
Crushing and screening are
the first stages of controlled
size reduction followed by
grinding where the rocks are
pulverized
 Milling and Recovery
Methods /Processes
1. Heavy media separation: The crushed rocks are
submerged in liquid where the heavier/denser
minerals sink thus are separated from the lighter
minerals. This is commonly used to separate
chalcopyrite from quartz before the refining
processes of extracting copper.
2. Magnetic separation: If
the metal or mineral is
magnetic, the crushed ore
is separated from the
waste materials using a
powerful magnet.
3. Flotation: The powdered ore is
placed into an agitated and frothy
slurry where some minerals
and metals based on physical and
chemical properties may either sink to
the bottom or may stick
to the bubbles and rise to the topthus
separating the minerals and metals
from the waste.
4. Cyanide heap leaching:
This method used for low-
grade gold ore where the
crushed rock is placed on a
“leach pile” where cyanide
solution is sprayed or dripped
on top of the pile.
 As the leach solution
percolates down through
the rocks, the gold is
dissolved into the solution.
The solution is processed
further to extract the gold.
The waste material is
either used as a backfill in
the mine or sent to a
tailings pond, while the
metals are sent for further
processing
Discussion:
1. Explain what
happens to glass 1.
2. Explain what
happens to glass 2.
D. Environmental Impacts
“Possible”
environmental impacts
of irresponsible mining
Improper mining can
cause flooding, erosion,
subsidence, water and
air pollution, damage to
wildlife and habitat.
Measures to prevent
or mitigate the
harmful effects of
irresponsible mining
Topsoil replacement using
uncontaminated soil;
 reintroduction of flora and fauna;
neutralizing acidic waters;
 backfilling and sealing of
abandoned underground mines;
 stabilizing the slope of impacted
area to reduce erosion, etc.
1. What is the
importance of the
different stages of
exploration?
2. In a newly acquired
mineral project for
exploration, is it possible to
immediately drill in the area
even without any subsurface
investigation (e.g. geophysics
and trenching)?
3. Describe some
methods used in
surface mining.
4. An open-pit mine may
in the future be
converted into an
underground mine. Why
would this happen?
5. Enumerate several
ways to rehabilitate a
mined-out area.
6. How is it possible for
materials presently
considered as waste
become economically
mineable in the future?