SURFACE MINE DESIGN
SURFACE MINE DESIGN
This course describes the techniques involved in the exploitation of a geological deposit by surface mining.
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
The method of mining is unique for each different size and each shape of the orebody. Mineral deposits differ in the shape and orientation of an orebody, the strength of the ore and surrounding rock, and the type of mineral distribution. These geological features influence the selection of a mining method and the plan for the ore development. Operating mines vary in size from small underground mines (with production under one hundred tonnes of mineral a day) to large open pits excavating tens of thousands of tonnes of ore a day. Open pit mining is applied to the extraction of near-surface deposits.