Mining

Methods of search and extraction

of rocks and minerals

Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or

other geological materials from the earth from an ore
body, lode, vein, seam, or reef, which forms the mineralized
package of economic interest to the miner.
A mineral is a substance obtained by mining.

A reserve is a known source of the mineral, which has not yet been
mined. The minerals can be mined in the future when they are
needed.
The life expectancy of a mineral is the number of years reserves
are expected to last at present rates of use. It is calculated by
dividing the amount of reserves known to exist with the amount
used each year.

Opencast Mining or Quarrying

Stages involved in this type of mining

-

Clear vegetation and remove the top soil

Break up and loosen the rock by using explosives
Use diggers to remove the loose rock
Tip the rock or mineral into trucks or railway
wagons

A large hole is left in the ground by this type of

mining

Deep mining

Stages involving deep mining

- Sinking a vertical shaft down to the rock layer
containing minerals
- Making a horizontal tunnel following the mineral
layer

- Extracting the minerals by digging done by miners

and machines
- Bringing the loose rock from the mine and piling it up
on waste heaps on the surface
- Bringing the minerals to the surface, to be
transported away in trucks or trains

Deep mining is dangerous

- Roof tunnels must be supported, but even under

those conditions roofs may collapse and miners
get trapped, injured or killed.
- Flooding might occur
- Gas could be present which increases the danger
of fire and explosion
- Escape routs could get blocked

Oil extraction
in-land and offshore

Disasters

Modern mining
http://www.ukcoal.com/businesses/deepmining/modern-mine