Mine Life Stages

1. MINE-121
Mining Engineering Fundamentals
Module-2
Mine Life Stages
Dr. Zulfiqar Ali
Department of Mining Engineering
University of Engineering & Technology, Lahore

2. Course Learning Outcomes
CLO2:
 Explain the phases/life-stages of
mining: prospecting, exploration,
development, exploitation, and
reclamation.
Cognitive Level: 2

3. cognitive levels of learning
Cognitive: mental skills (knowledge), Affective: growth in feelings or
emotional areas (attitude or self) and Psychomotor: manual or physical
skills (skills)

4. Course Learning Outcomes
CLO2
Explain:
 the specific tasks to be completed in
each stage
 The specific methods used for each life
stage
 The outcome of each stage
 Estimated budget

5. 1. Precursors to Mining
 Prospecting (Mineral Deposit)
 Exploration (Ore-Body)
2. Mining
 Development (Prospect)
 Exploitation (Mine)
3. Post Mining
 Reclamation (Real Estate)
MINE LIFE CYCLE/STAGES

6. MINE
PHASES
MINE LIFE
STAGES
MODERN LIFE
ACTIVITIES
PERSONs
RESPONSIBLE
PRECURSOR
TO MINING
PROSPECTING MINERAL DEPOSIT
Geologists,
Geophysicist, Mining
Engineers
EXPLORATION
MINERAL RESOURCE
FEASIBILITY &
ASSESSEMENT
MINING
DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT Mining Engineers
EXPLOITATION
PRODUCTION Mining Engineers
MINERAL
PROCESSING
Mining Engineers
POST MINING
RECLAMATON/
REAL ESTATE
MARKETING
Mining Engineers/
Sales
CLOSURE
Mining Engineers
/Environmentalists
MINE LIFE CYCLE/STAGES

7. Search for ore:
a) Methods:
 Direct Methods
 Physical Geology
 Indirect methods
 Geophysical, Geochemcial Methods
b) Locate favorable loci (maps, literature, old
mines)
c) Air: Aerial photography, Airborne geophysics,
Satellite
d) Surface: Ground Geophysics, Geology
e) Spot anomaly, analyze, evaluate
Unit Costs: $0.05 – 1.00/ton
Total Costs: $0.2 – 10 million
Time Period: 1 – 3 yrs.
PROSPECTING

8. Define extent and value of a mineral deposit
 An intensive, organized, and professional form of
Prospecting
 Estimate Tonnage and grade
TOOLS
 Geological Mapping
 Geographic Information System (GIS)
 Core Drilling
 Sampling
 Chemical Assays
OUTPUT
 Feasibility: Abandon or develop?
Unit Costs: $0.02 – 1.50/ton
Total Costs: $1 – 15 million
Time Period: 2 – 5 yrs
EXPLORATION

9. GEOPHYSICAL METHODS
 Measurement of rock physical properties, above or
below the surface, to draw conclusions of hidden
geology
 For a geophysical technique to work, there must be
contrast between rock properties (i.e. Anomaly).
 Geophysical methods are classified as : Passive, or
active.
 Passive techniques use naturally existing fields e.g.
gravity, magnetic, electric, radiation properties of
rock
 Active techniques measure the response to a
stimulus e.g. recording seismic waves, electrical
current, electromagnetic waves
EXPLORATION METHODS

10. GRAVITY METHOD
 Gravity measurements define anomalous density within
the earth.
 Gravity meter (gravimeters) are used to precisely
measure variations in the gravity field at different points
 Positive gravity anomalies are associated with high
density bodies, while negative anomalies are associated
with shallow low bodies
MAGNETIC METHOD
 Magnetic method exploit small variations in magnetism of
minerals
SEISMIC SURVEY
 Uses a seismic source (hammer, explosion etc.) and
geophones as recorders
EXPLORATION METHODS

11. EXPLORATION METHODS

12. DRILL HOLE SPACING
Enough to determine
continuity of grade?
ASSAYS: Laboratories; Procedures; Deviation from Norm -
Remember
DIAMOND DRILL CORES
 Recovery; Sample interval
 Splitting & Core Retention
Exploration Drilling
EXPLORATION

13. RESOURCES VS RESERVES
MINERAL RESOURCE
 Mineral Resource is a concentration of minerals in or on
the Earth’s crust is such for and quantity and of such a
grade or quality that it has reasonable prospects for
economic extraction.
 Mineral resources are sub-divided in order of increasing
confidence into inferred, indicated, or measured
resources.
MINERAL RESERVE
 Ore reserves are those portions of mineral resources that
after the application of all modifying factors, result in an
estimated tonnage and grade
 Mineral reserves are sub-divided in order of increasing
confidence into Probable and Proven Ore Reserves

14. RESOURCES VS RESERVES

15. 3. Development
Opening up ore deposit for production
Preliminary Work:
 Mining rights & permits
 Environmental & water permit
 Buying or leasing surface land
 Arranging for financing
Basic Infrastructure
 Access roads
 Power Sources
 Surface plants
 Mineral Transportation Facilities
 Facilities (Offices, Housing, Emergency services
etc.)
Unit Costs: $0.25 – 10.50 /ton
Total Costs: $10 – 500 million
Time Period: 2 – 5 yrs
DEVELOPMENT

16. 3. Development
Opening up ore deposit for production
Surface Mine Development:
 Stripping the overburden
 Haul Roads
 Optimization and Planning
 Dump Locations
Underground Mine Development
 Underground development is more complex
 Mine Layout and Planning
 Primary Openings
 Secondary excavations
DEVELOPMENT

17. 4. Exploitation
Large scale production of ore
 Mining methods
 Surface: Open pit, open cast etc
 U/G: Room n Pillar, caving etc
 Monitor costs and payback
Unit Costs: $2.00 – 150 /ton
Total Costs: $5 – 75 million
Time Period: 10 – 30 yrs
EXPLOITATION

18. 4. Exploitation
Large scale production of ore
 Mining methods
 Surface: Open pit, open cast etc
 U/G: Room n Pillar, caving etc
 Monitor costs and payback
Unit Costs: $2.00 – 150 /ton
Total Costs: $5 – 75 million
Time Period: 10 – 30 yrs
EXPLOITATION

19. 5. Reclamation
Restoration of site to an
equivalent or better state
 Plants and vegetation
 Reclamation of waste
and tailings dumps
 Monitoring of discharges
Unit Costs: $0.20 – 4.00 /ton
Total Costs: $1 – 20 million
Time Period: 2 – 10 yrs
At left, one of the original mine pits at
Syncrude's Mildred Lake oil sands mine in
Alberta, Canada. At right, the same area
after reclamation
http://www.earthmagazine.org/article/reclaiming-albertas-oil-sands-
mines
Reclamation