Identifying the Mining Industry’s Differentiating Business Processes

Objective

After completing this lesson, you will be able to identify differentiating business processes and activities that are part of the value chain for the Mining industry.

Mining Operations

This lesson explores the essential processes and technologies that form the backbone of modern mining operations. We'll examine three main process areas that take place at mining sites, following the journey of ore from extraction to processing.

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Drill, Blast, & Excavate

The first stage involves extracting ore from the pit through carefully coordinated drilling, blasting, and excavation procedures. These operations employ various mining techniques selected based on the site's specific characteristics and requirements.

Before excavation can begin, the rock typically must be broken down into manageable pieces that mining equipment can handle effectively. This preparation phase involves strategic drilling followed by controlled blasting using explosives. Once fragmented, the rock can be efficiently excavated using specialized mining equipment.

Load & Haul

After extraction, the ore must be transported from the pit to either stockpile areas or processing facilities. This critical phase relies on loading and hauling operations, which form a vital link in the mining process chain.

Beneficiation

The final major process area is beneficiation, which takes place at on-site processing plants or mills. This crucial phase involves several unit processes designed to prepare the ore for eventual use:

  • Sizing the material to specific dimensions
  • Separating valuable minerals from waste
  • Concentrating the desired minerals
  • Processing the minerals into usable forms

Each of these process areas works in concert to transform raw ore into valuable mineral products, highlighting the complexity and precision required in modern mining operations.

Main Mining Methods

Every mining site has unique natural characteristics, needing tailored mine designs to efficiently access and extract the materials. Common mining techniques vary and are chosen based on the site’s geology, balancing economic feasibility, and environmental impact.

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Surface Mining & Open Pit Mining

Surface mining techniques access mineral deposits that lie close to the Earth's surface. Open pit mining, one of the most common methods, begins with the careful removal of vegetation, soil, and bedrock to reach the valuable minerals beneath. These mines are engineering marvels, featuring stepped walls that prevent collapse and carefully designed ramps that allow heavy equipment to move efficiently. A crucial component of these operations is the dewatering system, which manages groundwater levels to maintain safe and productive mining conditions. The extracted waste rock is typically stored in designated areas near the pit.

Underground Mining

When valuable minerals lie deep beneath the surface, underground mining becomes essential. Though more complex and costly than surface methods, it allows access to high-grade ore deposits that would be impractical to reach from above. This method creates an intricate network of tunnels and shafts, with ventilation systems playing a vital role in maintaining safe air quality. Underground mining employs several specialized techniques:

The room and pillar method creates a grid-like pattern of tunnels, leaving strategic pillars of ore to support the mine's roof. For deposits found in geological veins, narrow vein stopping allows precise extraction along these natural formations. Longwall mining efficiently removes large sections of ore in single slices, while sublevel caving works from top to bottom, systematically blasting ore at multiple levels. Block caving harnesses gravity's power, breaking and extracting large ore sections through controlled collapse.

Strip Mining

Strip mining excels at extracting shallow, layered deposits, particularly brown coal. This method systematically removes layers of overburden (the rock and soil above the mineral deposit) to expose the valuable mineral seams beneath. Think of it as peeling back layers of Earth like pages in a book, with each layer revealing the resource beneath.

In-Situ Mining

In-situ mining offers a unique approach that minimizes surface disruption. Also known as in-situ leaching or solution mining, this method injects specific chemicals underground to dissolve target minerals, which are then pumped to the surface for processing. This technique is particularly effective for uranium and copper extraction, significantly reducing waste rock production. However, it requires specific geological conditions: the ore body must be permeable, and careful measures must be taken to protect groundwater from contamination.

Conclusion

Each of these mining methods represents a careful balance between accessing valuable resources and respecting both economic and environmental constraints. The choice of method depends heavily on the unique characteristics of each site, ensuring efficient extraction while maintaining safety and environmental responsibility.

Typical Surface Mining Process

Surface mining follows similar fundamental principles across different minerals, though the specific details vary by mineral type and mine site. Let's explore this process through the example of phosphate mining, which provides an excellent illustration of typical surface mining techniques and equipment.

Understanding Phosphate Deposits

Phosphate typically occurs in shallow layers beneath the Earth's surface. Above the first mineable phosphate layer lies what miners call "overburden" - the layers of rock and soil that must be removed to access the valuable mineral beneath. Between separate phosphate beds, you'll find layers called "interburden," which also must be managed during the mining process.

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The Mining Process

The extraction of phosphate follows a systematic approach that combines precision and power. Here's how it unfolds:

Step 1: Drilling / Blasting

The process begins with carefully planned drilling operations. Teams drill precise holes into the overburden rock, which is then packed with explosives. When detonated, these explosives break the rock into manageable pieces that can be handled by mining equipment. This controlled fragmentation is essential for efficient removal.

Step 2: Stripping of waste

Once the rock is broken up, massive excavators or draglines move in to remove the fragmented overburden. These powerful machines load the material into heavy-duty haul trucks, which transport it to designated waste areas. This step essentially clears the way to access the valuable phosphate beneath.

Step 3: Ore taken

After reaching the phosphate layers, miners employ the same systematic approach: Drill, blast, load, and haul. However, instead of going to waste areas, the valuable phosphate ore is transported to crushing facilities or processing plants for further refinement.

Typical Mining Extraction Equipment

Mining operations rely on a carefully selected array of specialized equipment, each designed for specific tasks in the extraction process. Understanding these tools helps us appreciate how modern mining efficiently and safely extracts valuable minerals from the Earth.

Drilling and Excavation Equipment

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Drills: Essential for creating blastholes for explosives placement, increasingly using automated systems for remote operation.

Draglines: Large excavators with cable-suspended buckets, handling 50–150 cubic meters of material, primarily used for overburden removal.

Excavators: Primary equipment for loading trucks with ore or overburden in open-pit operations.

Continuous Surface Miners: All-in-one machines that cut crush, and load material, offering an alternative to drill-and-blast methods.

Material Handling Equipment

Material Handling Equipment

Dozers (including bulldozers and wheeled paydozers): Used to push large volumes of material across mining sites

Haul Trucks: Capable of carrying over 350 tons, these vehicles transport ore to processing sites and waste rock to dump areas, representing up to 50% of open-pit mining costs

Loaders (including wheel loaders and hydraulic shovels): Primary digging and loading equipment that uses large buckets to scoop up broken rock and ore, transferring it into haul trucks for transport across the mining site.

Support and Processing Equipment

Support and Processing Equipment

Water Trucks: Essential for dust control in dry mining areas, maintaining worker health and safety

Mobile Crushing and Screening Units: Process ore before stockpiling by crushing and screening material into appropriate sizes

Lesson Summary

  • Mining operations center on three core process areas that work together to extract and process minerals. The Drill, Blast & Excavate stage breaks down and removes ore from deposits. The Load & Haul operations transport materials between mining sites and processing facilities. The Beneficiation stage processes raw ore into usable mineral products through various refinement steps.
  • These processes are executed through four main mining methods, each suited to different conditions: surface mining for shallow deposits, underground mining for deep deposits, strip mining for layered materials, and in-situ mining for deposits that can be chemically extracted.
  • Each process area requires specialized equipment, from drilling machines and excavators to haul trucks and processing plants. Modern operations increasingly utilize automated systems to improve safety and efficiency.
  • The successful coordination of these processes, methods, and equipment forms the foundation of mining operations, with specific approaches chosen based on geological conditions, economic factors, and environmental requirements.

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