Mining Ne w Opportunities 13 t he c or e and s e le ct s in t er e sting s e ctions f or analysis U sing c hemistr y t he c or e is a ss a ye d analy ze d t o nd out how m uc h me t al or v alua ble mineral is pr e s en t If r e sult s of a dr ill hole ar e enc ourag ing man y mor e hole s ar e r e q uir e d t o nd out t he si ze and sha p e of t he o r e b o d y c o n t a i n i n g t h e m e t a l s o r v a l u a b l e m i n e r a l s I f t h e o r e b o d y i s b i g e n o u g h a n d r i c h enough a mine ma y b e c onstr uct e d M i ner al E v alu a tion F e wer t han t en p er c en t of mineral e x plora tion pr op er tie s act ually move f r om t he e x plora tion st ag e t o t he mineral e v alua tion st ag e of t he mining pr o c e ss D ur ing mineral e v alua tion a mining c om pan y ans wers t he q ue stion Is t his sit e g oing t o b e an e c onomic ally v ia ble mine S t udie s ar e c om ple t e d t o underst and t he e c onomic s of pr o duction mar k e ting and en v ir onmen t al pr ot e ction M i ne Constr uc tion Millions of dollars ma y b e sp en t c onstr ucting a mine If a de p o sit is c lo s e t o t he sur f ac e of t he E ar t h it c an b e dug out a s a hole c alle d a su r f ace mi ne or an op en pit mi ne S ur f ac e ma t er ial and w a st e r o c k ar e str ipp e d f r om t he sur f ac e E x plo sive s ar e us e d t o br e ak up t he r o c k Te br ok en r o c k is loade d in t o big tr uc k s using f r on t end loaders and t ak en a w a y f or c r ushing g r inding and pr o c e ssing When t he de p o sit is bur ie d de e p in t he E ar t h mining c om panie s m ust dig t unne ls t o t he me t als or minerals S uc h an op era tion is c alle d an u nder g rou nd mi ne Te ver tic al t unne l t o t he ar e a of t he or e b o dy is c alle d a s haf t Inside t he shaf t an e le v a t or or c age is us e d t o transp or t t he miners and e q uipmen t f r om t he sur f ac e t o t he under g r ound wor k ing s A buc k e t or s k ip is us e d t o lif t t he br ok en r o c k and or e f r om under g r ound O t her ver tic al t unne ls c alle d ven til a tion s haf t s br ing f r e sh air t o t he mine H or i zon t al t unne ls c alle d d r i f t s pr ov ide ac c e ss f r om t he shaf t t o t he or e b o dy M i ner al Pro duc tion and Pro ce ssi ng Onc e c onstr uction is c om ple t e mineral pr o duction or act ual mining b e g ins Mineral pr o duction f o cus e s on r emov ing t he or e f r om t he mine and transp or ting it t o t he mill wher e pr o c e ssing w ill b e g in Stop e s ar e t he under g r ound pr o duction c en tr e s of t he mine I t is her e t ha t t he or e is rst br ok en Te lo c a tion wher e wor k is t ak ing plac e is c alle d a f ace Dr illing and bla sting w it h e x plo sive s a t t he f ac e br e ak s up t he or e Br ok en or e is m ucke d or loade d in t o a s co op a lar g e mac hine whic h c ombine s a f r on t end loader and a tr uc k I t is dr iven bac k t o t he shaf t wher e t he or e is transf er r e d and lif t e d t o t he sur f ac e in t he sk ip Mine d or e c on t ains me t als and minerals of v alue a s we ll a s ot her minerals of no e c onomic v alue Te two ar e of t en e venly mi x e d in t he or e and m ust b e s e para t e d t o f or m a concen tr a te of t he v alua ble mineral Af t er s e para tion t he minerals of no v alue ar e inc lude d in t he lef t over ma t er ials c alle d t ail i ng s Te rst st e p in s e para ting t he v alua ble me t als f r om t he ho st r o c k is t o c r ush t he r o c k t o a ne p owder in a mill Tis pr o c e ss is c alle d mill i ng Te par tic le s pr o duc e d ar e small enough t o allow t he me t als and minerals t o b e f r e e d f r om t he ho st r o c k by one of s e veral p o ssible s e para tion pr o c e ss e s Te r o c k is br ok en up in lar g e c r ushers and t hen pulver i ze d in lar g e r ot a ting dr ums c on t aining st e e l g r inding balls or r o ds S e p ar a tion pro ce ss e s ar e de sig ne d t o r emove t he ne or e mineral par tic le s f r om t he par tic le s of t heir ho st r o c k Di er en t pr o c e ss e s ha ve b e en de sig ne d f or di er en t minerals but all ar e ec ien t a t s e para ting small amoun t s of or e minerals f r om ma ss e s of w a st e r o c k Le ar n i ng A ct iv it y 11 Explor e the Mining P r oc ess Student Handout 3 of 4