‫جامعة املوصل‬

‫كلية هندسة النفط والتعدين‬

‫قسم هندسة التعدين‬

‫حماضرة‬
‫هندسة املناجم‬
‫‪Mining Engineering‬‬
‫‪Third Class‬‬

‫‪Prepared by‬‬
‫‪Dr. Mojahed Abdulwahid‬‬
‫‪Alnakib‬‬

‫‪1‬‬
Mining techniques can be divided into two common
excavation types:
A- Surface Mining.
B- Sub-surface (Underground) Mining.
Surface Mining
Surface Mining: is done when mineral deposits are located at or near the
surface of the Earth, and this method are used to remove the Ore minerals,
begin by removing (stripping) surface vegetation, dirt, top soil and if
necessary the layers of bedrock in order to reach buried Ore deposits.
Surface mining is the predominant exploitation procedure worldwide, most of
these are mined by open pit or open cast methods. These mechanical extraction
methods dealing with:,
a- thick deposit: is generally mined in benches or steps.
b- thin deposits: is generally mined in a single bench or face.
Strip miming or open cast mining is usually employed to exploit a near-surface
deposit or one that has a low stripping ratio (S.R.= waste/Ore). It often low
operating cost, and good safety conditions, but generally results in high
productivity. Surface-mining methods also include: area, contour,
mountaintop removal methods.
Note: Methods of surface mining can be subdivided into various classes and
subclasses.
The main types of surface mines include: ‫االنواع الرئيسة للمناجم السطحية‬
a- Area mines.
b- Open Pit Mining-Mechanical: (also Quarrying and Glory Holing methods).
c- Strip Mining method.
d- Mountaintop removal method.
e- The aqueous extraction methods.
f- Placer- Aqueous methods.
g- Surface Techniques- Solution methods.
Note: Most industrial materials and shallow metallic deposits (< 300 m depth) are
mined by this method, which is the cheapest in practice.

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Types of Surface mining :
1- Area mines
Surface mines that are remove Ore minerals and characterize by:
a- Shallow Ore like: coal extends over a broad area.
b- The land is fairly flat.
c- Using Huge dragline shovels.
d- Commonly remove rocks overlying the coal (called overburden).
e- After the coal has been removed, the rock (overburden) is placed back
into the pit.
2- Open-pit mining
Open-pit mining: is used to mine for Ore minerals or metals close to the
surface, but they can be expanded to mine deeper if needed. It is usually suitable
to determine the final shape of the pit before the mining operation starts, see
Pictures (1,a,b).
In open-pit mining, the waste is transported to a disposal site, and the Ore is
transported to a downstream processing site, see Pictures (1c).
This method commonly involves a sequence of benches from the surface to the
deposit. As the open pit goes deeper into the ground see figure (2), all of the
benches above are extended outward, see Pictures (1,a,b). In appearance, an
open-pit excavation resembles )‫ )تمثل بهيئة‬an inverted pyramid with its tip in the
earth, see figure (1), And we must looking into the future when these pits come to
an end.
Characteristic of Open pit mining:
1- Used when Ore bodies (commercially useful minerals or rocks) are found
near the surface.
2- This method commonly involves a sequence of benches from the surface to
the deposit.
3- Large hole exposes the Ore body.
4- Waste rock (overburden) is removed.
5- 2nd cheapest method.
6- Open Pit Mine has the largest environmental impact. (‫)تأثيرات بيئية كبيرة‬

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7- Generally low grade.
8- Open-pit mining experience lower cost.
9- greater safety.
10-mechanically easier operations.
11-Funnel shaped hole in ground, surrounding inside with ramp down along
sides, allows moderately deep ore to be reached.
12- Shallow ore bodies.
13-The Open pit mines are usually accessed by surface terracing, thereby
allowing technological equipment to follow the shape of the deposit.
14- Leaves a large exposed hole on the surface.

Note: Open-pit mines as surface mine are preferred to underground mines

because:
a- they can reach higher production levels.
b- have smaller operational costs.

However, most of the time, it is necessary to remove material with poor or none
Ore content (waste) in order to have access to economically profitable material.

Picture (1):

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Figure (2): Stages in the life of A surface mine: