UNIVERSITY OF KOLWEZI

TECHNICAL MINING ENGLISH CLASS FOR G3 MINING

STUDENTS
PLAN
1. Quick review of English basic
2. Geology
Geological terminology
Structural geology terminology
3. Open pit Mining
Open pit mining design terminology
Open pit mining method
4. Underground Mining
Underground mining design terminology
Underground mining method

By; Patrick Ngosa Nzweba

Mining Engineer

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I. Geology
I.1 Geological terminology

Definition of Geology:
Geology is the study of the Earth, the materials of which it is made, the structure of those
materials, and the processes acting upon them. It includes the study of organisms that have
inhabited our planet. An important part of geology is the study of how Earth’s materials,
structures, processes and organisms have changed over time

What Does a Geologist Do?

Geologists work to understand the history of our planet. The better they can understand Earth’s
history the better they can foresee how events and processes of the past might influence the
future. Here are some examples:

The majority of research in geology is associated with the study of rock, as rock provides the
primary record of the majority of the geologic history of the Earth

GEOLOGY is the study of the Earth, including the materials that it is made of, the
physical and chemical changes that occur on its surface and in its interior, and

the history of the planet and its life forms.

This schematic diagram of the rock cycle shows the relationship between magma and sedimentary,
metamorphic, and igneous rock

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BASIC GEOLOGY
I. FIELDS OF BASIC GEOLOGY AND DEFINITION OF MINERALS
Geology is the study of the earth, its surface configurations, and the physical and chemical
processes acting upon its surface and its interior. It is the study of the earth's composition and
physical and chemical processes which act upon it. Geology has developed into several areas of
special interest (Figure l).

PHYSICAL GEOLOGY deals with the physical behavior of the earth, how it was formed, and the
processes which have, or have had, effects upon it.

GEOPHYSICS is a more specialized study of the physical properties of the earth (e.g. its
vibrations, density, magnetism), the basic physical forces which affect it (e.g. gravity), and the
effects of these forces.

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GEOCHEMISTRY is the specialized study of the composition of the earth, its components, and
the chemical processes taking place at the surface (e.g. reactions of the lithosphere with the
atmosphere and hydrosphere), and reactions at depth under the influence of heat, pressure and
deformation forces, radioactive decay and isotopic relations.

HISTORICAL GEOLOGY deals with the history of the earth, its changing environment and the
development of life forms.

GEOCHRONOLOGY involves the study of the ages of rocks, minerals, plants, fossils and events
as measured by ratios of radioactive decay elements found in existing rocks, analyses of tree
rings and sediment layers.

MINERALOGY AND PETROLOGY are concerned with the chemical composition, physical
characteristics, nature of formation, occurrence, and atomic structure of minerals and rocks.
Minerals are the component materials of all rocks and soils. Petrology involves investigation of
the mineral and chemical composition of rocks, and the various chemical and physical
processes which led to their formation.
A MINERAL is any naturally occurring element or inorganic substance having a definite (or variable
within fixed limits) chemical composition and crystalline structure. Deposits of coal, petroleum and
naturally occurring brines do not fit such a rigorous definition, but have in generic terms also been
considered minerals, principally because they are not readily identifiable as either animal or
vegetable. (This is an area of controversy.) Supplies of groundwater have been described by some
to be mineral in character, because water is a naturally occurring substance found in the earth's
crust that is not organic in origin. (Figure 4)

A. ORE
ORE is a concentration of minerals that can be mined processed and marketed at a PROFIT. It is
economically defined.
(A distinction must be made between ORE and ORE MINERALS. A deposit of ore minerals in
geological terms is not always an ore deposit.) While an ore mineral (Table 1) is a mineral from
which a metal can feasibly be extracted, an ore deposit (or an orebody) is a mass of rock from which
a metal or mineral can be profitably produced. What is, or is not, becomes dependent upon
economic, technological, and political factors as well as geological criteria.

B. WASTE
Within a given mineral deposit ore minerals are normally associated with other minerals which
are less valuable or lack value. These are termed GANGUE MINERALS (Table 2). The rock
which does not contain an adequate percentage of ore minerals to be economically valuable as
a source of these minerals is called WASTE.
Waste, like ore, is an economic rather than a geologic term, and changing technology, economic, or
political conditions may change waste to ore, or back again, many times. For example, the Mount
Morgan gold/copper mine in Australia underwent four life cycles. The first was when gold was
easily extracted by gravity separation. The second was when flotation processes were introduced
and copper sulfide could be recovered. The third was when mining shifted from selective
underground mining to open pit bulk mining. The fourth was hydrometallurgical processing of
"waste" materials.

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C. CUT‐OFF
Many factors: cost of mining and metallurgical treatment, percentage of recovery of metal values
during treatment, deleterious elements present, cost of transport and marketing, metal or mineral
pricing, taxes and royalties, etc. all influence the ore/waste transition. The transition from ore to
waste is known as the CUT‐OFF.

ORE‐FORMING PROCESSES
See Figure 2.
A. Weathering and erosion
Weathering and erosion results in the breakdown of rock minerals. Elements may be concentrated as
resistant elements left behind, or in the mobile elements removed and transported in solution, or
carried and concentrated during the erosional processes.
B. Igneous/volcanic processes
Igneous and volcanic processes may result in concentrations through crystallization and
differential gravity settling, concentration in end phases of crystallization, evolved fluids, or as
a consequence of heat energy introduced by the intrusives.
C. Sedimentation/diagenesis.
Gravity separation and concentration may occur within clastic sediments in streams, lakes, and by
ocean shore currents. As pore‐waters are expelled from compacting sediments they may selectively
leach, carry and deposit specific elements.

D. Tectonic/metamorphic processes
Tectonic and metamorphic processes may result in the breakdown and transformation of rock
minerals and concentration of certain elements by expelled fluids or diffusion.
Whether or not a deposit containing a valuable element or mineral is likely to become a VALUABLE
MINERAL DEPOSIT depends upon engineering, economic and political factors as well as geological
conditions and concentrations. In general terms ‐ a valuable (or potentially valuable) mineral
deposit contains some commodity (rock or mineral) which can be, or has the potential of being
removed from the earth and marketed either before or after some form of processing.

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In this topic you will learn technical English word going with various surface mining method
used to extract ore from near surface deposit.

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Blasting principle

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Mining Equipment

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Pit section description

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II.UG MINING
In this topic you will learn technical English word going with various underground mining
method

Mine Development; when a promising mineral deposit has been found,

production is the next thing to consider. All mines require considerable
development before actual ore production can begin.

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Glossary of underground mining term

Adit Horizontal mine entrance

Back The ceiling in an underground tunnel
Brow Overhead rock at an Adit or Draw point
Crosscut A horizontal drive through an ore body
Draw point Point at which ore is extracted from a stope
Drift A horizontal drive parallel to or along an ore body
Grizzly A screen or grate above a loading pocket or ore pass to catch oversized rocks
Jumbo A mobile drill used in driving tunnels
Loading Pocket Rock storage compartment
Manway A dedicated underground opening for personnel
Ore pass A vertical or inclined tunnel for ore transport
Raise bore A large drill used for vertical or inclined tunnel drilling
Round A single blast in a drift or crosscut
Scoop Tram (LHD)
Underground loader (Load - Haul - Dump)
Skip Shaft bucket for hoisting rock

Ramp and shaft

Mine development involves rock excavation of vertical shafts, horizontal drifts,
inclined ramps, steep raises, crusher stations, explosives magazines, fuel stores,
pump houses and workshops. Drill/blasts the standard excavation method for
drifting.
Firing sequence for a typical parallel whole pattern is shown to the right

Shaft Sinking
Of all the headings driven in hard rock mines, shafts are the most costly and time
consuming. Moreover, the shaft sinking procedure is intricate and arduous. While
a few shafts are advanced by big-hole drilling methods, the great majority use the
traditional "drill and blast" cycle.

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Raise bore machine
The raise boring machine (RBM) may be used for boring ventilation raises, ore
passes, rock fill passes, and slot raises.
It provides safer and more efficient mechanized excavation of circular raises, up to
6 m-diameter.
In conventional raise boring, a downward pilot hole is drilled to the target level,
where the bit is removed and replaced by a reaming head.

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Underground mining method

Below are main UG mining method and criteria driving choices ;

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1. Room and Pillar; flat to shallow dip, competent ground conditions

2. Long wall; Flat to shallow dip, narrow seam ore body

3. Long hole or Sublevel; Medium to Steep dip, competent ground conditions

and generally regular ore-waste boundaries

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Shrinkage; Medium to steep dip, variable ground conditions and variable ore-waste
boundaries. (Delay in delivering ore)

Cut and Fill; medium to steep dip, variable ground conditions and variable
Ore-waste boundaries provides maximum selectivity.

Block Cave; Steep dip, massive ore body. Limited to no selectivity.

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Extensive development required mining method criteria is based on;
Geometry Depth, shape, thickness, dip, plunge
Rock Quality Ore zone and host rock competency (structures, stress, and stability)
Ore Variability Ore uniformity, continuity, grade distribution
Economics Ore recovery, ore value & mine recovery (losses), productivity,
equipment selection, capital & operating costs, ore value, safety

Underground production area view

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Plan view of stope extraction level

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