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Underground Mining Method
 Also known as a "deep“ mine. Usually located
several hundred feet below the earth's surface.
Unlike surface mining method, underground mining
method is a method in which the overlying rock is left
in place, and the mineral removed through shafts or
tunnels.
This type of mining method is chosen when the ore
body is found at greater depth.
This type of mining is expensive, technically
demanding and its success is highly dependent on the
geotechnical property of the rocks and the
groundwater condition as such issues can make
extraction difficult &expensive.
 Access to the deposit during mining is possible by
shafts, inclined and adits depending the topography.
 Before any extraction of ore, a considerable amount
of development opening will be required to gain
proper access to the ore body (e.g. sinking of shaft,
roadways, ore draw points etc).
 Definitions of Under ground Terms
To better understand underground mining; those are some of
the more common mining terms
Adit - An adit is a horizontal or nearly horizontal entrance to a
mine.
Back - The back is the roof or overhead surface of an
underground excavation.
Chute - A chute is a loading arrangement that utilizes gravity
flow to move material from a higher level to a lower level.
Cone - A cone is a funnel-shaped excavation located at the top
of a raise, and it is used to collect rock from the area above.
Crosscut - A crosscut is a horizontal or nearly horizontal
underground opening that is driven to intersect an ore body.
Dip - The dip is the angle at which an ore deposit is inclined
from the Horizontal pane.
Draw point - A draw point is a place where ore can be loaded
and removed. A draw point is located beneath the stopping
area, and gravity flow is used to transfer the ore to the loading
place.
Drift - A drift is a horizontal or nearly horizontal underground
opening that follows the vein.
Finger raise - A finger raise is used for transferring ore. The
usual arrangement is as a system of several raises that branch
together to the same delivery point.
Footwall - The footwall is the wall or rock under the ore
deposit (compare dip).
Grizzly - A grizzly is an arrangement that prevents oversize
rock from entering an ore transfer system. A grizzly usually
consists of a steel grating for coarse screening or scalping.
Hanging wall - The hanging wall is the wall or rock above an
ore deposit (compare dip).
Level - A level is a system of horizontal underground
workings that are connected to the shaft. A level forms the
basis for excavation of the ore above or below.
Man way - A manway is an underground opening that is
intended for personnel access and communication.
Ore - An ore is a mineral deposit that can be worked at a
profit under existing economic conditions.
Ore pass - An ore pass is a vertical or inclined underground
opening through which the ore is transferred.
Raise - A raise is an underground opening that is driven
upward from one level to a higher level or to the surface; it
may be either vertical or inclined (compare winze).
Ramp - A ramp is an inclined underground opening that
connects levels or production areas; ramps are inclined to
allow the passage of motorized vehicles. Ramps usually are
driven downward.
Shaft - A shaft is a vertical or inclined underground opening
through which a mine is worked.
Slot - A slot is a vertical or inclined ore section that is
excavated to open up for further stoping.
Stope - A stope is an underground excavation that is made by
removing ore from the surrounding rock.
Strike - The strike is the main horizontal course or direction
of the mineral deposit.
Sublevel - A sublevel is a system of horizontal underground
workings; normally, sublevels are used only within stoping
areas where they are required for the ore production.
Wall rock - The wall rock is the wall in which the ore deposit
is enclosed.
Waste - The waste is the barren rock or the rock of too low a
grade to be mined economically.
 WHEN DO WE MINE UNDERGROUND?

 The ore deposit is deep .

 Ore body is steep.
 Grade is high enough to exceed costs.
 What We Look For When We Go Underground
 Focus on employee safety, hazards or safety risks,
 Always make sure equipment operators can see you. And don’t
shine your light directly at others .
 Housekeeping specifically at shaft stations and work faces
 General structural geology (faults, joints, slips, orientation and
frequency of structures)
 Ground conditions (Areas screened, bolted and reinforced as well as
quantity of loose rock behind mesh)
 State of ramp, haulage drifts – (how well maintained they are)
 Water ingress (amount, collection, ponding)
 Air quality (dust level, smoke, air temperature)
 The mining method used will depend on the
characteristics of the orebody, particularly
thickness and dip, and the competency of the
surrounding rock.
 Different methods can be used in different parts
of a mine.
Choice of mining method :
The choice of mining method is an extremely
important decision affecting the entire mining
project;
CONT…
 When choosing between surface and under ground mining
methods some of the factors that must be considered are:
1) Geometry of the deposit(size, shape & depth)
2) Geologic structure and geo mechanical conditions;
3) Productivities, Ore recoveries and machinery capacities;
4) Availability of experienced work force;
5) Capital requirements and operating costs;
6) Safety and injuries;
7) Environmental impacts, during and after mining;
8) Reclamation and restoration requirements and costs;
9) Life of mine (project life)