Economic Geology
All the common ore-forming elements are present in magmas and ordinary rocks, in amounts ranging from a few parts per billion to several thousands of parts per million. Selective concentration of one or more ore constituents to form a mineral deposit is achieved by some combination of the following:Read more
All the common ore-forming elements are present in magmas and ordinary
rocks, in amounts ranging from a few parts per billion to several thousands of
parts per million. Selective concentration of one or more ore constituents to
form a mineral deposit is achieved by some combination of the following:
- extraction of the constituents from magmas, rocks, and oceans;
- transport of the constituents in a fluid medium from the source region to the site of deposition.
- localization of the constituents at certain favorable sites.
The ore-forming processes may be grouped into the following four broad
categories:
- Orthomagmatic processes
- Sedimentary processes
- Metamorphic processes
- Hydrothermal processes
Room and pillar mining is a method of underground mining that involves excavating a network of rooms, or "stopes," separated by pillars of uncrushed rock. The pillars are left in place to support the roof of the mine and prevent it from collapsing. In room and pillar mining, the ore is extracted byRead more
Room and pillar mining is a method of underground mining that involves excavating a network of rooms, or “stopes,” separated by pillars of uncrushed rock. The pillars are left in place to support the roof of the mine and prevent it from collapsing.
In room and pillar mining, the ore is extracted by creating a series of rooms, or stopes, connected by horizontal or slightly inclined tunnels. The ore is extracted from the stopes, and the pillars are left in place to support the roof of the mine. This method is used to extract coal, as well as other minerals such as salt, gypsum, and potash.
Room and pillar mining is typically used for relatively shallow deposits, and it is a good choice when the ore body is relatively flat and horizontal. It is also a good method to use when the ore body is too small to justify the construction of a longwall mining system.
The main disadvantage of room and pillar mining is that it can be less efficient than other methods, such as longwall mining, because it leaves a significant portion of the ore body untouched. This means that more rock must be moved in order to extract a given amount of ore, which can be more time-consuming and expensive
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