Is open cut or underground mining better?
Is open cut or underground mining better?
After the mineral deposits have been exposed, the area is drilled, fractured and the mineral extracted. This method has a high recovery rate when compared to the underground, as 90 percent of mineral deposits are recovered. Overall when compared to other methods, open-cut is much safer.
Why is open cut mining better than underground mining?
Open pit mines allow for heavy machinery and workers to do their jobs in the open and usually with more maneuverability. Working underground is usually a hot, noisy, humid, and dark business, but working in an open pit mine can expose workers to weather conditions, which can cause problems as well.
What are the disadvantages of open cut mining?
1.1 Features, technical and economic indicators of open pit development
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
| High production rate (essentially unlimited, although small surface mines also possible) | Limited by stripping ratio |
| Lowest cost along with open cast mining | High capital investment associated with large equipment |
Is open pit mining more expensive than underground mining?
While underground mining has higher ore mining costs than open pit mining, the costs typically increase by less as a function of depth, as opposed to the contrary occurring in open pit mining. This means that the open pit is able to economically extract a greater portion of the resource in a given area.
How does open cut mining affect the environment?
The environmental impact of mining operations. The effects of open-pit mining and mineral processing plants on the environment include land degradation, noise, dust, poisonous gases, pollution of water, etc. The extraction process could itself modify the water flow and accelerate this transfer.
Where is open cut mining used?
Open cut is sometimes referred to as ‘strip mining’. It is commonly used in shallow, near surface coal and mineral mines. It uses very large machinery (draglines, shovels, dump trucks) to move soil, extract coal or other minerals, and transport them for processing.
What are three advantages of open cut mining?
Advantages of open-pit mining include: Powerful trucks and shovels can be used to move large volumes of rock. Equipment not restricted by the size of the opening you are working in. Faster production. Lower cost to mine means lower grades of ore are economic to mine.
Why is open-pit mining so devastating to the environment?
Why is open pit mining so devastating to the environment? Open pit mining is so devastating to the environment because it exposes dangerous chemicals buried in the earth’s crust.
What are some disadvantages of underground mining?
There are several disadvantages of underground mining that can account for this, including higher costs, a longer develop- ment period, lower recovery of ore, greater safety risks, shortage of underground labor, and the possibility of subsidence.
What are the environmental impacts of open cut mining?
The effects of open-pit mining and mineral processing plants on the environment include land degradation, noise, dust, poisonous gases, pollution of water, etc.
What are 2/3 environmental problems caused by open-pit mining?
However, mining processes can cause various environmental problems, including deforestation, soil erosion, destruction of the natural landscape, landslides, water-level reduction and surface water depletion through dewatering, as well as water and soil pollution from mining waste and tailing dust [3–7].
Is surface mining or underground mining worse?
Even though it’s highly destructive, industry often prefers strip mining as it requires less labor and yields more coal than underground mining. Strip mining destroys landscapes, forests and wildlife habitats at the site of the mine when trees, plants, and topsoil are cleared from the mining area.