Question

Different between underground and open cost mining

Answer 1

Open pit mining

This mining method employs bulldozers and other earthmoving machinery to strip soil covering shallow veins of ore deposits. Ore, dirt and other debris is moved out of the mining area, or pit, with large mine trucks, making room for further excavation. Once the project has run its course and profitable ore deposits have been depleted, the area is filled in with earth again. Reclamation work to restore the surface is gone about in different ways:

First, an environmental impact assessment is made.
Rehabilitation projects are then put in motion, aimed at restoring forestlands, flora and fauna.
Finally, follow-up reports are compiled, assessing whether the landscape’s ecology is returning to normal.
Underground mining

What makes underground mining so expensive is getting valuable ore back to the surface, whether through a horizontal or vertical excavation passage. Compared to open pit mining, which often mines soil, gravel, and inexpensive ores, underground mining is targeted at more valuable ore deposits. This mining method does, however, become considerably less profitable the deeper the ore deposits are located.

Another downside of underground mining is the danger labourers who work underground are exposed to. Radiation (from naturally-occurring radioactive materials) is a health risk all underground personnel face, as oxygen circulates the underground passages with difficulty.

Most radon gas atoms are directed to the surface if ventilation processes are fully functional. The intricate layout of underground passages do, however, increase the risk for pockets of gas remaining underground, endangering mine workers in the area. Mining engineering consultants can provide aid in curbing this problem and ensuring that mining will be done as safely as possible.