1. MINING

2. Process of Mining
1) Prospecting and Exploration 2) Development 3) Extraction 4) Closure/Reclamation Each of the stages may overlap with the next and is very lengthy and expensive.

3. Exploration Prospecting - searching the region for mineral deposits.
Exploration - Determine size and value of mineral deposit:
Outline the deposit and the surrounding geology on a map.
Calculate the amount of valuable minerals they think they will get from the deposit.
they can take two to eight years to complete, and may cost from $500,000 to $15 million overall.
If profitable, the method of mining is decided.

5. SURFACE MINES
Open Pit Mines and Quarries, Strip Mines, Mountain top removal

6. Surface Mining: Open-pit or Strip Mines
Underground Mines
Surface Mines

7. OVERBURDEN
Surface mining requires removal of huge amounts of overburden.
overburden is the rock, soil, and ecosystem that lies above the resource to be mined.

8. UNDERGROUND MINES

9. UNDERGROUND MINES
Wells: Ore is a liquid or gas and is pumped out of the ground

10. Development (Planning and building it)
The development stage usually takes 4-12 years to open an ore deposit for production, and may cost anywhere from $1 million to over $1 billion to complete depending on the type of mine. 
1) the mining process/technology that will be used,
2) building of access roads for transportation,
3) identification of resources such as power and water sources, and
4) construction of ore processing facilities and disposal areas for waste. 

11. Extraction The mineral is removed from the earth in large quantities
Can take 5-30 years, although many mines have been open for more than 100 years.
May cost anywhere from a few million dollars to hundreds of millions of dollars a year depending on the size and location.

12. Closure/Reclamation
Cost depends on the age, location, type, and size of mine, amount of waste, geological characteristics, and type of mineral being extracted.
Ex. medium-sized open-pit mine that is years old could cost a few million dollars to close
Ex. large open-pit mine that has been operating for > 35 years could cost tens of millions of dollars to close

13. Reclamation
Process of restoring land that has been mined to a natural or economically usable state. 

14. Reclamation

15. What are the issues surrounding Mining?
Pollution – air, ground, water Acid Rain Toxic Waste Nuclear Waste Land formations Conservation

16. Tailings Ponds
Studies have suggested the ponds leak water containing tailings from oilsands production into the Athabasca River.
The ponds are estimated to hold 1.3 trillion litres of contaminated water.

17. Miner’s health
Coal miners have suffered a number of respiratory health impacts such as silicosis and black lung (pneumoconiosis)

18. The canary in the coal mine

19. Source
modules/copper/mine-life-cycle

20. Stages of Mining

21. Alternate Energy Sources
Hydro
Wind Power
Solar Power
Geothermal Energy

22. Activity
Practice Mining with a cookie

23. Stages of Mineral Development
From Stone to Metals
Stages of Mineral Development

24. Exploration Geologists use clues to determine if an ore body exists.
changes in gravitational or
magnetic forces in the earth
soil sampling
drill holes
core samples
Assessments are then made to determine if the deposit is then worth mining

25. Extraction of Minerals
Careful surveying and constant ore quality analysis need to be carried out.
Blasting breaks up the rock so it can be removed.
Waste rock needs to be separated from more profitable ore.

26. Extraction of Minerals
Gravel is sorted with screens to size; other non-metal ores are crushed and screened and then shipped for use.
Metal ores are moved to a milling site by truck or conveyor belt.

27. Milling Metal ore is ground into gravel-like consistency.
Water is then added, and then the ore is tumbled at high speed
Ore is crushed into a fine, watery slurry.

28. Concentrating Slurry is separated by flotation.
Frothers are added to the slurry which cause the mineral compounds to float to the surface with the air bubbles.
Minerals are then skimmed off and dried, removing most of the water.
The mineral compound left is now referred to concentrate.

29. Smelting
 In most concentrates, the metals are still trapped in compounds.
Smelting is the process where concentrate is either roasted or leached so that the metals are freed from the compounds.

30. Refining
Impure metal is placed in an electrolytic solution, which purifies the metal to 99.9% purity.