The Block Cave Mining Method
Block cave mining has been referred to as a safe mining method mainly due to the limited volume of supervision areas, focused work areas, smaller work force requirements and higher amount of
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Block cave mining has been referred to as a safe mining method mainly due to the limited volume of supervision areas, focused work areas, smaller work force requirements and higher amount of
Block caving has emerged as a costeffective method of mining large, lowgrade mineral deposits. The role of block caving. Although the caving mining system was initially used for shallow orebodies, it has recently been applied at depths of 2km underground.
Block caving is an underground hard rock mining method that involves undermining an ore body, allowing it to progressively collapse under its own weight. It is the underground version of open pit mining. In block caving, a large section of rock is undercut, creating an artificial cavern that fills with its own rubble as it collapses.
mining rate, lateral mining rate, mining capacity, maximum number of active drawpoints and advancement direction [6]. Block caving is based on material flow as a result of gravity. Northparkes was the first mine in Australia to use a variation of the costeffective block cave mining technique in its underground operations.
Block cave mining operating costs are typically in the order of one tenth of what other underground mining methods cost, largely driven by economies of scale where production rates can reach 30,000 to 100,000 tonnes per day. In addition, drilling and blasting costs are
Mining Methods: Block Caving | Geology for Investors
Block caving is a largescale underground mining method applicable to the extraction of lowgrade, massive ore bodies. With the amount of literature available on block caving this report identifies the need to provide a simple understanding of the process. Understanding a production process of a block cave mine is an important aspect before getting involved []
Block cave mining is the only underground method that can offer comparable open pit production rates and operating costs. For new developments, block cave mining offers the further advantage of a smaller surface footprint with significantly less waste disposal requirements.
Block caving is an inexpensive bulk mining method where the ore is drawn by gravity and which is suitable for ore bodies which are low grade and are consistent in their grades. Depending on how the ore is broken there are three block caving systems 1) The Grizzly system for fine material, 2) the slusher system for coarser material and 3) the LHD system for very coarse material.
Initial capital investment for the mining methods ranged from 77,200,000 for chamber and pillar, to 122,872,000 for block caving, using LHD''s. Mining costs, including all direct, indirect and
Underground Block Cave Mining Method. Block caving is described by Laubscher 1994 as the lowest cost underground mining method provided that the extraction layout is designed to suit the caved material and the draw horizon can be maintained for the life of the draw 4.
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