Chapter 18.

2
STOPE AND PILLAR MINING
CHRISTOPHER HAYCOCKS

Stope and pillar is probably the oldest underground mining trolled pillar failure is to be avoided at all costs, as the failure
method, having been developed by flint miners in Europe some can be progressive to surrounding pillars and jeopardize the
6000 to 8000 years ago (Temple, 1972). Remains of many of these entire mine. Occasionally, pillar recovery is possible under good
workings are still visible today in the great chalk beds. They ground conditions and where mine stability can be carefully
show that these ancient underground miners had learned the controlled.
fundamental rules of stope and pillar mining: (1) to leave suffi- 4. Definite depth limitations due to the load capacity of the
ciently large ore pillars for roof support, and (2) to limit the pillars. Increasing pillar size to combat increasing vertical load
width of openings to minimize the possibility of roof falls. The is counterproductive as extraction decreases and can range from
occasional skeletons of miners crushed by falling roof prove that 25% in deep salt mines to a maximum of 95% in selected lead
these lessons were not learned without cost. In its modern form, mines (Bullock, 1982; Prugger, 1984). Absolute depths to which
stope and pillar mining remains essentially unchanged except for the method can be taken depend on site-specific conditions,
the effects of mechanization and vertical expansion to accommo- principally rock mass strengths, but typically 3000 ft (600 m) is
date more massive deposits. Stope and pillar differs from room a normal limit. In the deeper operations pillar sizes become so
and pillar mining in that room and pillar is a term commonly large that extraction falls to uneconomic limits and alternative
reserved for coal mining, which has regular pillars normally methods must be considered. The exception to the depth limita-
developed in panels, and thin deposits of usually less than 8 ft tion is the special case of breast stoping, which permits total
(2.4 m). Stope and pillar is also known as breast stoping, breast stope closure and is used successfully at depths over 12,000 ft
and bench stoping, board and pillar, stall and pillar, and panel (3600 m).
and pillar (Hartman, 1987). 5. Absence of surface subsidence, except in the very long
term when massive roof or pillar failure has occurred, or in
the case of breast stoping. Considering the fact that the oldest
18.2.1 GENERAL FEATURES underground mines in existence are stope and pillar, it is possible
to design successfully for long-term stability.
Stope and pillar mining is characterized by 6. Stope and pillar mining is normally classified as a large-
1. Irregularly shaped and sized pillars left for support (Fig. scale method in terms of total production, and is quite versatile
18.2.1), which may require little or no planning. In the extremes, and flexible enough to meet a wide range of production require-
the method is often little more than a variation of gophering ments.
(Peele, 1941) or breast stoping, where only artificial pillars are
used for roof control. Most mines, however, specify minimum
pillar dimensions to meet overburden support requirements, and
the dimensions must take into account the ultimate pillar height,
which is a major factor in pillar strength.
2. Typically flat ore bodies of large horizontal extent dipping
less than the angle of repose. Below this angle of about 30 to 35°,
the ore will not flow under the influence of gravity; this is the
major difference between stope and pillar and the higher-angle
stoping methods such as cut and fill, shrinkage, and sublevel.
Cascade stoping developed for the Zambian Copperbelt mine of
Mufulira was designed as an intermediate stoping method for
ore bodies dipping at the angle of repose or in the range of 25 to
45° (Kelly, 1969). Massive ore bodies can be mined by the stope
and pillar method by mining in a series of horizontal slices or
passes from or near the top down, such as at the lead-zinc
deposits at Austinville, VA, and the Bonne Terre Mine, MO,
where pillars up to 300 ft (90 m) high were left (Wykoff, 1950).
3. Competent rock masses. These are very desirable as this
is an open method where the stopes or rooms normally stay open
during the life of the mine. Strengths may vary from 50,000 psi
(345 MPa) to 4000 psi (25 MPa), and structural integrity of the
roof, pillar, and floor components should ideally be excellent,
unless increasing quantities of secondary support are to be used.
There are numerous examples of successful stope and pillar min-
ing in less than competent rock, such as some areas of the new
lead belt in Missouri and the uranium mines of New Mexico and
Wyoming (Bullock, 1982). Under these conditions, roof stability
is of primary importance, secondary support is frequently used, Fig. 18.2.1. Stope and pillar mining with random pillars (Clark and
and continual barring down or scaling may be essential. Uncon- Caudle, 1961).

1702
 STOPE AND PILLAR MINING
18.2.2 CONVENTIONAL STOPE AND PILLAR
18.2.2.1 Development
The basis of the stoping system is straightforward since, in
most forms, the method requires no specific stope development
unless the ore body is very irregular and a separate haulage
level is driven. Under these conditions connecting orepasses,
ventilation ways, and access raises will be necessary. Most mines
hoist from a single level, and many utilize declines to facilitate
movement of rubber-tired equipment underground.
18.2.2.2 Stoping
Stope and pillar mining is typically cyclic, consisting of the
following unit operations (Hartman, 1987):
In softer materials such as trona or halite, mining machines may
be used to replace the drill-blast cycles. Drilling is usually carried
out by self-contained, diesel-powered, trackless jumbos, but in
smaller operations, hand-held jacklegs may be used. Under very
soft-rock conditions, electrical-powered auger drills may be uti-
lized. Holes are drilled horizontally using wedge or V cut rounds,
although burn cuts may be used under some conditions such as
in the harder limestones and dolomites (Fig. 18.2.2). Slabbing or
sliping rounds are then typically used to expand the initial face
cut around the proposed pillar (Fig. 18.2.3). Faces, or breasts,
may be carried up to 30 ft (9 m) in height with the majority
of conventional equipment, and hole depths of 16 ft
(4.8 m) are suitable for most conditions. The predominant explo-
sive is ANFO under dry conditions, with slurries, water gels,
and dynamites as alternatives. Blasting may be carried out during
the shift or at shift change times, depending on the size of the
mine. Good fragmentation plus limiting the throw of the round
are important in stope and pillar mining. Cleaning a large area
and secondary blasting can seriously disrupt the production cy-
cle. Barring down or scaling the back using cherry pickers is
done immediately following blasting.
Mining takes place on the advance with ground control
factors rarely, if ever, allowing for complete extraction of pillars,
although substitution of artificial pillars has been tried under
some situations (Reed and Mann, 1961). The use of artificial
pillars was technically successful, provided the pillar could be
prestressed; otherwise, roof deformation to load the pillar caused
significant roof failures (Chellson, 1941). Unfortunately artificial
pillar systems have all proved uneconomical to date in conven-
tional stope and pillar systems, although they are an essential
part of breast stoping.
Depending on the shape and thickness of the ore body, there
are three mining options available: single pass, multiple pass,
and advancing multiple bench.
SINGLE PASS. In thinner, less than 25 to 30 ft (7.5 to 9 m),
regular ore bodies mining can take place in a single first pass. In
the oil shales, attempts were made to single-pass mine, carrying
benches up to 60 ft (27m) high, but were abandoned due to
the high cost of the specialized equipment required (Hustrulid,
Holmberg, and Pesce, 1984).
MULTIPLE PASS SYSTEM. The multiple-pass system is suit-
able for irregular ore bodies over 30 ft (9m) thick, such as some
of the lead-zinc deposits of Missouri and some underground
limestone mines where the face would be too high to be mined
in a single full-face slice. In the multiple-pass system, the first
pass is also used in part for definition of the ore body. Mining
typically starts near the top of the ore body at a convenient
1703
mining height. By starting near the top of an irregular ore body,
the first pass can be driven on a regular upgrade. The top of the
ore body can then be mined out by upwards, or overhand, stoping
by operating the drilling and support equipment on a shrinkage
pile (Fig. 18.2.4). Under these conditions, holes are drilled hori-
zontally into the brow or overhand bench either by hand or using
a jumbo. When mining is complete, the shrinkage piles provide
excellent stockpiles, although considerable capital can be tied
up in a pile until it is available for processing. Another major
advantage to starting at the top is that the back can be scaled
and secured with secondary support where necessary while it is
within easy reach. The underlying ore is then mined in a series of
subsequent slices using either vertical or front benching. Vertical
benching requires wagon type drills in addition to drill jumbos.
This process is also known as multiple slicing (Fig. 18.2.5). Under
these conditions, ore handling and equipment movement can
become complex, and some mines resort to underlying haulage
levels to simplify haulage and reduce costs.
ADVANCING MULTIPLE B ENCH. This system is ideal for
thick regular ore bodies such as oil shales, salt mines, and some
limestones where the upper and lower boundaries of the ore
body are regular and well defined. In these ore bodies, mining
commences at the upper ore body contact with the lead pass and
is then followed by a succession of benches in echelon (Fig.
18.2.5). Equipment moves between the benches via a series of
ramps, and vertical bench blasting can be used in all passes
except for the uppermost.
SLABBING AND PILLAR RECOVERY. To improve or optimize
extraction, limited pillar robbing, or slabbing, may be permissible
in some operations, provided ground control considerations are
met. Slabbing is normally performed toward the end of the life
of the mine and indeed may be the only option available when
total pillar removal is not possible. Slabbing in the Old Lead
Belt, under ideal conditions, permitted total extraction to in-
crease from the first pass 85 to 95% (Bullock, 1982). The ore
body was sufficiently narrow to permit arching to occur, and the
slabbed pillars carried little load. The earliest recorded case of
mining litigation involved illegal pillar robbing in the Athenian
stope and pillar silver mines at Laurion in Greece. In 383 BC, a
mine owner named Diphilios was sentenced to death and his
fortune confiscated for directing his slaves to illegally rob pillars
for quick profit (Rickard, 1974).
Pillar removal generally requires exceptionally good ground
conditions. With low mining heights, caving that follows pillar
removal will normally swell and support the main roof. With
higher mining heights this is not possible; therefore either the
roof must be self-supporting during pillar removal, or fill must
be placed to support the roof. Whatever the situation, a number
of ingenious systems have been developed for pillar removal,
which can be particularly difficult in the case of very high pillars.
Pillars are typically shot from the top down, although there are
cases on record of mining commencing at the bottom when it
was thought the pillar would separate cleanly from the back
(Bullock, 1982; Reed, 1959).
18.2.2.3 Loading and Haulage
Trackless front-end loaders (FELs) and load-haul-dumps
(LHDs) are normally selected for loading the sizes and capacities
of which depend upon truck capacity, stope height, and size of
the largest ore fragments. These units are used in 75% of hard-
rock mines (Bullock, 1982). Slushers and gathering arm loaders
are also used in soft rock. Boom-type shovels are used in some
operations but require a large amount of clearance and are rarely
the first choice of modern operators. To facilitate loading, sec-
1704 MINING ENGINEERING HANDBOOK
Fig. 18.2.2. Typical V cut as used in dolomites or limestones (Bullock, 1982).
ondary breakage is carried out where essential by blasting, im-
pact hammer, or drop ball.
Since most stope and pillar mines are of large horizontal
extent, ore must be transported considerable distances to the adit
or shaft. Conventional diesel-powered trucks up to 100 ton (90
t) in capacity are used, the precise size depending on mining
height and clearances. Truck haulage is used more often than
rail haulage due to its flexibility and versatility. Rail haulage can
be used where gradients can be guaranteed suitable. Belt haulage
is also used under some conditions, particularly in soft ore bodies
such as halite or trona where small fragments are produced,
otherwise primary crushers must be installed near the faces. Part
of the haulage cycle can be carried out using LHDs or slushers,
but these are generally auxiliary to truck or rail haulage.
Selection of equipment combinations for a particular mine
is necessarily site specific. Numerous computer programs now
exist to facilitate such selection (Klemme and Mousset-Jones,
1984; Zambas and Yegulalp, 1973).
18.2.2.4 Ground Control
Specific design criteria for roof spans, pillar dimensions,
support requirements, and floor stability are covered elsewhere
in this Handbook (see Chapter 10.5). Support is typically in-
stalled outside of the normal production cycle as needed. Second-
ary ground control normally consists of roof bolts for both back
and pillar control. Bolt lengths and types depend on local ground
conditions and many operations have no artificial support except
in the area of portals. Cherry pickers are used for scaling and
barring down, which is done immediately after blasting and is
an integral part of the production cycle. Less routine scaling may
be performed periodically along roadways if ground conditions
require. Under multiple-horizon mining conditions, columniza-
tion of the pillars is the most widely accepted ground control
practice. This involves careful control of pillar sizing and loca-
tion and is another practice that dates back to the silver miners
at Laurium about 400 BC.
Where pillars have been excessively robbed, are inherently
weak, or weakened by blasting, stabilization has been facilitated
by pillar wrapping using wire ropes or encasing the pillar in
shotcrete (Wykoff, 1950). These systems are designed to increase
horizontal stresses in the pillar and thereby increase their resist-
ance to shear failure. Horizontal bolting, sometimes with wire
mesh, has also proved beneficial. Unless the panel width is small
enough to permit arching, failure of under-designed pillars can
throw additional load on surrounding pillars. This can in turn
cause these pillars to fail, producing a domino effect, sometimes
with disastrous results for the entire mine.
 STOPE AND PILLAR MINING
Fig. 18.2.4. Overhand stope and pillar mining (Bullock, 1982).
18.2.2.5 Ventilation
Ventilation is generally fair to good in this stoping method
as the mines rely on their large volume to dilute exhaust gases
and dust. If methane or toxic gases are present, the mine is
subject to strict coal mine regulations that guarantee adequate
airflow. Mines typically have dedicated exhaust and intake air-
ways, but control of airflow underground is usually difficult due
to large areas between pillars. Stoppings are rarely used, al-
though brattice curtains and ventilation doors are employed only
under exceptional conditions. Airflow near the face is normally
effected using booster fans or air ejectors (Hartman, 1987).
1705
Fig. 18.2.3. Slabbing rounds driven off burn cut head-
ing rounds (Bullock, 1982).
18.2.2.6 Water
Water problems can be troublesome in some tabular opera-
tions as mining follows the ore body and openings cannot always
be driven upgrade. Even small or shallow synclines or dips in
the ore can serve to collect water, which then must be continually
pumped away from the face. Portable compressed air or electri-
tally powered pumps are used, and low points in the mine are
selected to function as sumps with more permanent pumping
arrangements. These pumps are frequently floating to combat
significant variations in water level as water flow cannot readily
be controlled in this stoping system.
18.2.3 DIPPING ORE BODIES
Conventional stope and pillar mining becomes impossible as
the dip of an ore body increases beyond about 20% grade since
equipment cannot travel updip. Numerous variations of stope
and pillar have been developed to meet the needs of dipping ore
bodies; for instance, the bar pillar system (Christiansen and
Scott, 1975), and Elliot Lake stope and pillar (Hedley and Grant,
1972). After review of the numerous variations, two basic ver-
sions of stope and pillar can be identified for ore bodies dipping
up to 30°, one suitable for rail haulage and the other for conven-
tional trackless mining (Hamrin, 1980).
1706 MINING ENGINEERING HANDBOOK
Fig. 18.2.5. Stope and pillar mining using vertical and front benching. (Hamrin, 1980. By permission: Atlas Copco.)
18.2.3.1 Step Stope and Pillar
Step stope and pillar mining utilizes trackless haulage with
access drifts running transversely across the dip at an angle
suitable for the equipment (Fig. 18.2.6). Ore extraction is made
from a series of stope drifts that run horizontally following the
strike of the ore body working from the top down. Pillars are
sufficiently narrow updip to allow drilling and loading equip-
ment to operate and extract broken ore. Stopes are cut succes-
sively downdip, each stope slice having an approximately hori-
zontal floor and being stepped in the middle to the second half
of the stope. Crosscuts are also mined with horizontal floors for
passage of equipment. This results in the footwall being stepped
downdip except where it is cut by equipment roadways.
18.2.3.2 Inclined Stope and Pillar
Inclined stope and pillar can operate efficiently at angles up
to 30°. This method can utilize rail haulage, which is limited to
near-horizontal grades. Development starts by driving a series
of haulage drifts along the footwall following the strike of the
ore body. Spacing of the haulage drifts is selected to allow opera-
tion of a single slusher to pull all the ore from immediately below
the upper haulage level to the level below. In practice, this is
typically up to 500 ft (150 m), although production is severely
curtailed with longer scrapes. Stoping commences by mining
updip from a haulage level using hand drills or jumbos where
possible and then scraping the ore down dip into mine cars (Fig.
18.2.7). Scraper cutouts are made on the downdip side of the
haulage drifts to accommodate slusher winches. At higher dips,
the method is particularly labor intensive and therefore has low
stope efficiency.
18.2.4 BREAST STOPING
Breast stoping is a unique variation in stope and pillar mining
in that 100% of the ore in the stope is extracted, and no natural
pillars are left for support. Instead, artificial pillars are left for
roof control with the understanding that stope closure will ulti-
mately approach 100%. While numerous variations of this
method exist, it probably finds its most classic usage in the
South African gold mines. Other mines, such as the Consolidated
Denison, Canada (McCutcheon and Gutterer, 1960), the Con-
glomerate Mine, Michigan (Vivian, 1931), and the Radon mine
in Utah (Love and Knoerr, 1956) have used the method. Breast
stoping is confined to flat tabular ore bodies, dipping less than
the angle of repose. Typically, the mining height is less than 8 ft
 STOPE AND PILLAR MINING
Fig. 18.2.6. Step stope and pillar in an inclined ore body. (Hamrin, 1980. By permission: Atlas Copco.)
(2.4 m) to permit controlled stope closure without caving of the
back.
The choice of breast stoping vs. conventional stope and and
pillar mining depends on (Haycocks, 1973):
1. The depth of the ore body in relation to the strength of
the ore. Under very deep conditions, extraction ratios would be
so low with stope and pillar systems as to be uneconomical.
2. Ground conditions sufficiently poor so as to make stope
and pillar mining exceptionally hazardous due to back failures
and rock bursts.
3. High cost of ground control under deep and poor ground
conditions.
4. The deposit is not amenable to longwall mining as prac-
ticed in coal mines.
These conditions are all met in the South African gold mines
where high stresses due to the great depth and the strong rock
burst-prone ore make leaving conventional pillars impractical.
Ore is generally drilled using hand-held jackhammers. Four-
ft (1.2-m) holes are placed perpendicular to the face and blasted
electrically. The muck is then cross-scraped down the face to
stope drifts where it may either be cross-scraped again to ore
passes or deposited directly into rail cars. In soft nonabrasive
ores, flight conveyors may be used at the face. Immediate face
support is achieved using friction or hydraulic props that also
support lagging boards placed to control fly rock. A variety of
layouts has been devised to meet the needs of individual mines,
such as the dip-gully method, the track-and-gully method, and
the herringbone system (Fig. 18.2.8). Faces are carried as straight
as possible where bursting occurs to reduce the incidence and
may be up to 4000 ft (1200 m) long (Fig. 18.2.9). Packs are made
of a variety of materials, but timber cribs filled with waste rock
are typical. No effort is made to support the overburden, but
rather to control closure and minimize stress buildup at the face.
As with all stope and pillar methods, ventilation can present
serious problems. Unless lagging or pack walls are built behind
the face, booster fans are the only real way to provide air move-
ment along the face.
Stope efficiencies in breast stoping are very low, as the
method is invariably labor intensive. Average figures for the
South African gold mines run 1 to 5 tons (0.9 to 4.5 t)/under-
ground employee-shift (Anon., 1963). The Radon mine in Utah
achieved 7.6 tons (6.8 t)/underground employee-shift, which is
excellent for this stoping system.
The method is seriously disrupted by faults in the ore; but
under many conditions, roof control is excellent, and almost
100% of the ore is extracted. Resuing is also possible with breast
1708 MINING ENGINEERING HANDBOOK
Fig. 18.2.7. Inclined stope and pillar operation in inclined ore using slushers and hand-held drills. (Hamrin, 1980. By permission:
Atlas Copco.)
stoping, which can significantly improve the economics of some
ore bodies.
18.2.5 ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
18.2.5.1 Advantages
1. Most systems can be equipment intensive and are avail-
able for computerized optimization in the selection and utiliza-
tion of equipment and therefore exhibit fairly high stoping effi-
ciencies.
2. The method is somewhat selective. Lean ore can be left
in pillars, or the area worked around.
3. Since no development is required with most applications
of the method, production can start virtually immediately.
4. Multiple working places can be operated, and therefore
production rates can be high if desired.
5. Most applications of the method lend themselves to mo-
bile, self-contained trackless haulage and equipment with its high
productivity potential.
6. The method is not labor intensive but may require exten-
sive skills in equipment operation and maintenance.
7. Production rates vary from 50 to 70 tons (45 to 63 t)/
employee-shift.
8. Dilution is low under most mining conditions, unless it
is necessary to take a parting or roof or floor material for ground
control reasons.
9. Surface subsidence should not be a factor in this method,
if the mine is adequately designed.
18.2.5.2 Disadvantages
1. Up to 30% or more of the ore may be left in the form of
pillars, which are usually not recoverable.
2. Stope ventilation is frequently difficult.
3. The openings can require continual maintenance when
ground control conditions are minimal.
4. Water problems can create major difficulties when mining
down dip, particularly in undulating deposits.
18.2.6 CASE STUDY: BUICK MINE
The Buick mine is an underground stope and pillar operation
located in the Missouri Lead Belt in Iron County, some 120 miles
(200 km) southwest of St. Louis (Anon., 1990; Osborne, 1990).
The ore body was discovered in 1960, and the mine has been in
operation since 1969. Production is approximately 5100 tons
(4640 t)/day, from two shifts, with an overall efficiency of 75
tons (68 t)/employee-shift (includes underground mine and
maintenance crews). The ore body has remaining reserves of
some 17.8 million tons (16.2 M t) containing 5.7% lead, 1.3%
zinc, and 0.08% copper; and it averages 14 ft (4.3 m) in thickness
with an area of 14.5 million ft2 (1.34 M m2) and dips 2° to the
north.
18.2.6.1 Geology
The ore body lies in the 42-mile (68-km) long Viburnum
trend of the southeast Missouri lead-zinc belt. Mines along this
belt account for over 90% of US lead production. Actual miner-
 STOPE AND PILLAR MINING
alization is located in the upper 100 ft (30 m) of the Bon Terre
formation, consisting of dolimitized sandstones and mudstones
overlain by shales. Two distinct types of ore bodies are mined in
the Buick mine, the breccia and the blanket. The breccia ore
zones are up to 100 ft (30 m) in thickness, 250 ft (75 m) wide,
and contain three mineralized zones. The blanket ore body is in
the same stratigraphic position as the breccia but is only 8 to 22
ft (2.4 to 6.7 m) thick; it is, however, up to 1500 ft (455 m) wide
and 5000 ft (1525 m) long (Fig. 18.2.10).
18.2.6.2 Mining Methods
The ore is mined in a series of passes, depending on the
thickness of the ore body. The blanket ore body varies from 10
to 22 ft (3 to 6.7 m) in thickness and can be mined in a single or
“first pass.” First-pass mining accounts for 80% of the mine’s
production and enables the ore bodies to be fully defined. Open-
ings and crosscuts are 32 ft (10 m) wide, and all pillars are a
minimum of 28 by 28 ft (8.5 by 8.5 m). Stoping is carried out
using 75-hole breast rounds, with 12-ft (3.6-m) 1-3/4-in. (41.3-
mm) diameter holes. These are drilled with either Joy or Atlas
Copco two-boom hydraulic jumbos equipped with electric mo-
tors and diesel tramming. Blasting is conducted using either an
ammonium nitrate-fuel oil mix (ANFO) primed with Trojan
stingers and 60% gelatin dynamite in the burn, bottom, and wet
holes. Initiation is carried out using non-electric L-P series caps,
15-grain primacord, and one electric cap. Each blast produces
500 to 550 tons (455 to 500 t) and is shot at the end of each shift.
Secondary blasting is usually not a problem, but a portable rock
pick is available. The primary crusher is located underground
and is a 60-in. (1.5-m) gyratory.
1709
Fig. 18.2.8. Herringbone stope. Beck et al.,
1961. (By permission: South African Institute
of Mining and Metallurgy.)
The thicker breccia ore body, which varies from 8 to 100 ft
(2.4 to 30 m) in thickness, is mined in a series of passes (Fig.
18.2.11). A first pass driven near the top defines the ore body
and, when complete, preparation can then be made to remove
the remainder of the ore. Since the first pass is normally driven
below the top of the ore body to ensure it stays in ore, the back
is mined first. An up-hole cut is drilled and blasted with the
broken ore providing footing for subsequent mining. Subsequent
mining is done by drilling and blasting the breast. As many
passes as needed are carried out until the top of the ore body is
reached. After removal of the blasted ore, the third pass is carried
out by blasting benches which have been drilled horizontally
with 1-3/4-in. (44.5-mm) holes. In various parts of the mine,
horizontal thicknesses of no less than 15 ft (4.6 m) are left between
pillars to give added strength to the pillars. Benching using
vertical holes was abandoned as the blasts caused excessive pillar
damage. At the Buick mine, approximately 10% of production
comes from third-pass mining, while all three passes extract 78%
of the ore. When projected plans to recover high-grade pillars
are carried out, total recovery is expected to be about 90%.
18.2.6.3. Loading and Hauling
Loading is carried out using two Caterpillar (Cat) 980C
and Wagner ST8 8-yd3 (6-m3) FELs. The 980C loaders do most
of the truck loading, with the ST8s used in headings less than
14 ft (4.3 m) in height. The truck fleet consists of two 50-ton
(45.5-t) Kiruna beds or two 50-ton (45.5-t) CTC Lo-Pro wagons
powered by Cat 631-E diesel tractors, or a 40-ton (36.4-t) Athey
wagon powered by a Cat 631D diesel tractor. All rubber-tired
vehicles are serviced and repaired underground in a shop facility,
1710
Dip 25°; Length of longwall 900 ft (275 m); Stoping width 39 in. (1 m)
Fig. 18.2.9. Longwall breast stoping operation. (Beck et al., 1961.
By permission: South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.)
with full spares available. The truck fleet averages 13,000 mi
(21,000 km)/month. Trucks travel on specific haul roads and
feed a 3000-ton (2700-t) central orepass. The orepass feeds the
primary crusher, which reduces the ore to –6 in. (150 mm).
The ore is then carried by conveyor to one of three 1000-ton
(910-t) ore storage bins that feed the 12-ton (11-t) automatic skips.
Shaft capacity is 400 tph (365 t/h) from high-speed friction
hoists.
18.2.6.4 Drainage and Ventilation
Water flows by gravity through 6-in. (150-mm) drainage
holes to the bottom level and then to the service shaft where it
is pumped to the surface. The mine has six 500-hp (375-kW)
centrifugal pumps, and the water is either used by the mill or
directed to the tailings pond.
Ventilation needs are met by pulling 800,000 cfm (283 m3/
s) through centrally placed production and service shafts, then
through the production level, down raises to the haulage level,
and out through two ventilation shafts located to the north and
south. The 12-ft (3.6-m) diameter south shaft has an 800-hp
(597-kW) surface fan and the 8-ft (2.4-m) north fan a 500-hp
(375-kW) surface fan. To facilitate airflow underground, eight
50-hp (38-kW) and 75-hp (58-kW) booster fans are used.
Fig. 18.2.10. Buick mine ore body (Anon., 1990).
REFERENCES
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