MNG401 Final Study Guide

The economic value of mining in the U.S. is about:

$2.5 trillion

What percentage of mines in the United States are underground mines?

< 10%

T/F: Currently there are fewer than ten uranium-mining operations in the U.S.

True

T/F: The real difference between a probable mineral reserve and a proved mineral reserve is the degree of certainty in the resource estimate.

True

T/F: To be most efficient and to avoid delays due to shuttle cars, a continuous miner might dump its load onto the mine floor.

True

Overhand

advancing in an upward direction

An important use of the long-term plan is to:

know when the mine's life will come to an end

Lignite

known as brown coal

Rights to prospect, explore, and mine for minerals that are not classified as locatable on public lands are conveyed by:

leasing the land from the Bureau of Land Management

Inferred Mineral Resource

limited sampling and low confidence in what's there - the estimate comes from extrapolation

Subbituminous

looks dull

Bituminous

looks shiny and smooth, but a close look shows layers

Surface mining is divided into two classes:

mechanical and aqueous

What is not an advantage of continuous mining methods?

more employees

Which of the following are unit operations?

none of these (ground control, ventilation, electrical systems, maintenance)

Reclamation (Stage 5)

returning the mine site to its original condition, leaving area free of safety and environmental hazards, ongoing throughout the mine's life cycle

Back

roof, top, or overlying surface of an underground excavation

Development (Stage 3)

selection of the mining method, preparing for the extraction of the ore/mineral, preparation/construction of the physical plant, conducting a feasibility study

Factors that determine the mining method include:

size of orebody, topography, attitude, shape of orebody

Name the most appropriate means of accessing an orebody for underground mining, given the following information: A coal deposit under 800 ft. of cover (overburden). Rail haulage will be required to transport large machinery into and out of the mine.

slope

What is a potential consequence of making the bench face angle too steep?

slope instability

An example of passive ground support is the use of:

steel arches

What are some viable structures for directing airflow for good ventilation in underground mines?

stoppings, auxiliary fans, curtains

Choose commodities recovered by the borehole mining method.

sulfur, salt (and more, probably one)

The majority of minerals are mined by _____.

surface methods

What is used to determine the hourly production rate of the dragline equipment?

the bucket capacity

Spacing

the distance between holes

Burden

the distance from the hole to the nearest face

Decking

the inert material placed in the hole

Stemming

the inert material places in the top (front) of the hole

Proved Mineral Reserve

the portion of a measured mineral resource that can be mined economically at a point in time

Mineral Reserve

the portion of the mineral resource that can be mined economically at a point in time

Why is it important to understand the mechanical properties of the mined material before it is mined?

the strength of the ore generally affects the choice mining method

The most important outcome of a good sampling plan is:

to acquire accurate estimates on the size and grade of the deposit

In area mining, the purpose of a box cut is:

to create a space to place overburden

Why is knowledge of the geology associated with the target mineral useful?

to give you an idea of the shape of the orebody so you can design effective sampling

It is advantageous to make the bench face angle as steep as possible. Why?

to minimize the amount of stripping necessary to expose ore

Pillar

unmined portion of the deposit, providing support to the roof or hanging wall

Aqueous mining methods rely on:

use of water, acid, or other solvents to break down the ore

Maximize pit slope, while minimizing the risk of slope failure

use the largest face angle possible to minimize stripping and related costs

Hanging Wall

wall rock above a deposit

Foot Wall

wall rock under a deposit

When would you consider using auger mining?

when the ultimate pit limit has been reached

Mechanical mining methods rely on mining the ore:

with machinery equipment to extract and break down the ore

A labor union engages in many activities, including:

working with companies on matters of mutual interest; advocating for the interest of its members

Match the ore to the most commonly employed mining method used to mine that ore: 1.) Open Pit 2.) Room and Pillar 3.) Cut and Fill 4.) Dredging

1.) copper 2.) coal 3.) gold 4.) sand

The number of mines in the U.S. is approximately:

13,000

Mining accounts for approximately _____ of the U.S. economy.

15%

Optimize method and equipment selection

A mine planner should subject the proposed mining strategy, mine development plans, equipment selection, and environmental ...

Highwall mining as compared to auger mining:

Allows for a greater recovery of coal

The goal of mine scheduling is to:

Ensure that equipment and personnel are available to meet daily production targets.

Which is a government agency with a major role in the mining industry?

Environmental Protection Agency

T/F: Higher rank coals are generally harder, contain less moisture, and have higher levels of volatile matter and higher caloric values.

False

T/F: Mining companies are not legally bound to comply with administrative regulations and will not face civil or criminal action for noncompliance.

False

Drillability factor AND powder factor are two important metrics for monitoring the performance of your operation. Choose the best way to represent these factors:

Ft-drilled/ton of material AND lb-explosive/ton of material

Stope

Large exploitation opening, usually inclined or vertical, but may also be horizontal

What is the difference between a mineral resource and a mineral reserve?

Mineral Resource: a potentially feasible deposit Mineral Reserve: that portion of the deposit that can be mined economically at a point in time

Rights to prospect, explore, and mine for locatable minerals on public lands are conveyed by:

NOT leasing the land from the Bureau of Land Management.

What is the starting point for mine planning activities?

NOT prospecting (unknown)

When do reclamation activities generally occur at an open cast mine?

NOT reclamation does not start until mining is nearly complete

Optimize cutoff grade and production rate

Perform market surveys to make an accurate estimation of the amount of product that can be sold every year, and at what price

A shaft will be sunk, using conventional methods, in southern Illinois. This area was heavily glaciated and the top 100 ft consists of unconsolidated alluvial till. What is the sequence of operations or steps that will be required to sink this shaft?

Place refrigeration pipes around shaft location, freeze overburden, drill and blast frozen material, install shaft liners, continue shaft sinking

Which is the type of bench found in an open pit mine?

Safety (catch) bench

As related to mining, important acts within the Environmental Protection Laws are:

Solid Waste Disposal Act

When should you consider using a dredge?

When a body of water is covering a placer deposit

Mineral Resource

a concentration of the ore in the earth's crust of sufficient size that may be economically recoverable

Exploration (Stage 2)

a problem in risk management, determining how much of the orebody can be recovered using available mining practices, estimating the quality and quantity of the orebody

Which of the following statements are true?

a significant amount of capital must be available first to open a mine and an engineering study is done before the opening of the mine

In designing the open pit mine, the bench height depends on several parameters.

all of the above (required selectivity, production rate, overburden and ore properties, regulatory limits, size and type of equipment to meet the production requirements)

Free Space

an unconfined face through which the blasted material can move freely

The owner of a patented claim can use the land for:

any legal purpose

Why is it necessary to calculate an area or volume of influence?

because the sample from each drill hole will represent a different portion of the orebody based on its location

Anthracite

characterized by hard, brittle, black, shiny coal, called hard coal

In the U.S., which fuel minerals do we mine?

coal & uranium

Haulback is the most important type of which mining method?

contour

The main purpose of the feasibility study is to:

decide if the mine should be built or not

During the exploration stage, the goal is to:

define the deposit with as much detail is practicable

Which type of study would be completed to facilitate the purchase of equipment?

definitive

What is the first factor in determining the mining method?

depth

Minimize the risk of delays in the initial cash flow

determine achievable production levels in the first few years of the mine life based on simulations and risk analysis

The cutoff grade has been calculated for a specific mine. However, the cutoff grade will change in the future if:

dilution increases, recovery in the processing plant increases, the selling price of the refined product increases

A loading machine that can only dig at a level below the level it is sitting is known as:

dragline

A type of an aqueous mining method is:

dredging

Exploitation (Stage 4)

extracting and processing the raw material, handling and disposing of tailings, benefication activities

Prospecting (Stage 1)

finding an economic concentration of the mineral, using accumulated knowledge to narrow the search, finding geologic anomalies

The most likely choice of material handling in an underground mine using a continuous mining cycle is:

flexible conveyer train

Choose a major mine uncertainty that a mine plan attempts to deal with.

fluctuation in price

Polygon Method

has one hole in every section (polygon)

The most likely choice for materials handling in an underground mine with large openings (60' wide x 90' high), using a conventional mining cycle is:

haul truck

Measured Mineral Resource

high confidence in the estimate based on sufficient sampling to ensure geologic and grade continuity between holes

Which dredge resembles a vacuum cleaner with a long hose?

hydraulic dredge

A loading machine that has the ability to load above, below, or at the same level at which it is sitting is known as:

hydraulic excavator

If selectivity is important for a surface mining method, which loading machine is the best choice in the following list?

hydraulic excavator

This type of mine is used when minerals are close to the surface. Benches are used to enlarge the mine.

open pit mining

The rank of coal is based on what?

percent of fixed carbon; heat value

Choose the industrial minerals from this list.

phosphate, salt, talc, trona

What must you do if you find historically or culturally significant items or structures on the land on which you have the right to mine?

protect findings

A trade association engages in many activities, including:

providing technical services of broad interest to its members; working with Congress on proposed legislation that would affect its members

Indicated Mineral Resource

reasonable confidence that estimate is accurate, but hole spacing too wide to confirm grade and geologic continuity

Choose a circumstance in which you might use heap leaching.

recover gold from low-grade ore that could not be economically processed by any other means (and more, probably one)