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Mineral Exploration and Mining Methods

1. Course Name: Mineral Exploration and Mining Methods

2. Course Code: GRM 2102

3. CourseDescription

The course introduces mineral exploration and mining methods. It focuses on the exploration of ore deposits from

desk studies up to harnessing of the mineral deposit. The various methods of exploration are treated in detail.

Methods of sampling of ore, grade and tonnage calculations are also tackled, culminating into the various mining

methods and examples of classic ore deposits world-over.

The maor topics of this course are!

"tages of Mineral #xploration

$easi%ilit& "tudies

Mineral #xploration Methods

"ampling of 're, (rade and Tonnage )alculations

Mineral #conomics

Mining Methods and #ffect on #nvironment

4. Course !"ecti#es

The course o%ectives are!

To inculcate knowledge of mineral exploration to the students which is the mainsta& of an& (eologist

searching for mineral resources.

To ac*uire skills of carr&ing out feasi%ilit& studies which eliminate unvia%le economic deposits and

*ualif& via%le ones.

To learn to *uantif& the ore deposits.

To introduce methods of proecting profita%ilit& in mining ventures and search for mineral markets.

To identif& the different mining methods and their environmental impacts.

$. %eaching and &ssessment 'attern

Duration o( Course

The course is taught to the second &ear students in one 1+-week semester. It is a 3 credit unit course. It involves 2

hours of lectures and 1 contact hour for practicals per week.

Mode o( )nstruction

& lectures and use of wall charts for the various ore minerals.

)itation of case studies of exploration of some classical mineral deposits.

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ecturer asks *uestions or for students opinion during the lectures in order to incite them into active

participation.

/fter the preliminar& lectures, the students start em%arking on the practicals during the third week.

These involve the various ore mineral collections in the 0epartment.

"tudents are taken out of the lecture rooms to demonstrate the various stages of mineral exploration.

Time is spent in the geochemistr& la%orator& to learn the assa& methods.

The practicals and assa& results are assessed.

"tudents are given assignments after ever& maor topic.

"tudents sit a course test after the eighth and fifteenth weeks.

The students spend 212weeks in the field during the recess term.

&ssessment 'attern

The students will %e assessed a follows!Re*uirements No. o( +nits Contri!ution

a racticals 12

% /ssignments 4

c Tests 2 a-c 456

d $inal #xamination 756

%otal 100,

-. Reading ist

#vans, /.M., 2555. 're (eolog& and Industrial Minerals, /n Introduction8 lackwell "cience.

9reiter, :.M., 1;7

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>istor& of mineral exploration, ore, gangue and industrial minerals, se*uential exploration model Cdesk studies, area

selection, target generation, prospect generation, siDing prospects, evaluation.

easi!ilit tudies

lanning Cexternal factors and socio-economic controls, #xternal factors Cmining method, transportation of mineral

commodities, availa%ilit& of infrastructure, la%our, environmental concerns and climate, socio-economic factors

Cpolitical sta%ilit&, environmental pollution and (overnment controls e.g. taxes, compensation etc., trade unions.

#valuation of reserves and metallurgical tests, market studies and operating costs.

Mineral Exploration Methods

These will dwell essentiall& on geochemical methods as geoph&sical methods will %e covered in course (?M 2253.

'verview of geochemical exploration, geochemical anomalies, concentration factor, geochemical c&cle, pathfinder

elements, )larkes average a%undance of elements in the earths crust, lithogeochemical surve&s, soil geochemistr&,

%iogeochemistr&, geo%otan&, stream sediment geochemistr&, heav& minerals in exploration, geochemical maps,h&drogeochemistr&.

ampling o( re3 %onnage and Grade Calculations

)hannel sampling, chip sampling, muck sampling, car sampling, pitting, trenching, auger drilling, %anka drilling and

diamond drilling, /ssa&ing, grade, volume and tonnage calculations.

Mineral Economics

're values, recovera%le value of a mineral commodit&, estimating profita%ilit&.

Mining Methods

(eneral terminologies used in mining, underground mining methods Csu%level mining, longhole open stoping,

shrinkage stoping, cut and fill stoping, %lock caving, room and pillar mining, surface mining Copen cast, strip,

solution, and in-situ leaching mining methods, factors affecting the selection of mining methods.

. uggested %eaching 'rogramme

I. tages o( Mineral Exploration 56 7ee8s9 &ssignment 1

>istor& of mineral exploration

're, gangue and industrial minerals

"e*uential exploration model Cdesk studies, area selection, target generation, prospect generation,

siDing prospects, evaluation.

II. easi!ilit tudies 52 7ee8s9

lanning Cexternal factors and socio-economic controls

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#xternal factors Cmining method, transportation of mineral commodities, availa%ilit& of infrastructure,

la%our, environmental concerns and climate

"ocio-economic factors Cpolitical sta%ilit&, environmental pollution and (overnment controls e.g.

taxes, compensation etc., trade unions.

#valuation of reserves and metallurgical tests

Market studies and operating costs

III. Mineral Exploration Methods 56 7ee8s9 &ssignment 2

'verview of geochemical exploration

(eochemical anomalies

)oncentration factor, geochemical c&cle

athfinder elements )larkes average a%undance of elements in the earths crust

ithogeochemical surve&s

"oil geochemistr&

iogeochemistr&

(eo%otan&

"tream sediment geochemistr&

>eav& minerals in exploration

(eochemical maps

>&drogeochemistr&

I:. ampling o( re3 Grade and %onnage Calculations52 7ee8s9

)hannel sampling

)hip sampling

Muck sampling

)ar sampling

itting

Trenching

/uger drilling

anka drilling

0iamond drilling

/ssa&ing

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(rade, volume and tonnage calculations

:. Mineral Economics 52 7ee8s9 &ssignment 6

're values

?ecovera%le value of a mineral commodit&

#stimating profita%ilit&

:I. Mining Methods and E((ect on En#ironment 56 7ee8s9 &ssignment 4

(eneral terminologies used in mining

Enderground mining methods Csu%level mining, longhole open stoping, shrinkage stoping, cut and fill

stoping, %lock caving, room and pillar mining

"urface mining Copen cast, strip, solution, and in-situ leaching

Mining methods $actors affecting the selection of mining methods

racticals will %e continuous from week 3 up to week 1+.

. Responsi!ilit o( the tudent

?egular attendance, do all the assignments, practicals, attend all the field demonstrations participate in field

excursions and write field reports.

10. Responsi!ilit o( the Course ecturer

)onstant and punctual teaching, guide students during practicals, accompan& and explain issues during field

demonstrations and outer fieldwork, accurate and prompt grading of assignments, practicals, field reports, tests and

examinations. /ssist students after formal lectures.