Mining Process Flow

Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or geological materials from the earth. The process of mining from the discovery of a body of ore, its extraction and returning the land to its original state consists of distinct steps. The basic steps of mining include:

• Discovery of ore body through prospecting or exploration
• Resource estimation and feasibility studies to determine if extraction is economically viable
• Mine development including equipment, buildings, processing plants, etc
• Mining, drilling or blasting of ore body to make it easily transportable
• Loading and hauling of ore from mining site to processing site
  
• Crushing/Comminution of ore to reduce particle size and liberate or expose valuable materials from waste materials
• Screening/Classification of materials to control particle size distribution necessary for effective mineral processing
• Grinding/Comminution for fine particle size reduction and liberation
  
• Separation/Concentration of valuable minerals
• Minerals processing by Pyro/Hydro techniques and further purification
  
• Mine closure and land reclamation

- Major Drilling Group International, Komatsu America Corp, Sandvik Mining and Construction, Falcon Concentrators images.