Underground soft-rock mining

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Underground mining of oil shale in VKG Ojamaa mine in Estonia VKG Ojamaa kaevandus.jpg
Underground mining of oil shale in VKG Ojamaa mine in Estonia

Underground soft-rock mining is a group of underground mining techniques used to extract coal, oil shale, potash, and other minerals or geological materials from sedimentary ("soft") rocks. [1] Because deposits in sedimentary rocks are commonly layered and relatively less hard, the mining methods used differ from those used to mine deposits in igneous or metamorphic rocks (see underground hard-rock mining). Underground mining techniques also differ greatly from those of surface mining.

Contents

Methods of underground soft rock mining

See also

References

  1. Peter Darling, ed. (2011). SME Mining Engineering Handbook (3rd ed.). Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration. p. 377. ISBN   978-0-87335-264-2.
  2. "Skimmed Coal - new sink and float process removes slate and speeds production" Popular Science, August 1938