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What are the four main operations in an open-pit mine?
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mining
Typical development workings of an underground mine.
In most open-pit mining operations, there are four primary unit operations used to extract material:
- Drilling: Rotary drills or percussion machines are used to create holes in the rock, which are then cleared of cuttings using compressed air.1
- Blasting: Explosives, such as ANFO, are placed into the drilled holes and detonated in a controlled sequence to fragment the rock and displace it for easier handling.1
- Loading: Large shovels or wheel loaders are used to scoop the fragmented rock—both ore and waste—into transport vehicles.1
- Hauling: Trucks or other transport systems, such as belt conveyors, move the waste rock to dumps and the ore to processing facilities.1