Mining  Mining Techniques  Borehole Mining

Borehole Mining

Borehole mining is done to mine many industrial materials like uranium, iron ore, quartz sand, gravel, gold, diamonds and amber. It is a remote controlled method of underground mining. It is also used in exploration, oil, gas, and water stimulation. Borehole mining consists of two pipes one for pumping down high pressure water and another that delivers slurry back to the surface.

A BHM tool consists of water jet pump, hydro monitor section, an extension section and a hub. The tool is lowered into a well until the hydro monitor reaches the depth of the hole where the borehole mining is started. Then the high pressure water is pumped down and receives back productive slurry. In the tank, slurry is collected. The water is drained and ore is taken out of it.

The Bore hole Mining belongs to the underground mining category. But personnel don't go underground but work from the surface. The advantage of Borehole mining is there is high level of safety and has the ability to work in a collapsing environment. Other advantages include it requires less laborious, does not pass through dangerous and expensive mining process like overburden, shaft building, ventilation, de-watering, underground personnel transportation, life support and more. This method can lead to reduction of overall cost of the final product from 15% to 75%.